Change in Plans on a Rainy Day and Abundance

The gentle rain continues to fall while weighing down the large climbing rose shrub and the irises in our backyard garden. If allowed to grew, the rose would certainly climb up and cover a good portion of the roof of the neighbor's garage.

The rain washed away today's intentions to plant in the Prospect Gardens. Early this morning I picked up the plants provided through the "Plant Dane. Cost Sharing Program."  These lush plants are now waiting in our garage. Some will be inducted into the gardens, maybe tomorrow but no later than Monday. Others will be planted in the prairie garden at the intersection of the path and Glenway.  In the trays are Black-eyed Susan, June Grass, Little Bluestem, Prairie Blazing Star, Rough Blazing Star, Side Oats Grama, and Prairie Drop Seed.

The rain did not prevent sharing cannas tubers from my backyard garden. Every year I plant cannas in pots and a few in the lower garden in anticipation that the hummer bird will once again come visiting. Love it when he comes buzzing in and lands on the red blooms while I am enjoying a cup of tea or reading a book.

And of course these prolific plants always generate many tubers to share with others.  I almost had a full bushel basket of tubers; dug up last fall and stored in our basement. After planting what I wanted, the surplus was posted on several three neighborhood list servers. I was quite surprised that eight folks responded. The last six may be delivered this afternoon to a gardener who lives on Monroe Street and a few blocks from our house.  She has several different species of prairie plants that she wants to give away and these will fit in  nicely in the Prospect Gardens. So if the rain stops or let's up, I am off to meet another gardener and share the abundance that results from gardening.   


  

More Blooms

Memorial Day and the sun is trying to make an appearance after a beautiful rainy Sunday. The gardens have once again been blessed. Here's a few more plants now in bloom.The Japanese Iris was rediscovered when we cleared out an area. Most likely this beauty has been gracing the path for a long time and even perhaps when rail cars were rambling by.

Japanese Iris 

Salomon's Sea in the Woodland Garden 

Jack-in-the- Pulpit on Steroids

Not Sure Could Be a Globe Flower

New Family Member and Extreme Gardening

Here on the third floor of our house, I can hear the sounds of gentle rain on this quiet Sunday before Memorial day. Emily, my adult daughter, is home for the Holiday. She is downtown visiting with a friend.  I thought I would do some blogging.

Tomorrow we travel to Milwaukee for a family gathering. We will meet the newest addition to the family, Reagan, who is almost eight months old. Reagan, her mother, Andrea and father, Anthony,  live in San Francisco. Andrea is my niece through marriage. So this means, once again, I am a great uncle and Ann a great aunt for the first time. I have the status many times over since most of my thirteen brothers and sisters have children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Ten of us are still on this earth. Oh my, this makes me a great, great uncle.

So, Reagan, welcome to Wisconsin and to the ancestral home of your Grandparents, Chuck and Kathy.

And now let's turn to extreme gardening. Extreme gardening refers to the conditions faced when working in the Prospect Gardens.  Large sections of the gardens have step grades and are covered with rip-rap or rock used to manage water erosion. Underneath the rock is a carpet-like weed barrier  installed to prevent weeds. That's been a total failure. Soil washes down the rocks and fills in the spaces, creating an ideal environment for weeds and invasive plants. Rocks were hidden from view when we started restoration nearly six years.  We reluctantly hired a contractor to "bomb" areas with  herbicides as the first step in the restoration process.

We have gained control of the weeds but vigilance is required. The following four pictures of my recent plantings of purple cone flowers illustrate what's involved in extreme gardening. The numerous and different shaped beds in areas with rocks were created and planted following these seven steps.

1.  Purchase top soil. If you are fastidious and use a car place tarp in a trunk. For this plantings I purchased four bags. Over the years, we have trucked in a lot of top soil.
   
   

2. Layout out a design for a flower bed. Dig through and remove rocks. This time I was lucky because the rock was only one layer and was easily removed. In some places, the rock can be almost a foot deep. Be mindful of your steps and footings because your body will be at an angle. If not mindful and careful you may loose your balance.  Safety belt attached to railing is optional.


3. Using a box cutter, slice and remove the carpet-like weed barrier. You will need a sharp cutter since the carpet is tough and thick.

 4. Fill bed with new soil to the top and gently compact the soil.

 5. Install plants, mulch and water. Also if you are so inclined offer prayers, incantations or wishes for growth and plant health. 

 
6. For at least a week, maybe longer, and depending on weather, water as needed.  We have access to city water, for a fee, through a connection with a nearby fire hydrant.


