Garden Center Blog

late summer recap

What a difference a wetter growing season makes! The Madison area’s rainfall is just a couple of inches over average April through end of August. It certainly has been a wet July and August, but we were running very low in the early spring months. The temps and...

second chance veggies

So many of you planted fruits and vegetables again this spring and we hope that you’ve been happy with the results. After all, there are few things more delicious then a tomato eaten right off the vine. And you may find that you’ve got some empty spots where spring...

borrow from the prairies

“To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, One clover, and a bee, And reverie. The reverie alone will do, if bees are few.” Emily Dickinson Mother Nature has been kindly helping us water our gardens, making this growing season a bit of an anomaly. The hot, dry...

thinking ahead

Seesawing temperatures are one clue that summer is on the wane. Long-range weather forecasters are predicting a warm August, giving us lots of time to plant some fall veg and late blooming annuals. If you didn’t plant a family veg garden this spring, you can try a few...

good golly it’s hot!

The brightest of the stars in the Big Dog constellation is Sirius, the Dog Star. In the mid-summer, it can be seen rising and setting with the sun. This conjunction caused the ancients to believe that Sirius’ heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of...

a few words on maples

Maples are some of the most popular shade and ornamental trees at the Garden Center. And why not?  They can provide plenty of shade, offer amazing fall color and can be super adaptable. There are even a few varieties of native species in the shade tree line! There are...

dig into grasses

Whether you plan to use them to screen unsightly views, or to provide focal points in your landscape, ornamental grasses are a great way to add structure and texture to your garden. Many types are tolerant of heat and dry conditions, and keep their good looks no...

summer swan song

No one wants to be the first to say it, but here we go. The Solstice was a couple weeks ago and even though we are under the spell of the dog days, astronomically summer is on the wane. Of course, there are plenty of things to do in the garden - weeding, watering new...

celebrate the dog days

The brightest of the stars in the Big Dog constellation is Sirius, the Dog Star. In the mid-summer, it can be seen rising and setting with the sun. This conjunction caused the ancients to believe that Sirius’ brightness added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch...

all about hydrangeas

Soon it will be July, and one of our favorite shrubs will be in glorious bloom. Can you guess? I recently came across a Garden Center pricebook from 1982 and there was one hydrangea variety available! Five years later we had three. Fast forward to 2025 and we started...
late summer recap

late summer recap

written by Lisa Briggs
Let’s talk about a few things that we’ve seen and experienced this year. Lots of photos and samples of fungal infection have been brought to the Plant Information Desk.

read more
second chance veggies

second chance veggies

written by Lisa Briggs
So many of you planted fruits and vegetables again this spring and we hope that you’ve been happy with the results. After all, there are few things more delicious then a tomato eaten right off the vine.

read more
borrow from the prairies

borrow from the prairies

written by Lisa Briggs
Mother Nature has been kindly helping us water our gardens, making this growing season a bit of an anomaly. The hot, dry weather that is typical of late July and early August can be hard on your garden plants.

read more
thinking ahead

thinking ahead

written by Lisa Briggs
Seesawing temperatures are one clue that summer is on the wane. Long-range weather forecasters are predicting a warm August, giving us lots of time to plant some fall veg and late blooming annuals.

read more
good golly it’s hot!

good golly it’s hot!

written by Lisa Briggs
The brightest of the stars in the Big Dog constellation is Sirius, the Dog Star. In the mid-summer, it can be seen rising and setting with the sun. This conjunction caused the ancients to believe that Sirius’ heat added to the heat of the sun.

read more
a few words on maples

a few words on maples

written by Lisa Briggs
Maples are some of the most popular shade and ornamental trees at the Garden Center. And why not?  They can provide plenty of shade, offer amazing fall color and can be super adaptable. There are even a few varieties of native species in the shade tree line!

read more
dig into grasses

dig into grasses

written by Lisa Briggs
Whether you plan to use them to screen unsightly views, or to provide focal points in your landscape, ornamental grasses are a great way to add structure and texture to your garden.

read more
summer swan song

summer swan song

written by Lisa Briggs
No one wants to be the first to say it, but here we go. The Solstice was a couple weeks ago and even though we are under the spell of the dog days, astronomically summer is on the wane.

read more
Skip to content