I forget to mention earlier that the December (2005) issue of Architectural Record has a small profile of the Renishaw building on the Sears/Prairie Stone campus. It was designed by annex|5, A. Epstein & Sons. I've often admired it on my visits to the Sears/Prairie Stone campus. If you haven't been to the Sears/Prairie Stone campus, you should check it out. It showcases an exemplary Prairie Style landscape. I hope that this sort of landscaping becomes a bigger trend in the area, because it's so much richer than a lawn and has the effect of anchoring the building, the organization and its culture to the local place, our place. It ties it to our land and by extension to our community.

I'm really glad that the City of Elgin landscaped the grounds around the Highlands club house using native plants, according to the Prairie Style. Three cheers for whoever was responsible for that. Perhaps it is asking too much, but I would like to see a preference for the Prairie Style codified via ordinance or whatever so that a number of municipal properties--namely Bluff City Cemetery, Lords Park and Wing Park--will be landscaped in accordance with the Prairie Style as described by Jens Jensen. I've been troubled by the sight of foreign and exotic trees planted in these different spaces, which I believe undermine our sense of place. When this place is like any other place, there won't be much of a reason for anyone to stay.