Clean and Store Your Gardening Tools Properly This Winter - Jan 7, 2013
by Adam Kutner, Tony's Tree Plantation , Oklahoma City, OK Good gardening tools are a pleasure to use - they often make your work both easier and of better quality. However, it is important to remember that if you want your tools to last, and you want them to function well while doing it, you must go through the proper steps of maintenance and storage. The coming of winter is an excellent time to go through this process. As your garden rests, you can go over your tools and prepare them. Then, when spring arrives, you will be ready to go. Five basic steps for maintenance and...
Tips on Photographing Holiday Lights - Dec 14, 2012
by Guest Blogger, Kathleen Caylor of Kathleen Caylor Photography These tips are primarily for people who can use their camera without using a fully automatic setting (like Auto or “P”), and have some understanding of what f/stops and shutter speeds are. When photographing Holiday lights, I almost always use a tripod to keep my camera from shaking. Even with today’s image stabilizer lenses, I don’t like to hand-hold a camera at shutter speeds slower than 1/160 of a second. And, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to use a shutter...
Diagnostic Tidbits (Week of August 13) - Aug 20, 2012
by UW Extension Plant Health Clinic Team Listed below are this week's plant diagnostic and growing tips from the Plant Health Clinic team. Question: My lawn has greened up again with the recent rain but there are some dead spots. Answer: We have had issues in NE Wisconsin with chinch bugs, necrotic ring spot and summer patch. Larger dead spots may the result of undesirable species of grass, areas with poor soil or a weakened lawn due to other stress factors before or during our drought conditions. For more information visit Doug Soldat, UW- Extension article Dealing with...
Diagnostic Tidbits (Week of July 23) - Jul 30, 2012
by UW Extension Plant Health Clinic Team Listed below are this week’s plant diagnostic and growing tips from the Plant Health Clinic team. Spider Mites and its damage Spider mites are pests that feed by sucking sap from plants. Typical damage is small yellowish spots on the plants leaves. These mites go through four to six generations per year and populations can explode under warm, dry conditions. As the mite population swells the leaves they are feeding on will turn yellow, then brown and die. Spider mites are hard to see with the naked eye so...
Diagnostic Tidbits (Week of July 9) - Jul 17, 2012
by UW Extension Plant Health Clinic Team Listed below are this week’s plant diagnostic and growing tips from the Plant Health Clinic team. Question: How long should I water my trees? Answer: It takes .6 gallons water for each square foot area to equal the ideal one inch per week of water plants in our area require to thrive. This figure would be 1.5”- 1.75” in sandy soils. Dr. Laura Jull, UW specialist, suggests a slow soaking rate of 30 seconds per gallon. A tree’s area to water is typically determined by the drip line of its canopy (more area being...
Diagnostic Tidbits (Week of July 1) - Jul 9, 2012
by UW Extension Plant Health Clinic Team Listed below are this week's plant diagnostic and growing tips from the Plant Health Clinic team. July 6, 2012: Question: Why are my tomatoes turning black on the bottom? Answer: This is a condition called Blossom End Rot. We often see this during hot, dry weather just like we've been having. It is caused by not enough water and calcium being taken up by the roots to the growing fruit. When the soil is dry about an inch down, water the plants deeply and evenly. Check daily during this hot, dry weather. It's best to water the base of the...
Diagnostic Tidbits (Week of June 25) - Jul 2, 2012
by UW Extension Plant Health Clinic Team Listed below are this week's plant diagnostic and growing tips from the Plant Health Clinic team. Week of June 25, 2012: Question: Metallic copper-brown beetle, less than one half inch long, is eating my roses, maple and crab tree. What is that bug? This is a Japanese Beetle. As adults they feed on the upper surface of foliage consuming soft tissues between veins leaving a lace-like skeleton. They feed and congregate in the afternoon flying in from the area. They typically show up on our landscape in late June and are active...
