Because of your support, there are some fantastic garden improvements planned for this growing season!

Monk Botanical Gardens is now an All-American Selections Display Garden. Horticulture team members and volunteers will be installing a display bed by the front entrance to encompass this year’s All American Selection (AAS) Landscape Design Challenge theme of “Diversity in the Garden.” The display will showcase past and present AAS winners while encouraging the community to create diversity in their gardens.

Every year, the National Garden Bureau (NGB) selects plants for their “Year of” program. The NGB selects an annual, a perennial, a bulb crop, an edible, and a shrub as the crops of the year. Plants are chosen for their popularity, ease of growth, adaptability, genetic diversity, and versatility. This year, 2021, is the “Year Of” the Sunflower, Hyacinth, Garden Bean, Hardy Hibiscus, and Monarda. Look for these plants with their fun facts throughout the Gardens. Which ones will you grow in your garden this year?

In partnership with the Gardens, the North Central Wisconsin Master Gardeners will complete the Hosta Shade Garden this summer. Join us in celebrating our new garden addition at the upcoming grand opening (watch for dates and details on our website). This garden offers a perfect space to relax in the shade and admire the collection’s unique Hosta varieties.

Clearing continued beyond the Hosta Shade Garden this past fall.  Our team members and volunteers’ cleared the corridor between the Hosta Shade Garden and Wildflower Woods, providing a perfect place to plant a new garden.  Additionally, the Meditation Garden will be extended to create a relaxing pathway along the pond’s west edge.

Sara’s Storybook Garden volunteers are making great strides in clearing the area to create the children’s garden. Phase one construction will start with the Hobbit House and the surrounding landscape.

Thank you to our generous donors who make these improvements possible. We look forward to seeing you in the Gardens this summer, discovering all the new gardens and features.