June 2018 Meeting: Visit to Aspen Ridge Home and Garden Center

On Wednesday, June 6 the Uplands Garden Club visited Aspen Ridge Home and Garden Center in Mineral Point.

After time to shop (yeah) Aspen Ridge owner Marsha Wyatt gave us a tour of the Center. Marsha related some of the history of the property, how they came to locate their new garden center on this site, showed us the extensive site restorations they have already done and explained future renovation plans.





The Aspen Ridge philosophy is embodied in this statement from their website - "Aspen Ridge Home & Garden has been a long-time dream as a destination garden center that inspires young and old alike to slow down in life and take in the beauty of the land and all things that grow. Where customers become friends." Marsha highlighted the many ways they are putting those goals into practice with a host of community involvement activities.

Kudos to Marsha et al on creating a lovely and inspiring gardening center.

May 2018 Meeting: Succulents with Jada Hooks

Succulents are all the rage in the plant work right now. At our May meeting we got to pot up our own succulents under the tutelage of Jada Hooks of Jada's Garden and Greenhouse in Mount Horeb.

We brought our own small containers and Jada brought a selection of succulent plants to choose from. Each member purchased two 2-inch plants with additional plants available for an additional charge. Jada also supplied soil, pea gravel and moss to finish off our creations.

Members went home with lovely arrangements in a variety of containers from hypertufa to tea cups and more. What fun!

Jada Hooks has a degree in horticulture from UW-Madison and has worked with plants her entire life. She grew up on a dairy and pig farm near Plain, gardening with her mother as a child. Jada's Garden started about 15 years ago as a personal gardening and seasonal container business.  Her retail greenhouse and garden center opened in 2017 in Blue Mounds and is a full service greenhouse.  Visit Jada's Garden and Greenhouse website for more information including the 2018 class schedule and listing of special events.  www.jadasgarden.com   

April 2018 Meeting: Exercises for Gardeners

Just in time to get us ready for a new gardening season, fitness instructor Eileen Smith taught us exercises and stretches specific to those very muscles and movements needed for gardening chores.  We learned techniques to strengthen our “gardening muscles” as well as movement and stretches to recover after a gardening session! 

Eileen Smith is a Registered Dietitian, Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor.  She has a passion for helping people live their healthiest lives and teaches fitness classes at Upland Hills Health in Dodgeville WI.  Eileen and her husband Luther have a buffalo ranch near Jonesdale.  She loves spending time with her 3 adult daughters, friends, and family, traveling and attempting to garden.

March 2018 Meeting: All About Worms with Bernadette Williams

At the Garden Club March meeting DNR Worm Specialist Bernadette Williams regaled us with Everything You Probably Never Wanted to Know About Worms! She shared a wealth of knowledge about worms, including the latest scourge, Jumping Worms.

Who knew worms could be that fascinating?

Upcoming Meeting - Jumping Worms Presentation

Join the Uplands Garden Club at our March meeting to learn what you need to know about jumping worms. 

March 7
7:00 pm
Stonefield Apartments
407 E. Madison St
Dodgeville, WI

For Directions to Stonefield Apartments click on our Meetings Tab above.

February 2018 Meeting: Smaller Prairie Plants for Our Gardens with Linda Lynch

For our February meeting, Linda Lynch introduced us to smaller prairie plantings for our gardens. She covered site preparation, seeding versus plugs, varieties that do well in various smaller settings, and maintenance of our gardens. 

Linda is a Master Gardener, a former board member of the Prairie Enthusiasts, and an Uplands Garden Club member. 

Linda chats with Carol and Dean

Thank you Linda for educating us on what we can do to help the pollinators in our area by providing them with native plantings.

Harriet updates the membership roster
(annual memberships are due in February).

December 2017 Meeting: Annual Holiday Party

The Annual Uplands Garden Club Christmas party was held on Wed, December 6 starting with hors- d'oeuvres and social hour at 6pm. Our traditional potluck dinner followed at 6:30 with the club providing pork and beef as well as coffee, punch, paper plates and utensils, and members bringing a dish to pass (vegetable, hors d'oeuvre or dessert). Yum!

Our own storyteller and Garden Club member Jane Stenson once again delighted us with a tall tale, and we all rocked out on some Christmas carols accompanied on piano by Julie Weiskircher.

Though it seemed no one came through and wore a Christmas sweater despite the entreaty in the newsletter, Jane got into the spirit with her Christmas socks!

A huge thank you to the committee for their hard work putting together another great holiday party.