November 2025 Simon Gilroy Plant Reactions

 

Dr Simon Gilroy, botany professor at UW Madison, presented "Are  my plants listening to me?"  Research has shown that plants have similar senses that we have although theirs aren't controlled by nerves. They can count, like the Venus fly trap that has to be touched twice before reacting, and respond to a chewing insect by alerting other leaves to produce repellents. 

Recording the sound of a chewing insect and playing it back to another untouched plant will cause that plant to react so plants can 'hear'. Plants don't die as soon as they're cut or pulled up so Simon left us with the thought that our salad is 'screaming' at us as we eat!

October 2025 Beekeeping

 

 

Mike Smith demonstrated his beekeeping equipment, including a traveling case of working bees.  He explained how to start beekeeping and the life of bees in a hive.

                                  

         Roger spinning honey from a "box"                              working bees in a traveling hive

September 2025 Jada's Greenhouse and picnic

  

Members toured Jada's greenhouse and had the opportunity to create a fall plant arrangement.  Some are  shown below.  Then we met at Blue Mounds State Park for a potluck picnic.

   

                                                                                                       

      

August 2025 Jane Stenson Garden Tour

 

 

Jane Stenson opened her garden for a visit from our members plus the public.  A number of beautifully landscaped beds featuring native prairie plants as well as favorites like dahlias, daylilies and lilies.  A "cage" neatly holds stray branches and a nearby structure holds tubes and other crevices for native bees.

 

July 2025 Mineral Point School Garden

What a turnout of kids and their families at the July Mineral Point Elementary School garden and savanna tour! Teacher Jessica Soots is doing a great job with the gardens at the school. Summer school kids helped with weeding and harvesting and chives was the winning produce. The Uplands Garden Club gave a grant to the school to help with accessibility to the gardens. 

 Teacher Jessica Soots talking to garden club

June 2025 Janet Miller Garden

Janet Miller in her garden, viewed from Fountain St in Mineral Point. This is a garden designed to be viewed from above, but there are also pathways for walking through the Garden. Special features of the Garden to entertain children include: frogs, birds, hedge hogs and rabbit statues. There are also plants to touch such as Lamb’s Ear and Turtle Head.

May 2025 Seedling plant sale

Thank you Connie Tibbits for the tips and tricks of starting plants from seeds and allowing us to see your completed shed. Seeing your setup and hearing about your successes, will help members in starting their own plants from seeds. Your plants looked great. Also, thank you for your donation of the sales to go to the club.