Rhubarb and Soap Box Derby

 One of the joys of the Prospect Gardens is the bountiful rhubarb pictured here. The ancestors of this beauty came from nearby Verona. A cutting was a gift from Jed, one of the directors of the Environmental Resources Center.  I retired from the Center several years ago after being on staff for eight years. A wonderful way of ending my evaluation career. Some of the best years of my career. 

The rhubarb stalks are thicker than usual and the leaves are larger than the typical rhubarb's leaves.  You could mistakenly think that the stalks would be chewy and sour. Quite to the contrary; tangy but yet mild with a wonderful smooth texture to the taste.

 I cut the rhubarb and Ann and I made a cobbler.  The recipe is from Jane and Gary Seymour, friends from West Bend. The yellow little binder, over thirty years old, is full of Jane's favorite recipes including this one. I added strawberries purchased from the Saturday Market, held around Madison's Capitol Square.  Always a pleasure to shop this wonderful market.

The occasion for making the dessert was a July 3rd block party celebrating the 4th and featuring a soap box derby. In the spirit of historical celebrations, a number of Dads on the block built soap box cars. The street was closed and a track laid out.

Adults and children climbed in the cars and raced them down Keyes Avenue.  We have a slight hill which made for excellent racing conditions. Here's a few pictures of  the action.  

 This beauty was the exception. Hand-crafted by Eric. He also had a shirt with matching colors and with a number "03".  Eric also found an app that gauged his speed. Incidentally, Eric won the adult race. 

 Here's Travis and his stripped down model. Eric is in the rear and behind at this point in the race, but not for long. Eric's hyper model passed Travis and cruised through the finishing line.

Here's Eric racing a neighborhood girl on her very efficient and stripped down version. At this point the race looks close. I can't remember who won.

 Here's a youngster who has more courage than most and specifically more than I had that day. Here she is on the car made by her Dad. Later in the day, this brave youngster drove Eric's fancy and large car down the track and at quite a fast pace. Accompanying her as a passenger was a still younger girl. With a determine look (and Eric running along the outside of the car), she steered that sleek car to the finish line accompanied by adult cheers and clapping.

Eric asked me if I wanted to take his car down the race track. I chickened out. 

 Now here is a really stripped down model and Joel's master piece. Looks like he is dressed for a potential crash. Nothing like that happened and Joel made it across the finish line without incident.

The strawberry/rhubarb cobbler dessert was a hit. It rapidly disappeared. I myself had two helpings and I noticed one of the younger girls had three helpings. Whipped cream was optional. I took the whipped cream.

Ann and I left feeling happy and with much gratitude for our neighbors and the rhubarb from the Prospect Gardens.

Visitors and Their Pollinator Garden

Yesterday, as we were finishing up gardening, among the visitors who stopped by to chat were David, Jeannette and their young son. They live about three quarters of a block west of the Gardens. While we talked, all three enjoyed the raspberries.

There are many things that are remarkable about David and Jeannette, including developing a large pollinator garden.  David wrote and received a city grant to help support some of the cost of the garden and a spectacular seating area.  The couple are the leaders of this beautiful space along the path and near their home. With their dedication and enthusiasm, our neighborhood has another beautiful garden and this one is specifically designed to attract butterflies and other pollinators.

I thought I would take this opportunity to showcase this garden. If I recall right this is the third year for the garden. Last summer, the couple hosted a neighborhood dedication after the seating area
 was almost completed. So here's a glimpse of the seating area.

Materials were donated. Peter Nause, a landscape architect, volunteered his time and labor to design and helped install the seating area, along with David.  The bench on the west side or left hand side of the picture was recently installed.

No solitary, lonely bench for this garden. Instead a uniquely designed patio-like the area of native stone and wood. If I recall right, the wood is locust. Wonderful!!

Here's a view of the gardens facing east and towards downtown Madison. Our gardens are just a short walk further east.

Another shot of the seating area with its two handsome benches. A perfect place to  rest while either biking or walking along the path. So inviting.

A final shot of the gardens facing west. Thanks so much David and Jeannette for aiding the recovery of pollinator habitat while adding beauty to the neighborhood.

If you are in Madison or visiting put this garden, as well as Prospect Gardens, as one of your destinations, bring a book or a lunch, and enjoy that uniquely designed seating area. Shortly, at this time of the year, Monarch Butterflies may join you.

