Archives

• Gardening with Native Plants: Rain Gardens in Drought September 1, 2021

  In September, the garden usually experiences cooler high and low daily temperatures and decreasing rainfall compared to the summer months. Plant growth slows and some… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Silphiums in Bloom July 1, 2021

  July is the peak of summer, reaching the highest average temperatures of the year toward the end of the month. Plants in the prairie, savanna,… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Summer Begins June 9, 2021

  Long day length, warm spring temperatures, and the first day of summer are among the highlights of gardening in June. This month brings exuberant plant… Read more

• Outdoor Events Resume with New Nature Spaces for Learning and Exploration May 10, 2021

  In-person educational events resume outdoors beginning in June, with some precautions in place. In addition, we are excited to announce two new educational spaces for… Read more

• Horticultural Garden Notes: Spring 2021 May 3, 2021

  Goodbye to a Special Tree On March 1 we said goodbye to a special tree, a native white ash (Fraxinus americana) cultivar named ‘Autumn Purple’… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Spring Changes May 3, 2021

  April’s promise becomes rapid growth and change in our landscapes in May. Bird and monarch migration, tree canopy leaf out, insect larvae hatching and feeding,… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Spring Plants and Pollinators March 30, 2021

  Even if winter lingers in March, April leads to true spring: longer and warmer days, adequate rainfall, and changing colors as tree buds swell and… Read more

• What's in Bloom? March 30, 2021

  This is a selective list of popular blooming horticultural plants in Longenecker Horticultural Gardens (LHG) and native plants in the Wisconsin Native Plant Garden (WNPG)… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Trees and Shrubs March 1, 2021

  Despite the possibility of snow or ice storms this month, gardeners anticipate March. We note longer days, increasing sun angles, the equinox, shrinking snowpack, and… Read more

• Art on View: Renewal Without End February 12, 2021

  Visit the southeast corner of Longenecker Horticultural Gardens to see “Renewal Without End,” an art installation by Derick Wycherly. The twenty-yard banner spans four trees… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Garden Winter January 28, 2021

  February’s cold and snows limit garden work but allow for interesting winter observations and garden planning. Animal activity is legible in the snow, rewritten after… Read more

• Winter Interest in the Horticultural Collection January 6, 2021

  Fall Color in Evergreen Conifers Some needle-bearing trees are deciduous – such as larch and bald cypress, which display impressive fall color – but most… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Winter Reading December 1, 2020

  December brings short days, low sun angles, early winter ice, and snow—and few gardening tasks. We are preparing for snow removal, trimming along paths, harvesting… Read more

• Police stumped by theft of rare tree in Wisconsin capital November 12, 2020

  MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Police are stumped by the theft of a rare pine tree from the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. The 25-foot Algonquin Pillar… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Winterizing the Garden September 29, 2020

  October may bring cool or warm days, sun or clouds, and our first frost of the season. The last few flowers on New England asters… Read more

• Three ways to help save monarch butterflies and other pollinators September 21, 2020

  “Every fall, declining day length triggers one of the most incredible phenomena found in nature: the annual fall migration of monarch butterflies. Across North America,… Read more

• Growing the Longenecker Horticultural Gardens Collection September 1, 2020

  After a two-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, garden staff returned to work in mid-May amid a record number of visitors enjoying the garden’s… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Container Gardening September 1, 2020

  September brings the first official day of fall and noticeably shorter days for gardening. Our native plant garden tasks include trimming tall plants along paths,… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: New Tools and Inspiration July 30, 2020

  August marks a turning point in the growing season. Summer warmth and ample rains usually continue this month, along with a few days of refreshing… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Summer Sunflowers July 1, 2020

  July is our warmest month of the year, with still-long days and usually ample rain. Summer blooming plants reach full height and come into flower,… Read more