The Journey

Serious gardening is a journey much like being proficient at a musical instrument, mastering a martial art, or earning an advanced academic degree.

This past week my journey took me to Chicago, Madison Wisconsin, and Southwestern Michigan. In my spare time I enjoy visiting other people’s gardens. Fortunately, my wife endures our son’s and my own zeal for plants during vacation times, and even enjoys visiting some of the gardens herself. She is an excellent gage for what really is outstanding in the gardening world. I have a tendency to blow small attributes of some plants out of proportion being the plant geek that I am.

First we visited the Lurie gardens at Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. This garden consisted of Native perennial plants attractive to butterflies and rabbits! We actually saw a rabbit in these gardens. How it got to downtown Chicago is beyond me, maybe it took the El?

On a whim decision Kelly, Georg, and I started towards Madison, Wisconsin. I had always heard it was a beautiful college town. I spent five years in Bloomington, Indiana and regard it as a beautiful college town. Upon our arrival we were not let down. The historic capitol building is in the very center of town between two lakes, on what I assume is the highest ground in the area. It is striking and very hard to miss. A more subtle attraction is the Allen Centennial gardens, which are part of the University of Wisconsin School of Agriculture and Horticulture.

This is where my gardening journey really picked up speed. It was like a ton of bricks hit me. Upon entering a small, low-key entrance the visitors walked along crushed, granite paths that showcased everything from sunken trough gardens, perennial borders, authentic rock gardens, shade gardens, to veggie gardens. These people were really into it. It was a blessing to see these gardens. I would encourage anyone that loves gardening to visit these gardens. I learned much and will be influenced by what I saw for some time. Other highlights were the Obricht Botanical Gardens and the University of Wisconsin Arboretum.

Something else to take note of in Madison is how enthusiastic the community was about being green. It wasn’t just corporate marketing, these people recycle more than I have seen anywhere, have bike lanes all over town, have community veggie gardens that are outstanding, and appear to have rain gardens and barrels everywhere. Here is to you Madison!