Escape to Natural Beauty at The Admiral
Elevated high above the city, The Admiral at the Lake offers spectacular views of Lake Michigan and the city skyline, but some of our most beautiful views are more down-to-earth: the glorious gardens and green spaces right in our community. Filled with flower beds, bushes and trees – include a pear tree planted in honor of the Admirals’ 10 anniversary – our gardens and green spaces can be found both inside and out of our community.
So lush and inviting, our gardens are bursting with color and life. In fact, our first-floor garden was designated an official Certified Wildlife HabitatTM site by the National Wildlife Federation.
Certified Wildlife Habitat
To earn this prestigious designation from the National Wildlife Federation, a garden must support local wildlife, such as birds, butterflies and bees, by meeting five conditions necessary for wildlife:
- It must provide natural sources of food, water, cover and places to raise young.
- must be maintained in a sustainable way that incorporates native plants, conserves water and doesn’t rely on pesticides.
“I am pleased that this wonderful garden we’ve worked hard to nurture at The Admiral has been recognized by the National Wildlife Federation. While I love heading outdoors to the lake and trails right outside The Admiral’s walls, it is a welcome breath of fresh air to be able to enjoy the peace of nature literally steps from home.”
– Kathy Devaney
Certified Wildlife Habitat
To earn this prestigious designation from the National Wildlife Federation, a garden must support local wildlife, such as birds, butterflies and bees, by meeting five conditions necessary for wildlife:
- It must provide natural sources of food, water, cover and places to raise young.
- must be maintained in a sustainable way that incorporates native plants, conserves water and doesn’t rely on pesticides.
Green Spaces and Green Thumbs
The resident-led Garden Committee is active in many aspects of the preservation of the certified garden, as well as the community’s other green spaces. Despite living in the city and in a high-rise building, residents of The Admiral cultivate a feeling of openness in the community by helping to maintain spaces dedicated to nature. Their green thumbs not only keep our community vibrant and inviting, but keep the residents in the Garden Committee healthy and happy, too. Gardening provides health benefits as well as the chance to get together with friends who share your passion for all things green.
The gardens and green spaces can be used for multiple functions, including recreational and fitness programming in addition to general socialization. Residents engage in these spaces through beekeeping, exercise and meditation, and enjoy these areas as additional outdoor living space where picnics, reunions and events can be hosted.
Resident of The Admiral and lead gardener who submitted the application to certify the garden as a Wildlife Habitat.
“We applaud the residents for taking the initiative to grow the community’s thriving garden program and for seeking out this National Wildlife Federation designation. At The Admiral, we’re proud to be home to several di!erent green spaces where community members and their loved ones can gather. Earning this certification is a testament to the quality and beauty of these spaces, as well as to the overall benefit we can gain from nature.”
Nadia Geigler, CEO
We’ve Even Got Our Own Pollinators!
On the very top of the Admiral sits our very own bee hives buzzing with honey bees!
Under the careful management of Best Bees, our beehives are thriving. These busy little pollinators help keep our gardens green and growing – and they produce pure, raw honey.
Best Bees first delivered a nuc which consists of 20 frames, a laying queen bee and about 10,000 bees. The bees loved their new home at The Admiral and quickly filled all the frames with pollen, nectar and brood. In fact, additional frames have been added, as well as box called the “super,” where the queen lives and lays her eggs.
As the hive continues to grow, we will continue to add more frames – and even another hive! If the hive gets too crowded, the bees will swarm and leave to find more space.
The plan is to let some queen cells form, creating another queen bee in the hive. Once that happens, we will bring a new brood box and place it nearby the current one. Several frames will be removed from the existing hive and placed in the new brood box. The queen will be captured and placed in the new box with her attendants, creating yet another Admiral bee hive.
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