Painting with Fire - Jun 4, 2012
by guest blogger: the flying pig Green Bay native Jeff Greening has been working with metal since he was eighteen. Twenty four years later, Jeff continues his career in stainless steel specialty work. His artistic creations, such as the Vase of Flowers, grace many private and public gardens. He is an avid supporter of The Einstein Project, donating a stainless steel sculpture each year. Greening also worked on the Twin Tower Monument at the Neville Museum in Green Bay. His creative inspiration has been his uncle David Calhoun, also an artist and owner of Swanstone Gardens....
Paul & Ann Hartman Garden Library Now Open! - Apr 2, 2012
by Kelle Hartman, Children & Family Educator, Green Bay Botanical Garden Pull out your bookmarks and dust off your reading glasses – the Paul & Ann Hartman Garden Library is officially opening on May 1 st . After many long months of being packed away during renovations and construction, the adult lending library will once again be available to our members and visitors. Stop by to do research on your own garden plantings or simply to browse the shelves. The Garden Library has entered the modern age with all the books cataloged onto a computerized system that...
Winter Weather - Feb 7, 2012
by Mark Konlock, Director of Horticulture, Green Bay Botanical Garden Has this winter made you wonder about the weather? It sure has been mild – well at least until recently. It kind of makes you envious of southern climates - to quote the movie Brokeback Mountain, “It could be like this always.” I recently learned about the Arctic Oscillation from Ashley Wolf, a meteorologist with the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration in Green Bay. This is one explanation for our recent mild weather. In essence, what happens is...
Would you like to test out the latest in green technology? Visit our new restrooms! - Nov 7, 2011
by Kelle Hartman, Children & Family Educator, Green Bay Botanical Garden Who knew what we flushed down our toilets could be so earth friendly! Or, more correctly, what we don’t flush, specifically water. Low flow toilets have been around since about 1994 when the National Energy Policy Act became law. This law required that all toilets sold in the United States use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. This was a huge improvement from the 5-7 gallons per flush that older models use. Today, dual flush toilets have helped to improve water savings even...
Whimsically Practical - Oct 17, 2011
by Susan Garot, Executive Director, Green Bay Botanical Garden Concept for the Children's Garden restroom Who would have thought building a restroom would require so much thought? Well, when that restroom is located in the only Children’s Garden in a Botanical Garden in the state of Wisconsin (yes, us, Green Bay Botanical Garden), it has to be special! And, more than special, it has to be whimsical. And more than whimsical, it has to be practical! So, in planning for this special, whimsical and practical new structure, we decided to take it to the experts,...
It's Bulb Time! - Oct 3, 2011
by Mark Konlock, Director of Horticulture, Green Bay Botanical Garden Green Bay Botanical Garden (GBBG) will be planting 22,750 bulbs this fall. Of these, 17,000 will be purchased anew and 5,750 will be reused from last year. Many of the 27,000 bulbs planted in 2010 were left in place to perennialize including 10,000 bulbs in the King Shade Garden and Jenquine Pavilion and Overlook Garden. Now that our Fall Family Festival event is over for the year, GBBG garden staff will begin removing the summer annual displays and preparing for bulb planting. We typically wait for...
The Spruce is Loose! - Sep 26, 2011
by Mark Konlock, Director of Horticulture, Green Bay Botanical Garden Due to construction of the new Donald & Patricia Schneider Education Center and the passion for conifers of horticulturist Loretta Dorner, GBBG had to recently move a large dwarf Serbian spruce. A large dwarf may sound like an oxymoron, but we were interested in saving this beautiful conifer. As luck would have it, we were close to one of the better times to transplant conifers – early fall. The other time would be in spring. We first hand dug to find a recently placed electrical line along the...
Monarch Health Troubles - Sep 12, 2011
by Kelle Hartman, Educator, Green Bay Botanical Garden Not even the insect world is free of health problems. One of the newest causes for concern is a parasite known as Ophryocystis ecektroscirrha (or OE) that infects monarch butterflies. Though this parasite is not new, OE was first discovered in the late 1960’s, the monarch populations in the Midwestern and Eastern United States are not heavily infected so it’s been easy to miss. And unless you’re raising monarch caterpillars at home, you probably won’t notice whether a caterpillar is...
