Archives

• Gardening with Native Plants: Subdued Landscapes October 30, 2023

  This month brings shorter days, low sun angles, frost, cold rain, wind, and low cloud cover. The vivid colors of October are replaced by the… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: October Changes Everything September 28, 2023

  While every month heralds some change in our gardens and landscapes, October brings transformation. Leaves and temperatures fall, animals may begin hibernation, migrating birds depart… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Silphium Summer August 29, 2023

  During the past month, the Arboretum and the Madison area have experienced extreme or severe drought. Apparently unaffected by the dry conditions, the four Silphium… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Summer Bees July 3, 2023

  In Madison, July is the warmest (on average) and the second wettest (on average) month of the year. Extreme heat and significant drought can also… Read more

• Land Care Report: Skunk Cabbage Wetlands and Winter Restoration Progress May 16, 2023

  Winter and early spring of 2023 were an exciting time for the land care crew and their oak savanna and wetland brush clearing projects. In… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: No Mow, Slow Mow, or Mow Less? April 28, 2023

  May is a month of dramatic growth and change in Wisconsin landscapes. Throughout the month, especially during a late-arriving spring, many shades of green appear… Read more

• On the Trails: Spring Ephemerals and Seasonal Suggested Hikes April 28, 2023

  It’s hard to believe that after seemingly endless dark days of cold, ice, and snow, spring would ever come. Despite winter’s habit of overstaying its… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Early Flowers April 3, 2023

  April brings many transitions in the garden: temperatures rising, days lengthening, buds breaking, animals and insects emerging, seeds germinating, and more gardening. The land comes… Read more

• Monarch Winter 2022–2023 Population Numbers Released March 21, 2023

  On March 21, 2023, the World Wildlife Fund-Telmex Telcel Foundation Alliance (WWF) and the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas in Mexico (CONANP),… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Flowers for Spring and Early Summer March 1, 2023

  Spring arrives this month, with meteorological spring on March 1 and astronomical spring (the equinox) on March 20. The meteorological season marks the beginning of… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Halfway to Spring January 30, 2023

  February is usually snowy and cold but always the shortest wintry month. Thawing and increasing daylength hint at the end of winter and the beginning… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: A New Year January 3, 2023

  January brings cold and snowy days to the garden as well as indoor planning for the next growing season. It’s a good time to envision… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Winter Reading November 30, 2022

  December brings the shortest days of the year, the first days of winter, and weather to match. Gardening tasks may be limited by snow and… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Late Fall November 1, 2022

  In November, days become shorter and colder. Snow may fall by the end of the month and frosts are common. Now limited to warmer days… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Seasonal Change September 29, 2022

  Some months hold more seasonal change than others. In October, the first frost may arrive, daylength and temperatures decline, fall color develops fully, and winter… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: The Latest Asters August 30, 2022

  September brings the end of the flowering season as fall arrives in native plant gardens. A few flowers may linger into October, but this month… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Summer Shift August 1, 2022

  August brings mostly warm days, and perhaps subtle cooler hints of fall. It can be a rainy month, or a time when dry conditions deepen. Read more

• Monarch Butterflies Are Endangered, Leading Wildlife Monitor Says July 21, 2022

  North America’s monarch butterfly, whose showy looks and extraordinary migration have made it one of the continent’s most beloved insects, has been classified as endangered… Read more

• Arboretum Hosts Native Gardening Conference September 18 July 15, 2022

  Learn Sustainable Gardening Practices and How to Use Native Plants in Home Landscapes The UW–Madison Arboretum will host its 2022 Native Gardening Conference, “Native… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Midsummer Highlights June 30, 2022

  Our native gardens take on a summer look this month. July brings the warmest average temperatures of the year, with a peak average high of… Read more