As the days grow longer and the weather turns warmer, our thoughts often turn to planning for our gardens. For those looking for garden ideas, the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois, is presenting its 11th Annual Antiques and Garden Fair on Friday, April 15, through Sunday, April 17.

And while many of our garden ideals tend towards robust, lush and -- let's admit it -- somewhat overstuffed with plants here and there, this year's theme for the fair is contemporary gardens -- ones that are clean, not cluttered, and minimal with an emphasis on less vegetation and the addition of durable inorganic elements such as stone, metal and glass. It's the perfect type of garden for those who love order and symmetry but don't have enough time or energy to spend weeding, pruning and cutting. This year's theme, "Landscapes Transformed: Gardens of a New Era," is in keeping with that minimalistic approach to landscaping.

Fortuitously, the day that the coproducers of the fair were determining the theme, Peter Wirtz, a principal of Wirtz International -- a landscape architectural firm located in Belgium that was founded by his father Jacques Wirtz in 1948 -- happened to be visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden.

"Peter is very much into contemporary gardens," said Jodi Zombolo, the garden's director of visitor events and programs. "So once we decided what we are going to do, we asked if he would speak at the fair and he agreed."

Wirtz will give a lecture titled "Formal and Informal in Contemporary Garden Design" on Friday, April 15, at 10:30 a.m.

Zombolo noted that it's an interesting conundrum -- modern landscape architecture with its great structure and form and the hundred or so vendors who each year set up their booths, many of whom are selling antiques and vintage goods including furniture, books, garden objects and art. But that too is part of the inspirational and educational aspect of the Antiques and Garden Fair.

"Our vendors can help show how to pair their antiques with more minimalist gardens," Zombolo said. "One of the antique vendors will be showing how to create cut flower arrangements that go with her antique furniture."

And for those who want their modernity both outdoors and in, there are contemporary offerings from vendors as well, creating a wide range of items to choose from in order to create an individualized garden and garden room space.

"There are all kinds of things, ranging from the high price level to the more affordable level," Zombolo said. "We urge our antique vendors to think about garden type items that would be in the garden or garden rooms, but they always bring other things, too, that are fantastic like tables and sofas. We also have new product vendors who bring items relative to gardens like watering cans, tablecloths that have botanical designs, vases, pottery, gardening gloves, jewelry and other gardening gear. We also have a book vendor here this year, selling antique books as well as great gardening books."

For those who get hungry after all this perusing, there are two cafes within the fair, selling snacks, drinks and bagged lunches. Also, flower-arranging experts will be giving complimentary demonstrations at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Even without the fair going on, the Chicago Botanic Garden, with its 24 display gardens and four natural areas, is a beautiful place to be. Open year round and considered to be a 385-acre living plant museum, the garden is free except for events like this. And though the early spring flowers such as daffodils will probably be mostly gone, the tulips and other mid-spring flowers will be in full bloom.

"We all need some spring right now," Zombolo said. "And this starts it off in a very positive and beautiful way."