Cathy Hayen is retiring from the City of Aurora government at the end of February. You might not know her by name, but you know her by the gardens, baskets, and planters of vibrant colors that have transformed downtown Aurora over the years into a seasonal paradise.
In 2014, Hayen became the city’s horticulturist. She worked as an assistant horticulturist for a year before that, and ever since she has worked hard to transform downtown’s business district into a show-worthy urban oasis.
Hayen’s past experiences at Schaefer Greenhouses, The Morton Arboretum, Chicago Botanic Garden, and the U.S. Forest Service served her well by nurturing her green thumb. In the last 12 years working for the city of Aurora, Hayen focused largely on downtown, also known as Aurora’s Central Business District, and on Phillips Park on Aurora’s East Side.
Whether it is thousands of tulip or daffodil bulbs planted in boulevards that stretch all the way to Phillips Park, or the planning and planting of about 150 large planters in downtown, Hayen does it all with a smile. I think that’s what I will miss the most after Hayen exits her position. Hayen has a joy and effervescence that is rare. It’s like she actually enjoys her job.
Hayen is also really good at her job. She knows just what will grow and look the best in the 13 rain gardens she manages downtown. She tests hanging baskets each year for the following year, and, boy, are they always beautiful. Hayen also employs sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices when planting. Updates were made in 2017 at Millennium Plaza to improve ecosystem services, control erosion, and to minimize the flow of pollutants into the Fox River. She also worked to restore the shoreline from Galena to Downer using plants that are adapted to withstand seasonal flooding.
Hayen incorporates native plants and wildflowers into many garden designs. A metal sign installed in the northernmost garden along Water Street Mall says “Welcome to the City of Aurora Pollinator Garden.” The sign shows pictures of pollinators, including a bee, a bat, a hummingbird, and butterflies.
Anyone using the Fox River Trail near downtown will enjoy a rainbow of colors as grasses and wildflowers seem to effortlessly bloom from spring to summer. But there’s constant upkeep involved in maintaining such attractive garden beds. I would often see Hayen kneeling on the sidewalk to pull weeds out of the rain gardens. She’s not afraid to get dirty or to work in the heat of summer.
When I was manager of Aurora Downtown, I always loved getting to see a sneak peek of the planting design for the sidewalk planters that year. Then in mid-May, we would get volunteers together to plant all of the large, art deco planters lined up in the casino parking lot. The volunteer planting parties were a group effort. Aurora Downtown collaborated with Downtown Services to host the annual spring events, and we’d celebrate at a downtown establishment afterwards.
There was a lot of collaboration happening, and Hayen would bring us thoughtful ideas that we’d get behind. Aurora Downtown helped to fund a new greenhouse off of River Street where they could grow plants. We also bought big custom metal rings that Hayen requested for the rain gardens on Water Street Mall. She wrapped decorative lights around them, and they are used year-round for decoration. She then designed obelisk metal planters, and we sought out to find metal fabricators to make them a reality.
After the holidays, Hayen would transplant the blue spruce trees that Aurora Downtown would purchase for a couple of the planters each Christmas. Most of the spruces were planted along the Fox River Trail, north of Downer Place.
Hayen gave a lot to our city, and we’ve been lucky to see the city really bloom with her knowledge and direction. It always felt good to have visitors compliment the flowers in downtown, and add that they were by far the most gorgeous of any surrounding town. Thanks for cultivating and enriching our city, Cathy.
Marissa Amoni is the owner of Marissa Bright, a public relations and event management company specializing in shining the light on nonprofits and small businesses. She coordinates Alley Art Festival and Geneva Arts Fair. Follow her on Instagram @marissashinesbright. Visit a full calendar of art events on alleyartaurora.com/artscene.