A Rare Bloom at the Garden! - Aug 29, 2011
by: Mark Konlock, Director of Horticulture, Green Bay Botanical Garden Blooming Elephant Ear in the Gertrude B. Nielsen Children's Garden Have you ever eaten an elephant ear? I mean the pastry not the plant! Delicious!! However, don’t eat the plant. The tissues contain calcium oxalate crystals which must be removed by boiling or steaming. Interestingly, despite this nuisance, Colocasia esculenta is a widely eaten vegetable and is used to make poi in Hawaii for all you luau fans. But I digress. Here at GBBG we have elephant ears in...
Camp GBBG is a Success! - Aug 22, 2011
by Kelle Hartman, Educator, Green Bay Botanical Garden Camp GBBG kids searching for butterflies! Caterpillars and spiders and worms….Hurray! Though many of our campers were reluctant to attend Camp GBBG this summer because they were a little bit afraid of bugs, they went home each day sharing stories of just how interesting they really are. “I learned that dragonflies eat mosquitoes and that dragonflies start out as small caterpillars in the water,” said 6 year old Jacob Hagerty. 6 year old Isabelle Mathias agreed. “Some...
Gertrude B. Nielsen Children's Garden - A Gift from Gertrude B. Nielsen, 1997 - Aug 15, 2011
by Betty Pearson, Green Bay Botanical Garden Volunteer Gertrude B. Nielsen Children's Garden - Tree house When Gertrude B. Nielsen died in 1998 at her home in Winnetka, Illinois, she was 100 years old. Throughout her impressive life, she had gained the reputation of a benevolent philanthropist. For ninety five of her years, she lived by the motto taught to her by her grandmother, “Do something every day to help someone else.” That is precisely what she did. In her adult years, she focused her generosity mostly on children, but liked projects that included her second love,...
Parterre Gardening - Aug 1, 2011
by Lindsay Leahy, Horticulturist, Green Bay Botanical Garden Example of a parterre garden. If you take a trip down to the raised beds below the Schierl Wellhouse this year, you will notice things look a little different. In place of the colorful annuals that typically make up the intricate patterns of the beds are young, multi-colored shrubs. In the next few years, these recent additions will grow into a manicured hedge reminiscent of the parterre gardens made famous by the 15 th century gardens of the French Renaissance. By definition, a parterre is a formal garden constructed on a...
Donald & Patricia Schneider Education Center Design Inspiration - Jul 25, 2011
West side of the Donald & Patricia Schneider Education Center by Jolene Griggs, Marketing Communications, Berners-Schober The Education Center addition, similar to other garden buildings, both blends into and enhances the natural surroundings. The inverted roof form (likened to butterfly wings) cleverly floods more daylight into the space while eliminating wasteful space at the center height of the building. While respectfully prominent for special-event wayfinding, there is continuity in the design elements of the original building. The new addition provides the Botanical...
Green Bay Botanical Garden Conjures Some Harry Potter Magic - Jul 18, 2011
GBBG Partnership Garden by Karrie Hartman, Green Bay Botanical Garden Intern & Harry Potter Enthusiast Picking up a book from JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series is one of the best ways to put a little magic in your life. Diving into her stories acquaints the reader with wizards, witches, spells, wands, mythical creatures, and surprisingly, plants! Students who attend Hogwarts have the opportunity to discover how certain herbs and plants can be used in potions, draughts and even medicine. While we may not have the chance to attend a magical school for wizards, we can...
The New Jenquine Pavilion & Overlook Garden and King Shade Garden Dedication - Jul 11, 2011
by Green Bay Botanical Garden Staff King Shade Garden Dedication Green Bay Botanical Garden was opened to the public in 1996. Since that time, a number of individual gardens have been developed. The Jenquine Overlook came to Green Bay Botanical Garden in the form of a bequest from the estate of Elsie E. Jenquine. Elsie’s gift came with the request that the donation be used for a gazebo-like structure to provide a place of rest. Elsie was an avid gardener, and her gift will go a long way to enhance the beauty of Green Bay Botanical Garden. The King Shade Garden is a gift given...
