We haven’t heard many footsteps around the gardens, but we have heard the sound of machinery and progress. We have taken advantage of these unusual circumstances over the past few months. Now that the gardens are open again, keep an eye out for the updates made to the grounds over the past four months.

The North Central Wisconsin Master Gardeners’ Hosta Shade Garden has been taking shape. Berms, boulders, pathways, and plants have been installed. You must come and check out the view from the treehouse!

An essential part of our mission is to maintain an accessible garden for all to use and enjoy. The trails at the Gardens have not been resurfaced in 12 years! It is now time to repair them this September. We are thankful for receiving a grant from the Dwight & Linda Davis Foundation and Wisconsin Public Service Foundation, which will cover the cost of resurfacing over a mile of trails and the parking lot. You will soon hear the hum of large equipment as the trails are regraded, widened, and new gravel is compacted.

Beautifying the entryway to the Gardens has been a priority of ours this year. A variety of annual, perennial, and shrub plantings were installed along the main pathways to generate interest and create areas for expansion. Keep an eye out for new plantings each year to continue to create a welcoming and beautiful space.

As you meander through the landscapes, you may notice new signage in among the plants. We have been working hard to get woody and herbaceous plants labeled and entered into our plant database. Each plant will have a label at the base of the plant and an accession tag attached to it. Soon you will be able to access our database of plants online.

With the additions of all of these projects, the gardens continue to improve. Without the hard work of staff, interns, volunteers, and generous donors, we would not have been able to continue developing our new garden spaces, so THANK YOU!