The floating beds, which are planted on land, then taken out onto the river via boat, feature thousands of native Illinois plants: red cardinalis, milkweed, pink hibiscus. Wesley’s favorite flower, the pink Queen of the Prairie, bears a resemblance to a cone of cotton candy. Peter Nagle of the Chicago Botanic Garden selects the plants with an eye to the ecosystem: Which plants will nurture pollinators? Which have large root systems that can support fish populations?
