PRE WEDDING RELAXATION

Folks relax in numerous ways whether it's going to a spa, watching

TV, drinking, playing on the computer, reading /perhaps even 

frequenting a city's botanical garden.  It was the latter that appealed

to us hours before our attendance at a wedding in Madison Sunday. 

(our second wedding within a week's time). 

We needed calm before the storm and bythe time we made it to the 

city's botanical gardens side of town, we decided it'd be best to grab 

a bite to eat before the gardens. Boy, did we luck out stopping at the 

Daisy Cafe &Cakeatery.  The eclectic mix of spice assaults your 

nostrils upon entering. Not all the bakery smell I expected.

A variety of 'Daisy' art and mosaics fill their walls with an equally 

interesting array of patrons filling their eclectic tables and chairs.

A very Madison feel.

Oodles of  menu choices with gluten free choices, vegetarian 

possibilities and many with chorizo/pork so I went for their 

Meatless Meatloaf and was not disappointed in the least bit. Super 

delicious with their roasted potatoes. YUM. Natureman opted for

one of their burgers. He's not as adventuresome in the ordering 

process. It's too bad we didn't have room to try the cupcakes. :(

Filled to the gills off we went to peruse the well planned 16 acres of Olbricht Gardens. Despite the filled parking lot we had a lot of the gardens to  ourselves. 


The Gardens have changed over the years and the visitor can enjoy vistas and water features with even the Starkweather Creek traversing the property where folks kayak/canoe.

The variety of garden spaces include: 

The Flowering Grove with ornamental 
trees, 

Meadow Garden with drought 
tolerant grasses, 

Eunice Fisher Hosta Garden with its shade loving plantings, 

the Rock Garden, 

Discovery Dock with plants that love to live near  water,

Wildflower Garden a reminder of the 

  
End of the Rainbow Valley, don't you 

think?

There's also the Herb Garden, Gravel 

Gardens, Rain Gardens, Sunken 

Gardens, Rose Garden, Perennial

Garden, Priarie Dropseed and Sedge 

Meadows, Serenity Garden and 

Flowering Cherry Grove and Olbrich's 

Thai Pavilion and Garden.

So many interesting species to view and 

enjoy all the different textures, blooms, 

colors and foliage.



Olbrich prides itself in teaching 

sustainability by example of its gardening methods which anyone 

can try in their own gardening spaces.


* The Right Plant in the Right Place:Midwest hearty, disease & 

                                                           pest resistant

*Maintaining Healthy Soil : leaf mulching adding nutrients

*Natural Insect Control:hand picking pests, using beneficial insects

* Controlling Weeds Naturally: using mulch, weeding by hand

* Smart Water Usage, water when needed, rain barrels,       

                                     computerized irrigation  system

* Lawn Alternatives: meadow, prairie dropseed, sedge, drought           

                                   tolerant

*Greener Garden Desings:low maintenance perennials, naturalizing 

                                    bulbs 

*Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: composting garden wage, reusing/ 

                         recycling  plastic pots and use of biodegradable pots


Olbricht's is a gem and its outdoor gardens are free to the public 

although there's a $2 charge to enter the Bolz Conservatory. 


There's even a garden tram for those who need assistance. As their 

brochure states: Discover, Explore and Enjoy the World of Plants.

To be sure July is just a beautiful time for gardens in the Midwest, 

don't forget to enjoy its blooms.