July 16th Work Session and Transitions

Yesterday was a sunny, blue-sky day meant for outdoor activities and perfect for gardening.  As will be mentioned later, the day marks a few transitions.

 These intrepid volunteers (from left to right; Ken, Loren, Joyce(pink hat), Steve, and me with the straw hat) enjoyed the lushness of the gardens and each others company while diligently pulling weeds. Another large pile of plant materials awaits a pickup. I must send an email to my city contact. Taking the picture, is another dedicated volunteer, my wife, Ann. 

The crew enjoyed Ann's homemade cheesecake squares. Laura, another volunteer, cancelled early in the morning because of a "cat health emergency." Here's hoping the emergency passed and that the cat is recovering. Bob, another regular, had another event at which he was volunteering.   

Here's Steve hard at work among the Purple Cone flowers. In early August,Steve leaves for Corvallis, Oregon. His daughter, son-in-law and grandson are moving back to Wisconsin. Steve, along with a friend from Maine, will drive one of the cars back and along with a well behaved dog. Happy travels, Steve.

Steve wrote the original Madison city grant that provided some startup money nearly seven years ago for Prospect Gardens. This kick-started the gardens, paying for some shrubs and seeds. Many of the seeds never transitioned into plants. Plugs or young plants have had a higher survival rate. The highest survival rate are plants that friends and neighbors have donated.





Here's a good shot of the crew and the passing bike riders. Invariably riders and walkers call out their "thank yous", expressing gratitude for the beauty of the Gardens and our labors. Some will stop and chat.

The raspberry patch always attracts walkers and leisurely bike riders. However, there are riders, some dressed in colorful spandex, who speed by seemingly oblivious to us and the Gardens. These individuals always seem like they are in a hurry or perhaps are just feeling their youthful energy.  You can see all kinds of different bikes, including an occasional unicycle.

Here's Loren toiling away. Loren was one of those leisurely bike riders who stopped to chat about a year ago as he was passing through. Now Loren is a dedicated and tireless volunteer.

Loren lives about three miles in the Hilldale neighborhood and bikes to Prospect Gardens. He frequently uses the path, commuting when he was working and now biking to Olbrich Gardens.   He joined the Prospect crew because of traveling through and enjoying the Prospect Gardens on his way to Olbrich. Loren also volunteers at Olbrich. Loren returned in the afternoon with his lawn mower. The mowing so enhances the beauty of the Gardens.  A special "thank you" for this extra and generous act. 

    

During the break we discussed, among other things, the history of the Gardens. Someone asked if I had some before and after pictures. In fact, I have an organized folder with pictures from the initial year (2010) through 2013 and found a "before" shot.

The picture to the right is today's section of the Garden, just west of the stairs leading up into the Regent Neighborhood. Recall the Gardens straddle the Regent and Dudgeon Monroe Neighborhoods. This segment is at its peak with several different plants in bloom. Purple Cones are the most showy.







Here's the "before" picture; facing west with the stairs to the Regent Neighborhood on the right side. The little brown shrub, barely noticeable, is the first installed plant, a forsythia. Steve planted it and he says that his late wife, Peg, insisted this be done.

The next picture shows the forsythia as of this morning. This morning's welcoming rain has now moved on and replaced with sunshine and warmth. However more humidity is on its way.

These two pictures dramatically show the Prospect Gardens' transitions and changes. Many volunteers, and especially those who continually show up, have made these transitions possible and personally enjoyable. Gardening with neighbors is good for the mind and the spirit. I find it to be a form of meditation.

Yesterday marks another transition in our lives. In early August, Ann and I will move six blocks west to a two bedroom apartment building on Monroe. We have lived on nearby Keyes Avenue for 30 years and sold our home in late May. Since then we have been downsizing, sorting, packing and letting go. Ann is the lead on all this stuff, and I am so grateful for her lead role.

Next month we will most likely drive to the Gardens on work days. It's only a 15 minute walk to our new home and yet that may be too much after a work day. Ernie, a neighbor who lives next to the Gardens, has graciously provided his shed to store equipment that we will use when gardening. This generous act will really help out and make it easier for Ann and I to continue gardening.


Here's the building in which we will experience some of our "next chapter" as we transition into urban living.  Our apartment is the corner one on the top floor; southwest corner. Plenty of sunshine streams into the apartment. Lake Wingra is only a half block across the street. Experiencing and exploring Lake Wingra is one of my top priorities.