Schierl Wellhouse and Wellhouse Garden - Jul 5, 2011
The Wellhouse not only houses the garden’s well but also provides shady relief in hot weather. Its moon windows frame three important garden features: The pastoral Larsen Orchard remnant to the left, the Kress Oval to the right and the Wellhouse garden straight ahead as you enter. The latter is a summer garden filled with colorful annuals and herb displays in patterns meant to be "read" from above. by Betty Pearson, Green Bay Botanical Garden Volunteer After chairing an exceptionally successful capital campaign in 1993, Paul Schierl was excited about Green Bay Botanical...
'Serenade' - Jun 20, 2011
The bronze sculpture, Serenade, found in the Kress Oval depicts George Kress playing his violin as wife, Marguerite, listens with a rose on her lap. A bench extends so that garden visitors can join Marguerite in appreciating the beauty of the roses. by Betty Pearson, Green Bay Botanical Garden Volunteer Visitors at Green Bay Botanical Garden (GBBG) are compelled to pause and admire the perfectly placed, life-sized, romantic bronze sculpture that presides over the Kress Oval Garden. This tribute, Serenade , is the work of an internationally known sculptor, Dee...
Beware of the Couch Potato! - Jun 8, 2011
A lion in the Wetting Zoo. by Kelle Hartman, Educator, Green Bay Botanical Garden It's that time of year again. School has ended and summer has finally arrived. Now that they are finally free for the summer, kids are able to easily amuse themselves by playing in sprinklers, on swing sets and in ball diamonds. But as the summer months drag on the the temperature continues to climb, spirits begin to drop. Soon, the inevitable claims of "I'm bored. There's nothing to do!" can be heard. Somehow, despite the shining sun and beautiful weather, bored...
National Volunteer Week - April 10-16, 2011 - Apr 15, 2011
by Maribe th Frinzi , Membership & Volunteer Manager “That’s what I consider true generosity. You give your all and yet you always feel as if it costs nothing.” (Simone de Beauvoir). This week is National Volunteer Week , a nd Green Bay Botanical Garden (GBBG) is blessed to have a large a nd dedicated group of amazing people we call volunteers. In our last fiscal year, 424 people contributed 7,017 hours of service, helping the Garden grow, thrive a nd serve as a welcoming recreational, horticultural and educational resource for...
Spring has Sprung! - Apr 8, 2011
Tulips will soon be blooming in front of our Donor Gate at Green Bay Botanical Garden! by Mark Konlock, Director of Horticulture, Green Bay Botanical Garden Although the Easter Bunny is arriving late this season, and the weather has been a bit chilly until recently, spring has sprung here at Green Bay Botanical Garden (GBBG) ! There are snowdrops ( Galanthus nivalis ), winter aconites ( Eranthis hymenalis ), and Crocus in bloom as I write. Daffodils and tulips are pushing out of the ground and the grass is greening up. Last fall, Garden staff and volunteers planted over 27,000...
Annual Mulch, Compost & Potting Soil Sale - stock up now! - Mar 29, 2011
Volunteers & staff are available to load your vehicle on pick-up day! by Lisa Andre, Event Services Manager, Green Bay Botanical Garden Starting to stock up for the gardening season? Green Bay Botanical Garden is once again here to help you find what you need to build a beautiful garden and landscape your yard! We are offering some great products to get you started. This is a once-a-year fundraising sale of bagged cocoa bean mulch, potting soil and more. Here is what we are offering this year: Cocoa Bean Mulch —Mulch used to minimize weeds and retain moisture. Cocoa...
Spring and flowers and students, o my! - Mar 18, 2011
Kelle leading a school tour in spring! by Kelle Hartman, Educator, Green Bay Botanical Garden As an Educator at Green Bay Botanical Garden, I lead more than 3000 students on tours through the gardens each spring. “Wow, that has to be tiring!” I’m told by many people. Yes, it can be tiring, but it is also a very rewarding and important part of what we do at the Garden. At a time when more and more learning is done in front of a screen, a trip into the Garden can open up a world of adventure for these students! As I hand out leaves of the anise...