7. Enjoy watching plants grow and eventually bloom in what was once a weed infested area.


 

More Blooming Flowers

Here are a few more flowers in bloom from the Prospect Gardens.  I love this time of year as Mother Nature once again reveals herself and all her splendors.

Prairie Smoke

Blue Indigo

Golden Alexander

Special Visitor To Our Backyard Garden

The backyard of our home on the next block south of the Prospect Gardens has its own gardens. We purchased our home in 1986, returning back to Wisconsin when our daughter Emily was about 18 months old. I left Wisconsin in either 1975 or 1976 (can't recall the exact year anymore) for Oregon and then in 1980 found my way to Bloomington Indiana and Indiana University. I completed a doctorate in education in 1983 while having a full time grant funded position. We lived in the Boston area for nearly three years.

As the years have gone by the gardens surrounding our small backyard have expanded.Yesterday while resting from tending the gardens and enjoying a cup of tea, a regal dragon fly came to visit, landing on a fern three feet to my left.  This delicate and strong being must love publicity. It didn't mind at all as I moved in close to snap the picture with my I phone.   

Shout Out and Thank You

A shout out and thank you to those neighbors who showed up to weed and mulch during yesterday's three hour work session. Every third Saturday of the month from nine a.m. to noon intrepid volunteers enjoy each others company and conversations while adding beauty to our immediate environment.  We always need volunteers so I welcome those in the Madison area to join the celebration and the collective effort.

Jennifer and Her Daughter Weeding Before Swimming Class

Break Time: Bob, Rebecca and Her Son William

Break Time: Ken, Mulch King Bob and Claudia

Claudia Straddling the Edge

Columbines In Full Bloom

Mulch Applied

Wisconsin Cactus

Yesterday while doing the last cleaning out of a new area of the gardens I met John.  John came peddling up on his bike and small trailer full of empty buckets. He was looking for me and after an introduction told me he has extra Wisconsin Cactus that he was hoping could find a home along the garden and that I would accepted.  He had already talked to David the lead garden for the butterfly garden just down the path from Prospect Gardens. David had accepted John's offer. David told him about me so John was on the lookout for me. My first reaction was disbelieve that there was such a plant but John assured me that particularly every state has cacti. We enjoyed our bantering and I agreed to take a few cacti. So Wisconsin cacti will be joining the gardens.  

Weeding and Shoring Up The Enbankment

A cool spring day perfect for hard work.  Nearly two hours devoted to weeding and shoring up an embankment that will be planted at the end of the month. As I pulled weeds with their deep penetrating roots, I became concerned about erosion before the new plants were installed and while they were developing roots.  Weeds have a purpose. They were stabilizing and holding the soil.

So I did some shoring up of the embankment with available materials, all located close by.  No need to run to Home Depot. 

The result is crude and perhaps an example of form following function. As the new grasses and flowers mature the rocks, bricks and pavers will be less noticeable.

While working I thought of my Grandfather Leo and Grandmother Julia. During the first decade of the 20th century the couple cleared land of brush and stumps on the first forty acres of our family farm. The farm eventually expanded to 120 acres.

I was born and lived on the family farm until I was 18.  The farm was located south of Pulaski Wisconsin. In June of 1899, Grandpa Leo, less than a month after marrying Grandma Julia, purchased the original 40 acres from his Father-in-law Jacob Rudnick for $300.00.  My father Anton was their only child. In contrast,  he fathered 14 children.

Grandma Julia did more than housework. She also cleared the land. What back breaking work that must have been for the couple. Grandma Julia did field work throughout her life. According to my sister Barbara, Grandma could outwork any man and according to my brother Leo, Grandma could sew you a pair of overalls or a dress in thirty minutes.

 I loved clearing the embankment of weeds. Digging out the roots freed my mind while providing exercise. No need to go to the gym or for a bike ride.

 

Five Spring Flowers

Iris

Daffodil

 Here are five spring flowers from the Gardens. I forgot to take a picture of the delicate prairie smoke. Come see it. 

Columbine

Stawberries

Purple Trillium 

Virginia Blue Bells

Generosity

Irises From Nick's Back Yard

Peonies From Nick's Back Yard

Prospect Gardens has once again benefited from the generosity of neighbors and friends. Plants donated by neighbors have been integrated into the garden since its beginning. Actually there are several different types of gardens rather than one type. The shrubs, the first to be planted, serve as a backbone or framework that link the different gardens.

Nick, a Regent neighbor, is now re-landscaping his back yard. As a result peonies, hostas, irises, and daffodils from his backyard became available. Initially I was only to take a few hostas to fill in the woodland garden under the trees on the Dudgeon Monroe side of the gardens.  But life took a different turn.