By next month on this date we should be partially settled into our new life phase. We hope those of you in the Madison area will join us on August 20th, the next Prospect Gardens work session as we continue to support the transitions that are such a part of gardening and of life itself. 

July 2016 Blooms: Strike Up the Band

Just finished a breakfast that included blueberries, Door County strawberries and a Sugar River Scone from the Saturday Market, Capitol Square. Another beautiful Wisconsin summer day is unfolding,  With the Fourth of July weekend upon us I thought I would start the celebration by sharing what's blooming in the Prospect Gardens. Using the plural, signifies there are a variety of different flowers with mixture of prairie plants and perennials .  As you scroll though this entry you will meet 12 beauties. 

The first is the showy red Monarada, commonly known as Bee Balm because bees love the flowers. This large size patch began with about a half dozen plants, transplanted from a neighbor's garden.  As you come down the north steps to the path, the red patch immediately catches your eye. When I am in the Gardens, I am often asked "What's the name of that beautiful red flower?"  

Three flowers grace the picture to the left. The flowers with the purple blooms in the background are Poppy Mallow, a lovely ground cover that are only be 6 inches tall. These are at least a foot tall. They must love this environment.

The flower towards the middle of the picture is, as you can probably guess from the bloom, in the daisy family. To be exact, Gaillardia grand--- Arizona Sun Dwarf Blanket Flower. I love the color and the shape of the blooms.

Filling up the lower left hand corner of the picture is a Rudbeckia or Black Eye Susan. Unlike the Poppy Mallow, this type of Rudbeckia does not thrive in the Gardens. With each new season, we loose several and for unknown reasons. It's a lesson that gardens, from year-to-year, are impermanent,one must avoid becoming attached to any plant and that gardens constantly change.

Oh! Here are the startling cream colored Lilies that are at least four feet tall. This one and two other patches, so far, have always showed up at this time of the year.  The patch is so big that this fall I will dig and split up the large bulbs.

A former neighbor, Gene, gave me the bulbs several years ago. Gene and his wife are now living at Oakwood, a senior retirement complex. Gene belonged to the Wisconsin Day Lilly Society and his back yard was full of day lilies and different varieties of lilies like the one in the picture. I saw Gene a few months ago and was told that he has a small lily garden at Oakwood.  I must go see it because I bet the garden is as spectacular as the one he left behind in our neighborhood.   

This showy day lily is from some friends, Jane and Gary, from West Bend and I think this is it's third year. These friends are hosta lovers. Their large hosta gardens have received community awards. Both are members of the Wisconsin Hosta Society and regularly attend hosta conventions. How's that for being an avid gardener and lover of the hosta?  

The next two pictures show Queen of the Prairie. These stunning pink clusters of flowers give off a pleasing aroma. These plants are worthy of the title of "Queen." The original plants came from my backyard supplemented with some from a neighbor's yard.

Note the blue sky. Wisconsin weather at its best. Reports say this will continue throughout the holiday weekend.  Hooray!!! Strike up the band and let's have a John Phillip Sousa patriotic march. Maybe a classic Wisconsin barbecue?

A close up of the Queen. Doesn't Queen Elizabeth have a dress, hat and purse in this shade of pink? I bet she does.

Did you happen to notice the Queen's green lime outfit featured all over social media a few weeks ago?  Now that the UK is supposedly leaving the European Union and the pound has deep sixth-ed, I wonder if the Queen will be able to afford such luxuries? Maybe frocks from the English equivalent of Target or Kohls is in her future.

A cluster of cone flowers (Pale Purple) graces the picture to the right, as I suspect you guessed. These are more droopy or floppy than their cousins, the Purple Cones, in the next picture.  Until recently I did not know that cone flowers are members of the sun flower family. Thought that I would pass that tidbit of information on.









To the left are the Purple Cones; Echinacea Purpurea, if you please. We have many Purple Cones throughout the Gardens. They spread easily through seeds. These have adapted to the rocks that cover much of the Gardens; sprouting between the rocks when I didn't expect them to. Adaptable plus hardy and prolific; good characteristics for survival in the Prospect Gardens. Plus the birds love the seeds.