A Sure Sign of Spring...Spring Thaw Symposium: Luscious Landscapes! - Mar 3, 2011
Luscious pears at Green Bay Botanical Garden! by Sharon Vaughan, Educator, Green Bay Botanical Garden I’m looking out the window at gray skies and the mountains of snow even though the calendar says spring is just a few short weeks away. With anticipation and excitement, the seed catalogs and nursery magazines have been arriving signaling spring’s impending arrival! Nature is awakening! Another sign is that our Spring Thaw Symposium is just around the corner. This year’s Spring Thaw Symposium - Luscious Landscapes - is sponsored by Mayflower Greenhouse and...
What Do Gardeners Do in the Winter? - Feb 23, 2011
Winter scene at Green Bay Botanical Garden by Mark Konlock, Director of Horticulture, Green Bay Botanical Garden Have you ever thought this very same question? What do gardeners do in the winter? What are the staff at Green Bay Botanical Garden doing in the middle of winter with snow covering all of the gardens? Well, here's your answer... Although the horticulture department staff are not seen as often in the winter, rest assured we are hard at work, just at different tasks than during the growing season. Below are some of the jobs we are working on this winter:...
2011 Garden Expo in Madison, WI - February 11-13 - Feb 7, 2011
Garden Expo - February 11-13, 2011, Alliant Energy Center, Madison WI by Mark Konlock, Director of Horticulture, Green Bay Botanical Garden Did you know that it is already February? Yes, a whole month of 2011 is over – bringing us that much closer to spring! Before you know it the first winter aconites and snowdrops will be pushing up through and blooming above the white stuff. It is time to get ready! The Garden Expo in Madison, in my opinion, is the best garden expo in the state . First of all it is inexpensive - $7 for a day pass (in advance; $8 at the door) or $11 for...
Got Spring Fever? Get Out and Explore... - Jan 26, 2011
Green Bay Botanical Garden - a winter wonderland! by Kelle Hartman, Green Bay Botanical Garden Educator The winter months tend to be a dismal time for gardeners. We mourn the loss of leaves and the development of seed heads that signal the end of the growing season. And while the arrival of seed catalogs brings excitement and anticipation for the coming season, we soon fall back into our dreary moods as we wait for spring to arrive. Don’t let yourself become trapped by the winter doldrums! Instead, learn to celebrate winter as its own season in the garden and work to create...
Ride along with Green Bay Botanical Garden as we forget winter for a day... - Dec 15, 2010
by Pat Fasanella, Odyssey Tours Forget winter for a day and join Green Bay Botanical Garden and Odyssey Tours for a day trip to the 2011 Garden Expo in Madison, WI. Whether you are an experienced gardener or just tend a couple houseplants, you’re sure to enjoy this great show. Floral exhibits, educational seminars and demonstrations will brighten your day and benefit your garden, and of course there will be dozens of vendors with the latest in garden gadgets. Join us for a refreshing mid-winter getaway! Depart from Green Bay Botanical Garden at 6:30 am (approximate...
Volunteers make the WPS Garden of Lights Glow! - Nov 15, 2010
60 foot walk-through caterpillar at WPS Garden of Lights by Aubrey Brennan, Site Rental & Volunteer Coordinator, Green Bay Botanical Garden People of all ages come to the WPS Garden of Lights each year to experience the magic and wonderment of the holiday season. Green Bay Botanical Garden glows with over 250,000 LED lights. Visitors can take a stroll through a 60-foot caterpillar gleaming with 20,000 LED lights, walk through an enchanted icicle forest with 10,000 pure white LED lights, and discover many other glistening flowers, butterflies and botanical themed creations....
Garden Website gets an Update - Nov 11, 2010
Green Bay Botanical Garden recently upgraded their website (gbbg.org) to include a cart system allowing you to make multiple purchases at one time. For example, you can sign up for a membership, sign up for a class and make a donation all in one simple transaction. We also have a new Members Only section, where Green Bay Botanical Garden members can login and receive automatic discounts on classes and events and renew their memberships! In the future, we will also have a Members News section to keep Green Bay Botanical Garden members better informed of Members Only events...