So yesterday on a bright and warm spring day almost all Nick's available  plants were installed. To my surprise, it looks like the peonies will survive. Peonies should be transplanted in the fall. The one pictured above was the least stressed plant and that may account for it's healthy status.  Ernie, another neighbor, took several that were looking stressed.  Ernie really has a green thumb so I bet the peonies will survive and thrive.

So after working from 9 to about 2, with a lunch break, all Nick's plants are now part of the gardens.
   

Some History

Prospect Gardens cover areas around the ramps to the Southwest Commuter Path at Prospect Street. Prospect Street is a split street. South Prospect is in the Dungeon Monroe Neighborhood and North Prospect, across the Path, is in the Regent Neighborhood. Both neighborhood associations support our gardening efforts.

Prospect Street has been split since both neighborhoods were created from farm fields. The Dungeon Monroe Neighborhood was developed in the early to mid 1920's with our house built in 1926.

Parts of Regent, notably University Heights, were developed earlier.  A young Frank Llyod Wright designed the  "The Airplane" house located in the Heights. University professors were the first residents of the Heights.

A few days ago while biking I spotted the artifact pictured above about three miles west of Prospect Gardens. I never noticed this relic of a by gone transportation system even though I frequently head west on the Path. Sometimes I go as far as the head of the Badger State Trail. West of the Beltline overpass the path becomes really flat which pleases my aging body.

No  longer hid by weeds I could see the artifact off the path. You probably can guess that it's an old railroad tie and a steel plate. Somebody forgot to pick up it when the railroad tracks were torn up as a first step in developing the commuter path.

 The commuter path officially opened on July 28, 2001. For several years the railroad was abandoned.  I sometimes walked to my University office following the tracks stepping from tie to tie. To Emily, my daughter, steps down to the abandoned tracks and other spots were places of refuge and solitude that she would retreat to.  She missed this refuge after the path was opened.  Being mindful of the bikers as well as the runners, walkers, skateboarders, and roller bladders is now essential. You may also encounter an occasional unicyclist, as I did a few days ago.

A train still came through about once a week in 1986, the year we moved into the neighborhood. It was a humble train with an engine and one car usually with lumber.  As we heard the train approaching, Emily and I, (if I was home) and other kids would run down Prospect. Getting to the steps we watched the train as it slowly rambled along on its way to the Brunsell Lumber Company, just the south of the Beltline. One time, two neighbor boys, Sam and Alex, placed pennies on the track and joyfully collected their flattened treasures after the train passed.

Old timers in the neighborhood told me about steam trains with many cars slowly making their way West through the neighborhood. As kids, they too could hear the train approaching. They would run to the bridge over Prospect Street to experience the thrill of being engulfed by the train's steam as it passed under the bridge. Sometimes the whistle would blow which added to the excitement.

 I am tempted to bring the relic to Prospect Gardens as reminder of the path's history. Ah yes another project for another day.... perhaps... maybe.

   

   

Mulch King and His Court

 Pictured here are Bob the "Mulch King" and his court. Bob loves to mulch and is really good at it. Lady Ann contributed delicious brownies which she delivered in the bag she holds. So yesterday the King and his Court devoted about two and half hours to the art of mulching during a spring day full of sunshine. Note the green hat on my head. That hat is from the late 1970s and from when I lived in Portland Oregon. Purchased it form, REI (if I recall right) and when REI was just located in the Northwest. It was designed to keep the rain from falling down the back of your neck.  It's a great hat for gardening. Keeps the sun from beating on my neck and my bald head. 

 I also put in about 10 new prairie plants. Janice a former colleague and now friend thinned out her rain garden and we benefited with  the addition of purple cone flowers, golden Alexanders and wild columbine. Thanks again Janice. 

The Mulch King

The Court: Jake, Ann and Ernie

Water

May 1, 2015

Source of Our Water

Yesterday an important event affecting the health of Prospect Gardens occurred. Madison Water Department connected a water meter and pipes so we can attach a hose and receive precious water. 
A few years ago during the drought (remember when for days temps were in the high 90s and even reaching 100 degrees) we did not have city water. Because of the generosity of two neighbors. who provided access to their household water, we were able to limit the effects of the drought. After several weeks of intense watering we became concerned about using precious water for gardening and drew up a list of which plants had to survive and others lower on the list would receive no water. If the drought continued we were ready to quit watering completely.  Mercifully the rains arrived a few days after we drew up the survival list.