In Bloom April 9

 

The first of the rhododendrons are in bloom, just inside the gate. The other bushes are budded up and will soon be in full flower.

Outside the gate, the pink azaleas are just showing color..

As you enter the gate and look into the undergrowth there, you can see that the redbud is in bloom. A bit hard to get a good photo in the overcast. Redbuds are native trees in Illinois.

Again, if you look off into these woods, you can see that the bergenia are in bloom by the rock. 

Near them, and throughout the garden, the hellebores are still in bloom. It was a good year for them!

The cherry tree that is in the garden is the weeping cherry. In general, cherry trees are not found in stroll gardens. See the page on Cherry Trees.

These are coming into bloom throughout the garden. I'm tracking down what they are. 

The star magnolias down by the lagoon are in full flower. There is a pair of mallards wooing on the branch in the water. 

I don't have photos, but there are cormorants working in the lagoon. They are probably migrating through the park. Double-crested Cormorant | Audubon Field Guide