Late winter and early spring are the time to check out catalogs, place seed orders and start seeds.  Learn more about several seed starting techniques from Sue Reinardy, UW-Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in an upcoming webinar.  Sue has volunteered her time to create and deliver this webinar that will feature:  deciphering catalog and seed package jargon, proper planting conditions and several techniques including the winter sown planted method that you can start now.  

This webinar can be attended from any home computer or device with an internet connection, microphone and camera.  Instructions to access the course will be provided a few days before the start of the class.   Registration is required through WITC at courses.witc.edu   Enter "Early Seed Starting" in the search box.   The registration fee is $13.50, and for those 62+ it is $9.00 . 

Seed Saving, Harvest, and Fall Clean-up
 
August, 2018 Spooner, Wisconsin.    On Saturday morning at 10:00, September 8, gardeners will be meeting in the award-winning Teaching and Display Garden at the Spooner Agriculture Research Station and all are invited to discuss late season gardening.  The program will focus on harvesting, seed saving and clean-up.  Learn tips and resources on storing and preserving fresh produce.  Several types of seed saving techniques will be demonstrated and there will be checklists for fall clean-up.  The garden will still be at its peak to enjoy.  University of Wisconsin-Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will share their tips gathered through experience and university-based research.

This year’s theme is “Get Social in the Garden”, a part of the All American Selections #AASWinners.  The Garden is one of eight in Wisconsin that display vegetable and flower varieties who have been awarded this designation as an outstanding cultivar.   
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Remember to bring your own lawn chair for the Meet Me in the Garden Seminar.  The session is free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine – please dress accordingly.  In case of inclement weather, the program will be held at the Station Building at W6646 Highway 70, Spooner.    The garden is located on Orchard Lane, 1.5 miles east of Spooner on Highway 70 or 1/2 mile west of the Hwy 70/53 interchange.  Watch for garden meeting signs.
 
For more information and a map visit the station’s web site at: http://spooner.ars.wisc.edu/ or contact Kevin Schoessow or Lorraine Toman at the Spooner Area UW-Extension Office at 715-635-3506 or 1-800-528-1914. 

Welcome to the Playground Garden....the first American playground opened in 1887 in San Francisco.  Ever since then, playgrounds have become the meeting place for children and adults all across the country to exercise, enjoy fresh air and meet new friends.  Baseball diamonds, tennis courts, swings and slides - the joy of socializing has introduced millions of strangers who have enjoyed life bonding experiences. 

From All-American Selections, a 2018 AAS Flower Winner"Sister to 2013 AAS Winner South Pacific Scarlet, this newest AAS Winner is compact in habit and well suited for both landscape and container use. This variety is more vigorous, more uniform, and has more basal branching than comparison cannas. It offers an outstanding bloom color in an attractive, vivid bright orange that contrasts nicely with the bright green foliage. Pollinator gardens will love this addition of an attractive canna that sports uniformly colored flowers over a long blooming period. Bonus: this canna is grown from seed, not tuber, meaning less chance of succumbing to disease."

This is part of a series of blog posts featuring the All-American Selections Display Gardens.
What is All-American Selections?  As written on their website: “All-America Selections is an independent non-profit organization that tests new, never-before-sold varieties for the home gardener. After a full season of anonymous trialing by volunteer horticulture professionals, only the top garden performers are given the AAS Winner award designation for their superior performance.”  The Spooner Teaching and Display Garden is one of eight AAS display gardens in Wisconsin.
 
​Come to the Spooner Teaching and Display Garden to see over 600 plants that have been planted in the display beds.  The planting of both the display and vegetable beds is now complete and each day there is more to see as the season progresses.
  
The Teaching and Display Garden can be found on Orchard Lane and is located 1.5 miles east of Spooner on State Highway 70 or 1/2 mile west of Highways 70/53 interchange.  It is open to the public daily in the growing season during daylight hours.
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This is part of a series of blog posts featuring the All-American Selections Display Gardens.
What is All-American Selections?  As written on their website: “All-America Selections is an independent non-profit organization that tests new, never-before-sold varieties for the home gardener. After a full season of anonymous trialing by volunteer horticulture professionals, only the top garden performers are given the AAS Winner award designation for their superior performance.”  The Spooner Teaching and Display Garden is one of eight AAS display gardens in Wisconsin.
 
​Come to the Spooner Teaching and Display Garden to see over 600 plants that have been planted in the display beds.  The planting of both the display and vegetable beds is now complete and each day there is more to see as the season progresses.
  
The Teaching and Display Garden can be found on Orchard Lane and is located 1.5 miles east of Spooner on State Highway 70 or 1/2 mile west of Highways 70/53 interchange.  It is open to the public daily in the growing season during daylight hours.
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Welcome to the Stars and Stripes Forever Garden....as we gather to honor our veterans and families for military service, enjoy the peace and joy in the gardens here and everywhere.  Red, white, and blue flowers are planted and displayed in remembrance of those who have served.  

