Category: Wisconsin | Accent on Natural Landscaping

Johnson’s Nursery offers 40% Discount in June

June 12, 2019

If you live in Wisconsin and you’re looking for native plants, this is the month to shop at Johnson’s Nursery in Menomonee Falls. During the month of June, Johnson’s Nursery offers a 40% discount on container grown Wisconsin native plants to shoppers presenting their valid Wild Ones member card at time of sale. Additionally, they contribute a percentage of member sales to the three Milwaukee-area Wild Ones chapters — Menomonee River, Milwaukee North, and Milwaukee Southwest/Wehr.

Gnarly Natives

Below is an article by Ben French, propagator at Johnson’s Nursery. Find out why he considers these three native Wisconsin plants “gnarly:” American Beech, Carrion Flower and Jack-in-the-Pulpit.

Gnarly Natives

Monches Farm Retiring

May 31, 2019

Glass House at Monches Farm. Monches Farm has been a pleasure to visit over the years.

Monches Farm has been a long-time friend of Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes. They were an early advertiser in the Wild Ones Journal and always accommodating to tours by Wild Ones chapters. But like for many of us, the time has come to retire to a less active life.

Monches Farm is Retiring

“Monches Farm is retiring from our retail location. For almost 40 years you, our customers and friends, have helped us to live our dreams. We thank you! But it is now time for us to pursue our future dreams.

We will continue Monches Farm growing plants and creating and maintaining gardens for our landscape customers only.

We will keep all of you informed of future special events that would happen at our Ramhorn Farm location. Customer contact will be via our email list only. If you know someone who would like to be on our email list, please ask them to let us know via contact@monchesfarm.com

Our Monches Farm property has been sold and will no longer remain a retail business after we close on June 30th of this year.

This Spring the shop will look quite different. All seasons will be represented: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Christmas. The shop will be fully stocked and all shop merchandise will be discounted. Many items are in very limited quantities or one of a kind so it will be first-come, first-served. Our hours will be 9:00-5:00, seven days a week, starting April 2nd through June 30th.”

They will be open for one more month.

They tell me there are still many treasures in the shop as well as a good selection of plants from which to choose. So if you have time and opportunity during the next month, drive to Colgate, Wisconsin and wish the Monches Farm family a happy and successful retirement!

The above quote taken from the March 27, 2019 Monches Farm newsletter.

Bluebonnets or Lupines

May 17, 2019

Bluebonnets

Bluebonnets are now blossoming in Texas so I thought it would be a good time to try to explain the difference between a bluebonnet and a Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis).

Texas Bluebonnet (*Lupinus texensis*) Photo by Norman G Flaigg courtesy of Wildflower Center.

Texas bluebonnets are actually six different Lupinus species with only one having the official name of Texas Bluebonnet or Lupinus texensis. Bluebonnets grow in most southwestern states, while Wild Lupine (Lupinus perrenis) grows in Wisconsin and most northeastern and southeastern states.

Although they are both in the Lupinus genus, they blossom at different times and, of course, in different climates. The shape of the petals of the Bluebonnet flower (raceme*) resembles the bonnets worn by pioneer women, hence the name. Typically blue in color, the flower florets also will grow in shades of white, pink, lavender, purple and maroon. Each floret has a wide white banner spot in the center of the banner petal. As the floret ages, this spot often turns reddish-purple. As the entire flower (raceme) ages, one of the top petals turns reddish-purple. It is considered ephemeral; it goes dormant by late spring.

According to Mike Quinn, past president of the Austin Butterfly Forum, “the bluebonnet is the larval food host for the Northern Cloudywing, Gray Hairstreak, Henry’s Elfin, Painted and American Lady, and Orange Sulphur butterflies.” (Wildflower.org)

Wild Lupine

Like the Texas Bluebonnet, Wild Lupine (Lupinus perrenis) likes well-drained soil and a sunny location. Wild Lupine, however, blooms late spring to early summer. It, too, is considered an ephemeral because it goes dormant by mid-summer. Its blooms, described as pea-like, are blue to violet in color and also have a white area at the tip of each floret.

Although the Wild Lupine is the only host plant for the Karner Blue butterfly caterpillar, a federally-endangered species native to the Great Lakes region, it is also a host plant for the Frosted Elfin and the Eastern Persius Duskywing butterflies.

Seeds and Leaves

All species of Lupinus have leaves which are palmate with anywhere from 3 to 11 leaflets. When seeds are ripe they spring from their pods with a popping sound. Before they can germinate, however, the seeds must be scarified (roughed up) to allow water uptake.

The bluebonnets and Wild Lupine belong to the Legume or Bean Family (Fabaceae or Leguminosae) which makes the plant a good source for nitrogren — a natural fertilizer. That is why plants of the Legume Family are able to grow so well in disturbed areas and often are used as a cover crop to enrich the soil.

*Spike-like cluster

UW Arboretum added to National Register of Historic Places

April 29, 2019

University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum

Photos by nationally known native plant landscape architect Darrel Morrison.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to visit the Curtis Prairie or the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum (UW Arboretum), you might consider adding this to your bucket list. Father of Wildlife Management Aldo Leopold and Father of Wisconsin Plant Ecology John Curtis conceived of, and designed and planted, with the help of others, the first restored prairie in the world — Curtis Prairie. This planting showed that it was possible to restore an ecosystem and to preserve endangered habitats. Because of that determination, the UW Arboretum has recently been listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the birthplace of restoration ecology.

“The listing recognizes the Arboretum’s historic significance for pioneering developments in conservation science and ecological research led by influential conservationists like John Curtis and Aldo Leopold. In Wisconsin, the Arboretum is recognized because of its landscape architecture, education and research, architectural elements, and its hosting of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the 1930s.” (UW News)

UW Arboretum Natural History

The first 246 acres of the Arboretum were purchased in 1932. Today, it is made up of 1200 acres. Although its role is primarily ecological research, the Arboretum also is a place of respite and meditation for visitors from throughout the world.

Workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped build the the first restored habitats at the Arboretum. They also helped some of the build roads, buildings and trails around the Arboretum. Many of the original CCC buildings still stand on the property.

Karen Oberhauser, formerly known as the Director of Monarch Joint Venture, was appointed as Director of UW Arboretum in 2017. She will be carrying on a long tradition of a land ethic.

Madison architectural historian Elizabeth Miller wrote the Arboretum’s nomination for listing in the register. She is now working to nominate the Arboretum as a National Historic Landmark.

For more information about the Arboretum, go to A Living Legacy of Research at the UW Arboretum.

Also see Saving History: 6 Things you need to know about historic designation.