A Perfect Day in an Imperfect World

Lewis Nine Springs E-Way, July 23, 2026

"A Letter From Mother Nature," by Bud Morton

Partly cloudy, light breeze, 78F

Pollinators aplenty

Peak summer display

Swaths of blooming native plants

THE OVERVIEW

"Summer Guitar," by Amaksi

Midwest Gardeners Meet-Up at Kenosha

For the past several years, a group of Midwestern garden bloggers and communicators has met at various locations to tour gardens, arboretums, and plant displays. We skipped last year because of COVID, and this growing season was challenging for some weather and personal reasons. But several of us met last week in Kenosha, Wis.: myself, Danniel Ward-Packard, of Botanica Fine Gardens and Landscapes, and Jason Kay and Judy Hertz, of Garden in a City. It was a small group and a cloudy, windy, cool day, but we had a great time and some fabulous discussions about plants.

The first stop was a hikeable portion of the Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area, which is part of a 4,500-acre lake plain in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. It was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Significance in 2015.



It's a captivating place, with a diversity of wet prairie species, even though this has been a particularly hot and dry growing season. The natural swaths of asters, sunflowers, goldenrods, grasses, and other plants were fascinating to view.



Across the road on this windy day, the turbulent waves of Lake Michigan were dramatically lapping the shore.

So many autumn native plants to observe and so little time. I believe I have the names correct on these beauties, but let me know if not.

Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)

Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)

Sky Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense)

Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera)

Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis crinita)

For lunch, we met at Kenosha's waterfront Eichelman and Wolfenbuttel Parks, which have some colorful annual displays.

The trellises and pergolas frame the park's Lake Michigan view and the nearby boat marina.







They were lovely formal plantings surrounding the area.

Our final destination for the day was the Hawthorne Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum. I think this property surprised all of us with its 12 charming acres of prairies, gardens, and historic buildings.

A small prairie restoration was in process.

This beautiful unmarked rose reminded me of my great-grandfather's rose that he crossed for my great-grandmother.

A vibrant, blooming Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) shrub couldn't be ignored.

This border along the side of one of the historical buildings was autumn-impressive, and had me wondering about its plant display during other seasons.

On the way out, more asters and sunflowers took the spotlight.

It was a cloudy, windy day, but the companions and the gardens--both natural and intentionally planted--were top-tier.

I'm looking forward to next year's gardener gatherings!

A Great Hike at Mud Lake Wildlife Area

There are so many wonderful places to hike very close to my home. Nearly every time we hike I take a few photos, but I don't always get around to posting about them. One thing I've learned over the years is that wetlands are great places to see wildlife, and more specifically bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.



A few years ago, we hiked at the Mud Lake Wildlife Area, which includes approximately 1,450 acres of wetland, 590 acres of upland, and 220 acres of wooded habitat. It's near Rio in Columbia County, about 30 minutes north of the Madison area.

At the time of our hike, in early September, quite a few native plants were blooming in full force, including:



New England Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae),



White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima),



Various Goldenrods--I think this one is Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), and



Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

This was also the first and only time I've seen Giant Swallowtail caterpillars in the wild, which was very exciting.



They camouflage themselves to look like bird droppings.



We saw the caterpillars on Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) shrubs, one of their host plants.

As I mentioned before, wetlands are great places to view butterflies, and on this day we saw quite a few:

Viceroy

Pearl Crescent

Monarch

Black Swallowtail

A worn Black Swallowtail sharing Thistle nectar with a Bumble Bee.

When I look back at hiking photos from the past several years, most of them are from late summer and early autumn. It's a beautiful, comfortable time to get out and enjoy nature in the Upper Midwest.