Dodge County Master Gardener Assoc. maintain educational gardens

The Dodge County Master Gardener Association maintains two gardens in Juneau for educational purposes: one at the Administration Building, 127 E. Oak Street and one at the Highway Department Building, 211 E. Center Street.

Both were designed and planted by Master Gardener volunteers and are used on a regular basis to train the general public.

The garden at the Highway Department was installed in 2014 and is specifically for an environment with full sun and excessive heat. The plants there are flourishing and blooming beautifully. Native varieties were used extensively, including Adam's Needle Yucca, Prairie Dusk Penstemon and more.

The gardens (one on each side of the building) at the Administration Building were installed in 2013 and 2014. They include plants that do well in shade and sun conditions. The gardens have filled out spectacularly and are a feast for the eyes. Many native varieties also adorn these gardens, including Montana bachelor button, cupplant, winterberry, black lace elderberry and lungwort.

Recently, the Homeschool Youth Master Gardener Association worked at the gardens and learned about deadheading, weed identification, proper pruning, and mulching. Clients utilizing the Help Line often stop at the gardens at the recommendation of the Master Gardener Volunteers to view the plants as a possible addition to their landscapes. Anyone can access information about these plants and their characteristics at http://dodge.uwex.edu/master-gardener/

As an extra bonus, the garden at the Administration Building has a Little Free Library stocked with books and magazines for both children and adults on gardening. A bench conveniently located near the library allows visitors to sit and read while enjoying the beauty of the garden.