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T h e A m e r i c A n G A r d e n e r
LEFT: CONNIE COTTINGHAM. TOP: COURTESY OF MONONA TERRACE COMMUNITY AND CONVENTION CENTER
M
arked by cold winters and long
summer days, Madison, Wiscon-
sin, is an urban outdoor lover’s dream
with ve lakes, 270 parks, and over 200
miles of biking and hiking trails. It is one
of only ve Platinum-Level Bike-Friend-
ly Communities in the country. With
Aldo Leopold, Frank Lloyd Wright, and
the rst Earth Day closely tied to Madi-
son’s history, it is no surprise that con-
servation, education, and native habitats
are keystones of the area’s gardens.
DOWNTOWN
Downtown Madison is on an isthmus
between Lake Mendota and Lake Mono-
na. Staying in a downtown hotel allows
many options within walking distance.
Madison celebrates late sunsets and
warm weather with an abundance of
outdoor summer concerts, including
the bi-weekly free Wisconsin Chamber
Orchestra Concerts on the State Capi-
tol grounds. The gold statue-adorned,
domed State Capitol reigns as the cen-
ter of downtown, surrounded by restau-
rants, shops, and museums. A pedestrian
plaza to the southeast connects with the
Frank Lloyd Wright-designed conven-
tion center on Lake Monona. State Street
Pedestrian Mall to the west, lined with
historic architecture, links downtown
to the University of Wisconsin campus.
A must is a tour of Monona Terrace
Community and Convention Center
(mononaterrace.com), built almost 60
years after Frank Lloyd Wright developed
his first design for the center in 1938. The
William T. Evjue Rooftop Gardens offers
views of downtown, Lake Monona and the
State Capitol. Redbuds and native prairie
plants and other perennials that can brave
the sunny, windy,68,000-square-foot con-
crete plaza are complemented by modern
sculptures on display. Wright’s light spires
on the plaza were inspired by hollyhocks.
Ginkgos, one of Wright’s favorite trees, are
planted throughout the 4.4-acre campus
and their distinctive leaf form is used as a
motif inside the building.
Period Garden Park (periodgarden-
park.org) in the Mansion Hill District
was started almost 50 years ago when
citizens bought the quarter acre to save
it from development. Dedicated volun-
teers tend this charming, quiet, pictur-
esque garden. It is a perfect spot to play
with a camera and sketchpad or listen to
the fountains and birds from a bench.
For a guided experience of the city’s
neighborhoods, I highly recommend the
Historic Architecture Walking Tours
(madisonpreservation.org), which run
May through September and offers a va-
riety of destinations.
The Dane County Farmers’ Mar-
ket (dcfm.org) on the shaded sidewalks
around the Capitol building is America’s
largest producers-only farmers’ market.
Come early on Saturday mornings from
April through November for the best
selection of produce, cheeses, baked
goods, flowers, and more. Later, stores
and museums open, and live music and
crowds energize the market.
WEST AND SOUTH MADISON
Allen Centennial Garden (allencen-
tennialgarden.org) is on the University
GARDEN DESTINATIONS
by Connie Cottingham
Madison, Wisconsin
Native plants soften the hardscape at Monona Terrace’s William T. Evjue
Rooftop Gardens, which offers a great view of Lake Monona.
The dome of the State Capitol lights up the
night sky in downtown Madison.
39
J u l y / A u G u s T 2024
of Wisconsin campus, west of down-
town. Open free to the public dawn to
dusk, this small display and teaching
garden surrounds the 1896 home that
housed the College of Agriculture’s first
four deans. There are 14 different gar-
den spaces, including a dwarf conifer
collection, secluded woodland garden,
pond, formal garden, and cottage gar-
den. As you leave, ask anyone on the
sidewalk for directions to The Babcock
Hall Dairy Store, located on campus
and run by the school’s agriculture
department. Trust the University of
Wisconsin, which has the oldest dairy
program in the country, to know how
to create amazing ice cream.
A mile south of downtown and
campus is the 1,260-acre University
of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum
(arboretum.wisc.edu). It is a beloved green
space, a living laboratory, and a National
Historic Landmark. Aldo Leopold was
the research director when the arboretum
was dedicated in 1934. UWArboretum
contains the world’s oldest restored
prairie (from farmland), other restored
ecosystems, a visitor center with a native
plant garden, and the Longenecker
Horticultural Gardens, with the largest
and most diverse collection of trees and
shrubs in Wisconsin. Joining a tour would
enrich your experience.
J.W. Jung Seed Company started
sending seed catalogs from Wisconsin
in 1909. One of the six Jung Garden
Centers (junggardencenters.com) is in
Fitchburg, four miles southwest of the
Arboretum. It is an impressive garden
center, but what makes it special is the
long wall of well-labeled and organized
vegetable, annual, perennial, and organic
seeds (stocked fall through spring.)
Within 30 minutes south of downtown
Madison are three well-loved, locally-
owned garden centers to explore for a fun
shopping break: Kopke’s Greenhouse
(kopkesgreenhouse.com), Fitchburg
Farms (fitchburgfarms.com), and K&A
Greenhouse (kandagreenhouse.com). Each
has its own specialties and personalities.
EAST OF DOWNTOWN
Family owned since 1913, Kleins Flo-
ral and Greenhouses (kleinsfloral.com)
is a florist and garden center with a
30,000-square-foot greenhouse. Since
it opens early, you can spend time there
before heading to Olbrich Botanical
Gardens.
The Tower Garden is one of my fa-
vorite spaces there, changing from in-
timate to expansive in a few steps and
offering a new discovery and view at ev-
ery turn. The Birch Walk and the Kalei-
doscope are mesmerizing.
A few blocks away is the Lansing Food
Forest (www.wisconsinfoodforests.
com/lansing-food-forest), an edibles
demonstration garden where everyone is
welcome to pick, learn about food plants,
or relax on a bench.
Aldo Leopold Nature Center (al-
doleopoldnaturecenter.org) encourages
children to love nature through hands-
on learning experiences. Look over the
prairie from the Center’s deck or walk the
mown paths to the pond to be closer to the
plants, birds and wildlife. Whether at this
nature center or the Wisconsin–Madison
Arboretum, learning about and standing
in a prairie is an important part of under-
standing the Madison landscape.
n
You can find Arkansas-based garden
and travel writer Connie Cottingham at
gardentravelexperiences.com.
CONNIE COTTINGHAM (2)
LEFT: CONNIE COTTINGHAM. TOP: COURTESY OF MONONA TERRACE COMMUNITY AND CONVENTION CENTER
Olbrich Botanical Gardens includes a gravel garden at the entrance, plus this
one near the Great Lawn.
The dwarf conifer garden and pond at Allen Centennial Garden
