What's in Your Garden?!

Save the date for two opportunities this coming weekend to consult with experts and select the plants best suited to your gardening style and available space.

"Plant Sale with the Pros", Olbrich Gardens

The staff of Olbrich Botanical Gardens hosts its "Plant Sale with the Pros", Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM (Friday) and from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM (Saturday).  Look for tents, 3330 Atwood Avenue.

The sale features Wisconsin-hardy annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs and more. Master gardeners and Olbrich’s horticulturists are available to answer questions. Proceeds from the sale benefit Olbrich Gardens.  See the 2014 Plant List!

Native Plant Sale, Arboretum

The Friends of the Arboretum hosts its annual Native Plant Sale, Saturday, May 10, from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Look for tents near the Visitor Center.   Information sheets are available online for the various native trees, shrubs, prairie, savanna and rain-garden plants available at the sale.

While every effort is made to supply a quantity of each species, the Friends cannot guarantee that everything will remain available, or in the quantities desired, upon your arrival.

My rule of thumb (green thumb, that is!)--get there early! Experts will be on hand to help you locate species and to answer questions.

Madison Reads Leopold, 2014

Visit the UW Arboretum for a special (9th annual) reading from Aldo Leopold’s seminal treatise on life in the natural world and conservation ethos, A Sand County Almanac, among other essays and inspired performances, Saturday, March 1 (beginning at 9:30 AM).

Consult the site for a complete schedule of essay selections and featured speakers from campus and community.   The "Madison Reads Leopold" events are free and open to the public.  The Arboretum Visitor Center is located at 1207 Seminole Highway.

For general information about this and other events, phone the UW-Arboretum Visitor Information Desk (608-263-7888) or visit its Website.

For related interest and inspiration, do review photos and text from the digitized Aldo Leopold Archives (UW Digital Collections)!

What's in your Garden?!

Save the date for two opportunities this coming weekend to consult with experts and select the plants best suited to your gardening style and available space.

"Plant Sale with the Pros", Olbrich Gardens

The staff of Olbrich Botanical Gardens hosts its "Plant Sale with the Pros", Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11, from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM (Friday) and from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM (Saturday).  Look for tents, 3330 Atwood Avenue.

The sale features Wisconsin-hardy annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs and more. Master gardeners and Olbrich’s horticulturists are available to answer questions. Proceeds from the sale benefit Olbrich Gardens.

Native Plant Sale, Arboretum

The Friends of the Arboretum hosts its annual Native Plant Sale, Saturday, May 11, from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Look for tents near the Visitor Center. Should you wish to plan your list of must-have plants, do consult the 2013 Species List (soil and lighting requirements are listed).

While every effort is made to supply a quantity of each species, the Friends cannot guarantee that everything will remain available, or in the quantities desired, upon your arrival.

My rule of thumb (green thumb, that is!)--get there early! Experts will be on hand to help you locate species and to answer questions.

Madison Reads Leopold (March 2)

Visit the UW Arboretum for a special public reading from Aldo Leopold’s seminal treatise on life in the natural world and conservation ethos, A Sand County Almanac, among other essays, Saturday, March 2 (beginning at 9:30 AM).

Scheduled readers include Madelyn Leopold, Scott Craven, Ron Seeley, Marie McCabe, and Stuart Levitan, among other students, naturalists and leaders from community organizations.

The "Madison Reads Leopold" events are free and open to the public.  Beginning at 1:00 PM, singer-songwriter, Tim Southwick Johnson will perform a special musical interlude of compositions inspired by Leopold.

The Arboretum Visitor Center is located at 1207 Seminole Highway.

For more information about these events, phone the UW-Arboretum Visitor Information Desk (608-263-7888) or visit the Website.

View the campus press release.

For related interest and inspiration, do review photos and text from the digitized Aldo Leopold Archives!

First Robin of Spring?

In the depths of winter, many of us will eagerly seek any indication that spring will arrive, to note the promise of seasonal change.  Others will record that change systematically to inform our understanding of this planet and its climate.  And, while my grandmother once maintained an annual desk diary of her observations, and would solicit my own, our online networks facilitate greater collaboration, locally and nationally. 

Discover your inner phenologist with the following sites.  Find inspiration from the Arboretum’s Naturalist’s Notes and the Cooperative Extension’s Wildlife Phenology Calendar (available from the Learning Store).

And, do consult with your Steenbock librarians for assistance using the library catalog to find books and more from our collections. 

Project Budburst

USA National Phenology Network

Wisconsin Phenological Society

Native by Design

Save the date!  This early fall, the University Arboretum will host a Native Gardening Conference (Sunday, September 23).  Its theme, "Native by Design: Gardening for a Sustainable Future" will inspire the Midwest gardener to design and to plant spaces that support native wildlife, attract pollinators, and filter runoff. 

Visit the Arboretum Website to view the program brochure and to print a registration form.  Deadline for registering for the conference is September 14, 2012.

Arboretum Native Plant Sale, May 12

The Friends of the Arboretum will host its annual NativePlant Sale, Saturday, May 12, from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Look for tents near the Visitor Center. Should you wish to plan your list of must-have plants, do consult the 2012 Species List (soil and lighting requirements are listed).

While every effort is made to supply a quantity of each species, the Friends cannot guarantee that everything will remain available, or in the quantities desired, upon your arrival.

My rule of thumb (green thumb, that is!)--get there early! Experts will be on hand to help you locate species and to answer questions.

2012 Species List

Madison Reads Leopold, March 3

Come visit the UW Arboretum for a special public reading from Aldo Leopold’s seminal treatise on life in the natural world and conservation ethos, A Sand County Almanac, Saturday, March 3 (beginning at 9:30 AM).

