Why I Hug a Special Tree/ The Delavan Wisconsin Arboretum

The Delavan Memorial Arboretum in Delavan, Wisconsin is one of my favorite places to visit because my Mom and Dad's ashes are buried there, under a tree.  Many of their friends are nearby. I think this is a grand idea for  upcycling.  The ashes are useful, and I feel that when I hug the tree, I am hugging my Mom and Dad.
This beautiful sign is at the entrance and the arboretum is bordered by a shallow lake, Lake Comus.  There are walking trails and benches a boat ramp just outside the arboretum (below) and fishing pier. Fishing is also allowed  from anywhere along the banks of the lake.  It is generally a quiet, peaceful and pleasant place to be.

On the other side of the lake, far over on the left is the traditional type of cemetery, up on the hillside. It is  a beautiful place as well.  There is a spring there, just inside the gate, and when we were children, my father would take us there to gather watercress for watercress sandwiches. This is  another of my favorite memories.  My father was good at making everything seem like an adventure.

Mom and Dad's bronze plaques and their tree.

One of the small gardens in a sunny spot near the lake.

 A wetland area.

The original arboretum is full, so an extension was added.  I have a feeling it will fill up quickly.

The next few pictures are of back yard gardens bordering the arboretum.  This is all former farm land.  I believe it was the Dibble Farm.

A wonderful hedge of native grass.

Back to the beginning of the trail .

Do you see the bee in the center of one of the aster blooms?

Gaillardia pulchella, or blanket flower, or Indian blanket , in among the asters. Gaillardia is found over most of the US as a wildflower except in th Northwest.  It is also cultivated, and escapes cultivation and spreads to the wild.  It blooms from May into September.

On the next blog you'll see pictures of  Lazy Cloud Lodge and Lake Geneva path gardens.

Jean's Fall Garden

 My sister, Jean and her husband, Michael live in a secluded valley a few miles outside of Madison, Indiana.  This is the view out their front window.  Deer come to graze in the valley, and they lease the    pasture directly  across the street from their house for Jean's horse.  Last spring when I visited, the area had a lot of debris scattered about ( mostly pink insulation) that had blown in from the tornado in Hamilton, Indiana, just about 15 miles away.The trees were just starting to turn color when I arrived for the last weekend in September.  My sister says that their property is all rock with a very thin layer of top soil, so they have to build raised beds wherever they want to plant anything.  Their vegetable garden is all wooden raised beds, and Jean has used the rocks from the creek behind the house to outline all of her flower beds.  They have  very good access to composted manure from their horse, and of course they compost all vegetable matter in bins, to use for the garden and fruit trees. This last year they built trellises at the end of the veggie garden and added  some kiwi fruit.

 The front garden border. Jean just added the window box this past spring.

The back garden border, filled with lots of Autumn Joy Sedum.

Looking out over the raised bed veggie garden, small orchard, martin house and valley.

 

 Jean has already harvested her cabbage once, and is getting some smaller, repeat heads as a bonus.

Autumn Joy Sedum does bring joy to my heart 

I love the metal fish that hangs from the clothesline in the back garden.

 More Autumn Joy !

I am back from my travels for a while, so my entries will be more regular.  Next up, the Wisconsin trip, followed by California.

More of Madison, Indiana/Historic District Gardens/Fall

ONE OF THE LOVELY FRONT GARDENS

According to Madison, Indiana's  travel brochure, it has the largest historic district in Indiana with over 133 blocks on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 National Historic Landmarks and National Historic Landmark District designation.  I love just wandering through those 133 blocks.  Here are a few photos of the area taken on an overcast morning.  There are many beautiful homes with small lots, and side porches and gardens. There are also many small front gardens with iron fences.  I always call these small gardens "pocket gardens".

THE LANIER HISTORIC HOME AND GARDENS

 THE GARDENS AT THE REAR OF THE HOME LOOK OUT OVER THE OHIO RIVER.  THERE IS A FEE TO TOUR THE HOME, BUT THE GARDENS ARE FREE AND OPEN FROM DAWN UNTIL DUSK.

                                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                       
                                                                                         

FINAL PICTURE OF LANIER GARDENS

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OLD STONE FENCE POST ON ONE OF THE SIDE STREETS

THIS HISTORIC GARDEN GOES THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF THE CITY BLOCKS. IT HAD OBVIOUSLY SUFFERED FROM THE DROUGHT THIS SUMMER AS HAD MANY OF THE GARDENS I SAW.  THE RESIDENTS DID A GOOD JOB OF FILLING IN WITH LOTS OF MUMS TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS OF OTHER FLOWERS.

 MORE BEAUTIFUL FRONT GARDENS

 SIDE GARDEN OFF ONE OF THE MAIN STREETS

I ESPECIALLY LOVE THIS GARDEN AREA BETWEEN TWO OF THE HOMES

FRONT STEPS BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED WITH MUMS

HAPPY FALL PLANTING!THE NEXT ENTRY WILL BE PHOTOS OF MY SISTER'S GARDEN.

Traveling

I have spent a few days in beautiful, historic, Madison,Indiana visiting my sister and taking photos of gardens.  I am now in Wisconsin visiting family and I will be taking more photos as weather permits. I am on a borrowed computer so will be posting blog entries with photos next weekend.  My husband has stayed home to take care of our garden and keep those veggie starts watered.  Look for more posts next week!

The leaves have started changing here, and it is absolutely stunning!
             
 The reds, yellows, oranges on the trees and lots of purple and white asters blooming on the ground in combination with the various shades of brown and tan grasses  and with the blue of lake and sky makes my heart sing.

Happy gardening.  Sorry about the delayed posts.
 
Susan