Archives

• Gardening with Native Plants: Helping Pollinators April 3, 2025

  Wisconsin’s spring continues in April, the first month of the year when average minimum temperatures are above freezing. Total April precipitation (on average)… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Shrubs with Early Blooms February 27, 2025

  March often brings the end of winter, the beginning of spring, or simply the variability of this seasonal transition. Longer days, increasing sun… Read more

• Marian Farrior: Restoration, Community, and Collaboration in Action February 4, 2025

  For the last twenty-two years, Marian Farrior has dedicated her work – at the Arboretum and with other environmental organizations – to a clear… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Plants for a Garden Full of Life February 4, 2025

  During February, winter’s grip begins to loosen. Although Madison’s average daily temperature for the month is in the mid-20s, the average high temperature… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Planning for Pollinators January 7, 2025

  In our Wisconsin climate, January is an unlikely month for actual gardening, but seeding and planning for the new season is underway at the Arboretum. Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Winter Reading December 2, 2024

  December is the first month of meteorological winter and brings the shortest days of the year, often with cold and snow. Gardens are quiet this… Read more

• Land Care Report: The Stages of Restoring Valuable Oak Savannas November 4, 2024

  When people think of Arboretum restorations, they likely envision prairies, especially Curtis and Greene Prairies. That makes sense, given the historical importance of Curtis and… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Autumn Care and Reflections November 4, 2024

  Late fall arrives in November, with colder days, possible frosts, shifting winds, shorter daylength, and neutral colors. Plants go into dormancy; some still hold seeds. Read more

• Arboretum BCycle Campaign September 9, 2024

  Riding a bike is an enjoyable, sustainable, healthy, and practical way to enjoy the Arboretum. To expand transportation options for people to come explore, we… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Late Summer July 31, 2024

  Will August bring mid-summer heat or a transition to fall? Dry weeks or more rainy days? Gardening tasks include harvesting seeds from plants that bloomed… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Midsummer June 30, 2024

  Native plant gardens take on a summer look this month. Typically, July brings the warmest average temperatures of the year, peaking at an average high… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Garden Care June 3, 2024

  With the spring plant sale “season” behind us and new native plants taking root in gardens, we turn to long-term care of these areas. Although… Read more

• How to Create a Beautiful Pollinator Garden that Supports Butterflies and Bees May 30, 2024

  “Traditional yards with pristine lawns and few plants act as ecological deserts. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Installing a pollinator garden is… Read more

• Tu Agua Project Builds on WATER Project’s Community Engagement Framework May 1, 2024

  Situated near the low point of the Lake Wingra watershed, the Arboretum receives millions of gallons of stormwater each year from surrounding neighborhoods and commercial… Read more

• Arboretum Restoration Team Leader Program Serves as a Model for Participatory Leadership May 1, 2024

  For more than three decades, the Arboretum’s drop-in restoration work parties have engaged hundreds of community volunteers each year in restoring and caring for Arboretum… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: May Flowers May 1, 2024

  Wisconsin spring is in full swing in May and change is everywhere – budding, germination, decomposition, emergence, migration, fresh new growth, and warmth. We welcome… Read more

• Arboretum and Community Partners Discuss Ways to Reduce Salt Contamination in Lake Wingra May 31, 2023

  This spring, two meetings at the Arboretum brought together stakeholders from the Lake Wingra watershed with the overarching goal of reducing the amount of salt… 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

• 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

• The Arboretum Goes Greener with Solar Panel Upgrade October 6, 2020

  As one of several initiatives to reduce its energy footprint and operate more sustainably, the Arboretum Visitor Center will get a major solar panel upgrade… Read more