Scheduled readers include Kevin McSweeney (Director of the Arboretum), Madelyn Leopold, Ray Guries, Ron Seeley, Marie McCabe, and Chuck Quirmbach, among other students, naturalists and leaders from community organizations.

The "Madison Reads Leopold" events are free and open to the public with light refreshments to be served in the visitor center lobby.

The Arboretum Visitor Center is located at 1207 Seminole Highway.

On Sunday, the Arboretum will host a "Walk with Leopold" tour beginning at 1:00 PM.

For more information about these events, phone the UW-Arboretum Visitor Information Desk (608-263-7888) or visit the Website.

View the campus press release.

Summer events at the Arboretum & Olbrich Gardens

City of Madison's Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Calendar of Events
Classes & Workshops
3330 Atwood Avenue

• Guided Garden Strolls: 1:30 & 3pm Sundays
• Yoga in the Gardens: 5:30-6:45pm Mondays & 7:30-8:45am Thursdays
• Summer Concert Series: 7-8pm Tuesdays in June & July
• Rose Show: 12:30-4pm June 20
• North Side Artists' Group Show: 11am-5pm Sundays July 4 - Sept. 26
• Blooming Butterflies: 10am-4pm July 14 - Aug. 8
• Iris Sale: 8am-6pm July 30 - Aug. 1
• Daylily Sale: 10am-4pm Aug. 14 & 11am-3pm Aug. 15
• Dahlia Show: 12-4pm Aug. 21 & 10am-4pm Aug. 22

UW-Madison's Arboretum
Calendar of Events
Entrances: End of S. Mills St. or 1207 Seminole Hwy.

• Volunteer Workdays: 9am-12pm Saturdays
• What’s Blooming?: 7-8:45pm June 23
• "Moth Madness" Family Event: 12:30-4pm June 27
• Walk in Greene Prairie and Grady Knolls: 1-3pm June 27
• Walk in Curtis Prairie: 1-2:30pm July 4
• Walk in Grady Tract: 1-3pm July 11
• "Butterflies Flutter By" Family Walk: 1:30-2:30pm July 11
• Walk in Curtis Prairie: 1-2:30pm July 18
• Nighttime Walk: 8-9:30pm July 24
• Walk in Grady Tract: 1-3pm July 25
• "When the Moon is Full" Family Walk 6:30-8:30pm July 25
• Native Plants for Pollinators: 7-8:30pm July 28
• Walk in Curtis Prairie: 1-2:30pm August 8
• Native Grasses: 7-8:15pm August 11
• Walk in Grady Tracts: 1-3pm August 15
• "Pond Stuff" Family Walk: 1:30-2:30pm August 15
• Insect Serenade Night Walk: 8-9:30pm August 21
• "Pollination" Family Event: 12:30-4pm August 22
• Dane County in 1834 Walk: 1-2:30pm August 22
• Walk in Prairies and Savannas: 1-3pm August 29

Native Plant Sale, UW Arboretum (May 8)

The Friends of the Arboretum will host its annual Native Plant Sale, Saturday, May 8, from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Look for tents near the Visitor Center. Should you wish to plan your list of must-have plants, do consult the 2010 Species List (soil and lighting requirements are listed).

While every effort is made to supply a quantity of each species, the Friends cannot guarantee that everything will remain available, or in the quantities desired, upon your arrival.

My rule of thumb (green thumb, that is!)—get there early! Many volunteers will be on hand to help you locate species and to answer questions.

• 2010 Species List

Arboretum Celebrates 75 Years!

Seventy-five years ago, Aldo Leopold, John Curtis, Norman Fassett and students reclaimed a piece of Wisconsin’s ecological heritage and sparked a movement. With support from the university, Madison community and Civilian Conservation Corps workers, they re-seeded a prairie--documenting their efforts in what would become a "recipe" for ecological restoration efforts, locally and nationally.

Today, the 1,200-acre Arboretum showcases a variety of restored Wisconsin landscapes, but, the centerpiece for many remains the 72-acre Curtis Prairie.

On Sunday, June 21, the Arboretum celebrates its birthday with naturalist-led walks, cake, and punch at its Visitor Center (1207 Seminole Highway). All events are free and open to the public. For more information, see the Arboretum events calendar.

Madison Reads Leopold

In order to celebrate Aldo Leopold’s profound and seminal contribution to our contemporary conservation ethos, the public is invited to the Arboretum Visitor Center for a reading of selections from A Sand County Almanac and other works, Saturday, March 1 (9:00 AM – 12:30 PM). Scheduled readers include Madelyn Leopold (granddaughter of Aldo Leopold), Ron Seely from the Wisconsin State Journal, Linda Brazill from the Capital Times, and Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

Following the readings, participants can muse upon Leopold’s vision with guided walking tours of the Arboretum. Tours begin at 1:15 PM.

The Madison Reads Leopold events are free and open to the public.
The Arboretum Visitor Center is located at 1207 Seminole Highway.

The following day, March 2, whet your appetite with a pancake breakfast at the Riley Tavern and more Leopold with a discussion and presentation by Professor Emeritus, Stanley Temple. His presentation will speak to Leopold’s conservation work and its influence upon private land use and restoration efforts in the Riley area.

The pancake breakfast is slated from 9:00 AM until noon. The Riley Reads Leopold event will be held from 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM in the Riley Tavern Annex, 8205 Klevenville Riley Road (Verona).

Other Leopold Weekend events: http://aldoleopold.org/Weekend/weekend.htm