Driving through the northeastern reaches of Chicagoland this summer, Road Trips Gardeners? Stop by the Chicago Botanic Garden to see “Rare Seeds, Creative Harvest”, an exhibit inspired by the library’s Rare Book Collection.

Scarce botanical works are inspiration for not only scholars and students, but poets and artists as well. Using Herball by John Gerard (pictured) and an obscure seventeenth century work on zoophytes as starting points, this exhibition features a unique artist’s book as well as poetry combined with art.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays; noon to 4:30 p.m. on weekends; closed on holidays. The exhibit continues through August 12, 2012, at the garden’s library, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois (map).

If you’re there on June 16, 2012, catch the 2 p.m. library talk by Ed Valauskas, Curator of Rare Books at the garden’s library.

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)