Green Bay Botanical Garden Celebrates 15 Years! - Sep 7, 2010
Art Harvest featured at Anniversary Celebration by Lisa Andre, Event Services Coordinator Green Bay Botanical Garden will be hosting its 15th Anniversary Celebration as a leading horticultural resource in Wisconsin, on Saturday, September 11th from 9 am to 5 pm. In addition to celebrating the Garden’s Anniversary, the Garden is featuring the 2nd Annual Art Harvest – over 30 local artists will be on display in the beautiful setting of the Magnolia Grove. All visitors will receive free admission to the Garden during the open hours of 9 am to 5 pm. The day’s...
GBBG Springtime Travel Opportunity - Aug 17, 2010
Rosedown Plantation, St. Francisville, Louisiana by Pat Fasanella, Odyssey Tours What could be lovelier than springtime in the deep south? Acres of blazing azaleas, massive live oak trees dripping with Spanish Moss, mint juleps on the terrace of an antebellum mansion – we’ll soon be enjoying all these and more, on Green Bay Botanical Garden’s upcoming Great River Road Gardens & Plantations Tour. We invite YOU to come along with us March 22-29, 2011 as we fly south to admire glorious gardens and tour historic plantations along the Mississippi River from New...
A Rose... - Aug 12, 2010
Julia Child floribunda rosa by Mark Konlock, Director of Horticulture, Green Bay Botanical Garden “Rose, oh pure contradiction, delight of being no one’s sleep under so many lids.” - Rainer Marie Rilke No other flower says flower like a rose! There are so many different types - hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, shrubs, climbers, etc. Our collection here at Green Bay Botanical Garden includes over 800 plants of 155 different species and cultivars. With so many plants to choose from, one might have a hard time picking. One good...
Herb of the Year: Dill (Anethum graveolens) - Jul 26, 2010
Herb of the Year: Dill (Anethum graveolens) by Jane Knaapen Cole, member of Herbs in Thyme and member-at-large of The Herb Society of America When I started my first herb garden, about 30 years ago, dill and parsley were the only herbs available locally. Looking back to my childhood, I seem to remember it being in every garden in the neighborhood. A hardy annual, dill is native to southern and western Asia, naturalized in southern Europe, and North America. The Romans introduced it to Britain. The plant has feathery, aromatic leaves growing...
Green Bay Botanical Garden launches 'Growing the Garden' Campaign - Jul 16, 2010
Garden officially announces Campaign at press conference by Jake Czarnik-Neimeyer, Director of Development & Operations The Garden has been experiencing great success and has enjoyed two years of substantial membership growth. Not only is it debt-free (a feat for non-profits these days), but growth in attendance has exceeded our ability to accommodate all those wanting to participate in our programs and events. After a year of planning, our Board of Directors has determined that it is time for us to enhance our facilities to meet this growing demand. We have...
Concerts in the Garden Series - Thursdays, July 15-August 19 - Jul 13, 2010
Enjoying a picnic dinner at Concerts in the Garden by Lisa Andre, Event Services Coordinator Relax and enjoy live music in a peaceful garden setting located in Green Bay Botanical Garden’s Agnes Schneider Terrace. Green Bay Botanical Garden will host a six concert series every Thursday starting this week and running through August 19th. Concerts in the Garden Series: July 15, 2010: Green Bay Symphony Orchestra Greenhouse Jazz Ensemble: Made up of musicians from the GBSO, the Greenhouse Jazz group is sure to delight with standard jazz favorites, Broadway classics and...
Take advantage of the hundreds of photo opportunities the Garden has to offer! - Jun 25, 2010
A rainy day engagement session with Heather Kessler Photography by Aubrey Brennan, Site Rental & Volunteer Coordinator Green Bay Botanical Garden provides a beautiful back drop for photography. There are hundreds of photo opportunities in the Garden. Take a stroll through the Garden and photograph beautiful structures, plants, flowers, animals or even insects. A few hidden spots to take some great photos are the Van Den Wymelenberg Color & Foliage Garden, Memorial Grove and the Stumpf Belvedere. You’re welcome to take casual photographs for your own...