Native Garden Learning Hub Community Gathering

Join us for an exciting new community learning and networking opportunity centered on creating, enhancing, and managing native plant gardens! As part of our newly established Native Garden Learning Hub, we invite you to explore valuable resources and receive expert guidance from knowledgeable volunteers. Each month, we’ll feature specialized topics related to native plant gardening, including garden preparation and design, planting for pollinators and other wildlife, native plant propagation, leave the leaves and other maintenance, seed collecting, and much more!

This month’s “Spring Fling” learning focus will include the following topics:

-Gardening for Birds - Amy Yocum of Wild Ones Madison will share expert tips on how to create a yard that is both welcoming and safe for our feathered friends.
-Gardening for Bees - Judy Cardin, local bumblebee and native plant advocate, will share her knowledge related to flower/bee phenology, bee life cycles, shade flowers for bees, nesting habitat, impact of pesticide use and backyard honeybee hives on native bees, and more.
-Spring Garden Clean Up – You may be itching to “spring” into garden cleanup. Learn when (and if) to clean up your garden beds and why it's important to wait.
-Garden Preparation – Native plants can be incorporated into your home landscape in many ways. Learn about lawn removal, smothering, solarizing, and other techniques for creating space for native plants.
-Garden Design – Our native garden volunteers will be available to answer your questions and provide resources, including our 3D-printed plant tokens, to help you choose a location and plants for your next native garden project.

We will start this month’s community gathering with a brief kick-off address from representatives of Dane County’s Land & Water Resources Department and Wild Ones Madison followed by time to visit topic stations and speak to garden design volunteers. Together, we will share knowledge, build connections, and deepen our understanding of native plant gardens, all with the ultimate goal of expanding native habitats across our communities.