WOODLAND GARDEN

The Woodland Garden captures the harmony and natural quality of Wisconsin's surrounding forests. Like natural forests, the garden is composed of three tiers of vegetation; a canopy, understory, and ground layer. Large trees, such as river birch, hemlock, white pine and Douglas fir, provide a shady canopy for the leafy shrubs and saplings below them.

The unique foliage and bright blossoms of exotic woodland plants, like hosta and shooting star, liven the floor of the garden. Plants native to Wisconsin's forests, such as trillium and bloodroot, add color and texture to the dark soil and fallen pine needles. Spring ephemerals, or plants that complete their life cycle in early spring, blossom before the trees above leaf out and block the sun.

A limestone path wanders among the plantings, passing a council ring of stone benches inspired by Wisconsin's legendary Jens Jensen. A simple stone footbridge carries visitors over a shallow gully, which serves as a natural basin for water run off and the perfect site for moisture-loving plants.

Woodland gardens are relatively low maintenance. However, the mature trees living in the woodland garden rapidly absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Water is replenished by an automated irrigation system hidden among the landscape, while fallen leaves and pine needles return organic matter to the soil. Bark chip mulch is also used to retain soil moisture and hinder weed regrowth.

A woodland garden provides varying amounts of shade throughout its lifetime. At first, the young trees and shrubs of the new garden cast minimal shade on the plants below. Over time, the shade becomes increasingly dense as trees, saplings and shrubs mature.

The Woodland Garden plants were selected based on their natural occurrence in Wisconsin's forests, noninvasive habit, unique features, and shade tolerance.