Archives

• Gardening with Native Plants: Emerging Bees, Living Lawns March 31, 2022

  April brings welcome spring to southern Wisconsin. In deciduous woodlands, small spring ephemerals emerge and flower, and tree canopy leaf-out begins. In prairies and savannas,… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Spring Planting, Late Summer Blooms March 2, 2022

  Longer and warmer days, higher sun angles, and mud mark the beginning of spring this month. By the end of March, several Native Plant Garden… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Summer Flowers January 27, 2022

  Technically, February isn’t the end of winter, but it’s the beginning of the end. With small signs, like melting ice and the crunch of soft… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Winter Planning January 7, 2022

  January is, on average, our coldest month of the year. It may bring significant snow and several days of extreme cold. Gardens are dormant, save… Read more

• Land Care Report: Seed Collection Bolsters Restorations January 6, 2022

  Invasive species management, tree and brush removal, and prescribed fire are three major components of our restoration work at the Arboretum, and so I’ve written… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Winter Reading December 1, 2021

  December is a quiet month of cold, short days with blowing and drifting snow possible, even likely. Outdoor garden tasks are usually limited by weather,… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Hidden from View October 28, 2021

  In its many guises, November offers fall, winter, and everything in between. Fall color remains here and there while daylength shortens, and wind, cold rain,… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Fall Reflections September 26, 2021

  October brings the end of flowering in the Native Plant Garden. A few autumn sights include late-blooming asters and goldenrods setting seed, tall grasses in… Read more

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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