A highlight of this garden is the Zinnia  Profusion Red,  a 2017 All-American Selections winner (#AASWinners).   All-American Selections has this to say about this flower: "This newest Profusion Zinnia winner is the fourth color in the single flower series to win the coveted AAS Winner award. The original Profusions were ground-breaking plants because of their compact form, disease resistance, early and continuous blooms all season long and ease in growing. Judges raved about the vibrant, perfectly true red color of this zinnia which doesn’t fade in summer’s intense rays. As one judge stated, “We have waited for years for this true red color in zinnias!” Gardeners will find many uses for the true red zinnia that’s easy to grow and a favorite of pollinators. Uniform plants and outstanding greenhouse and garden performance will be especially important for growers producing Profusion Red for retail sales. "
Zinnia Profusion Red is also a Fleuroselect Gold Medal Winner for garden performance in Europe.

This is part of a series of blog posts featuring the All-American Selections Display Gardens.
What is All-American Selections?  As written on their website: “All-America Selections is an independent non-profit organization that tests new, never-before-sold varieties for the home gardener. After a full season of anonymous trialing by volunteer horticulture professionals, only the top garden performers are given the AAS Winner award designation for their superior performance.”  The Spooner Teaching and Display Garden is one of eight AAS display gardens in Wisconsin.
 
​Come to the Spooner Teaching and Display Garden to see over 600 plants that have been planted in the display beds.  The planting of both the display and vegetable beds is now complete and each day there is more to see as the season progresses.
  
The Teaching and Display Garden can be found on Orchard Lane and is located 1.5 miles east of Spooner on State Highway 70 or 1/2 mile west of Highways 70/53 interchange.  It is open to the public daily in the growing season during daylight hours.

Welcome to the Bee Happy Tea Garden.....popular in England in the 18th Century where ladies and gentlemen enjoyed tea together, oftentimes with entertainment such as Mozart or Handel.  In a splendid garden setting -- floral beauty all around while sipping a cup of tea--friendships are bound to blossom!  

This garden highlights  Vinca Mega Bloom Pink Halo F1 , an All-American Selections Flower Winner (#AASWinners) from 2017.   Here is what AAS has to say about this flower: 
"Mega Bloom is an exciting new series of vinca bred to withstand heat and humidity without succumbing to disease. Pink Halo produces huge soft pink blossoms with a wide white eye. These flowers present a striking look in the garden, even from a distance. Plants maintain a nice, dense habit with flowers staying on top of the foliage for full flower power color.  "

This is part of a series of blog posts featuring the All-American Selections Display Gardens.
What is All-American Selections?  As written on their website: “All-America Selections is an independent non-profit organization that tests new, never-before-sold varieties for the home gardener. After a full season of anonymous trialing by volunteer horticulture professionals, only the top garden performers are given the AAS Winner award designation for their superior performance.”  The Spooner Teaching and Display Garden is one of eight AAS display gardens in Wisconsin.
 
​Come to the Spooner Teaching and Display Garden to see over 600 plants that have been planted in the display beds.  The planting of both the display and vegetable beds is now complete and each day there is more to see as the season progresses.
  
The Teaching and Display Garden can be found on Orchard Lane and is located 1.5 miles east of Spooner on State Highway 70 or 1/2 mile west of Highways 70/53 interchange.  It is open to the public daily in the growing season during daylight hours.

​Yes, among other #AASWinners is the stand-out winner from 2018, Marigold Super Hero Spry.   Here’s what All-American Selections has to say about this Marigold:
 
“When one of the discerning AAS judges says, “I’d love to have this in my yard!”, you know you have a winner! Super Hero™ Spry is a lovely compact (10-12 inches) French marigold with dark maroon lower petals and golden yellow upper petals perched on top of the dark green foliage. The list of winning attributes continues: a more uniform and stable color pattern, earlier to bloom and no deadheading required. These stunning blooms make any garden fit for a Super Hero!”

Playing on the All-American Selections (AAS) 2018 theme of “Get Social in the Garden”, this garden bed features logos and icons from a variety of social media.  Who wouldn’t want to phone a friend when the weeding needs to be done? 
 
This bed includes a dozen past AAS winners to form the boxes of each media type along with a logo.   One that stands out and mingles well with others is Petunia Tidal Wave, an AAS Winner from 2015.   All American Selections describes this petunia as one that doesn’t “fade even in the heat of the summer.   Large flowers literally cover the vigorously spreading plants that rarely need deadheading because new blooms continuously pop up and cover the old, spent blooms. A perfect solution for the time-crunched gardener or anyone looking for petunias that are carefree.  Tidal Wave petunias are the tallest of the Wave family and bloom over and over all season long and recover quickly, even after hard rains. Tidal Wave is an excellent landscape performer, covering a large area quickly and beautifully.”   
 
This is part of a series of blog posts featuring the All-American Selections Display Gardens.
What is All-American Selections?  As written on their website: “All-America Selections is an independent non-profit organization that tests new, never-before-sold varieties for the home gardener. After a full season of anonymous trialing by volunteer horticulture professionals, only the top garden performers are given the AAS Winner award designation for their superior performance.”  The Spooner Teaching and Display Garden is one of eight AAS display gardens in Wisconsin. 

​Come to the Spooner Teaching and Display Garden to see over 600 plants that have been planted in the display beds.  The planting of both the display and vegetable beds is now complete and each day there is more to see as the season progresses. 
 
 
The Teaching and Display Garden can be found on Orchard Lane and is located 1.5 miles east of Spooner on State Highway 70 or 1/2 mile west of Highways 70/53 interchange.  It is open to the public daily in the growing season during daylight hours.