Our next bloomer is the Butterfly Weed ( Ascelepias Tuberosa). Don't assume that I know the Latin names. I just Googled while writing this entry. Practicing transparency and truth in blogging. Unlike the Purple Cones, the Butterfly Weed doesn't thrive in the Gardens. Maybe its the rocky environment or the rabbits that really love the early sprouts.

Surprising rabbits have not been a big problem at Prospect (yet?), unlike in my backyard garden. I have fencing all around the perimeter and still two bunnies took up residence in my fern bed and decimated six plants. I have not seen the two fussy creatures lately. They must have moved on to greener pastures or maybe met their doom. Although I have not seen the hawk that last year would circle overhead. 

Here's the Elephant Ear Hosta. What a giant! This one, along with others, were planted about three years ago. Joyce, a regular volunteer, donated them. Their ancestors were either from Joyce's gardens or from her neighbors; can't remember which. The ferns' ancestors are from my backyard and their ancestors were here when we purchase our house 30 years ago.

This concludes the sample of July bloomers. During this month the Gardens will be at their peak; once again adding beauty to our neighborhood and opportunities to work with and know one's neighbors. Without a core of stalwart volunteers, augmented by "drop-ins", these gardens would quickly be overgrown with weeds.  Thank you to all who have volunteered.

Okay, strike up the band!

June Work Session

 Last Saturday another work session happened at the Prospect Gardens. The sun was rather hot as the morning unfolded. My straw hat, with masking tape inside, protected my balding head from the hot sun. We worked in the shady areas of the garden as the sun climbed upwards into the robin egg blue sky.

 We accomplished much, clearing out weeds from the Hosta Garden and then worked our way through all the  gardens along the Dudgeon Monroe side.  As usual, we enjoyed a break of Ann's homemade mouth watering lemon bars. Besides myself (with the straw hat) and my wife Ann;  Laura, Joyce and Steve-- the stalwart volunteers-- are pictured taking a well deserved break. 

Here's just one of the many wheel barrels of plant materials that we hauled up the ramps. The ditch on the right side of the picture is one of the areas we cleaned out.

Many of the hosta are in bloom and are thriving along with the Jack-in-the-pulpits. All hosta and Jack-in-the-pulpits in the Hosta Garden are from the gardens of neighbors and friends, and were donated.

By noon when the sun felt quite hot, we had a larger than usual pile of plant material. Once again the city promptly picked up the material shortly after I called the contact person.    

Here's Joyce, among the plants, working on the Bishop's Weed and other types. Bishop's Weed has been very prolific this season, sinking it's roots down below the rocks. So weeding often means moving the rocks to pull out the roots. Because of the underlying rocks (referred to as "rip-rap" to manage erosion), I refer to our work as "extreme gardening."

The Prospect Gardens are quite beautiful and after nearly seven years, reaching maturity. Soon the showy Purple Cone flowers will be in full bloom. If you live in Madison or visiting,  drop by and if you contact me, I will give you a personal tour. Of course, having you join the work crew would be be greatly appreciated. 

Raspberries and Little Girls

 It's summer and raspberry picking time at the Prospect Gardens. Here's some green ones waiting to be be ripened.  When the Gardens were first developed nearly seven years ago, I did not favor a raspberry patch; concerned about how they can spread and take over. I reluctantly agreed with the stipulation that we find a "raspberry czar", who would lovingly care for the patch.  No czar came forward. However, luscious berries appear every summer and a fall crop provides berries through September and sometimes early October. I am so happy that my initial resistance gave way and I heeded the advice of those who wanted a patch.

 A few days ago, I picked a plastic dish full of ripe berries and enjoyed the bounty with my breakfast cereal.  Oh the joys of  warm Wisconsin summer days and raspberries. The black colored round berries intermingled with the raspberries are, I think, in the choke cherry family or maybe gooseberry family. Some folks say these berries have a bitter taste. I like them with cereal because of their refreshing after taste; sort of like a zing, if you know what I mean.      

The wonderful thing about the raspberry patch is how it attracts people, such as this little girl from the Regent neighborhood.  I spotted her, along with her father and three other children, a few days ago after I took the path home from cashing a check at our neighborhood bank. One of the little girls was celebrating her birthday and collected a small baggie of raspberries that she was taking home with her. She was so delighted with her harvest.

More neighbors and users of the path will certainly enjoy the raspberries.  There is more than enough for all of us.