All invited to horticulture open house at UW’s West Madison Ag Research Station
The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s West Madison Agricultural Research Station (WMARS) will host an open house for the general public on Saturday, Aug. 17 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The station is located at 8502 Mineral Point Road, Verona, Wisconsin, 53593.
At this free, family-friendly event, visitors can tour the station’s vineyard, vegetable garden and extensive flowerbeds, and participate in tasting evaluations of fruits and vegetables. UW–Madison experts and Master Gardeners Volunteers will be on hand to share information and answer questions about pollinators and beneficial insects, plant diseases, lawn care, organic vegetable systems, table and wine grapes, and general gardening.
Through the All-America Selections (AAS) program, over 235 varieties of geraniums and 100 varieties of dahlias will be on display this year. Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn about a research project assessing the health of sunflowers and zinnias that have been grown in hoop houses versus fields.
WMARS has 525 tillable acres, which UW–Madison researchers utilize to grow, study and breed a wide variety of agronomic, vegetable, and fruit crops. The station’s display garden features new varieties of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants that show promise for growing well in the area.
For more information about the event, contact station superintendent Janet Hedtcke at janet.hedtcke@wisc.edu or (608) 262-2257.
The UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences will make reasonable efforts to provide accommodations for participants with disabilities when requests are made in advance. To request a disability accommodation, please contact ars_accommodation@cals.wisc.edu or call (608) 846-3750 (extension 3) at least 10 days in advance of the event. Efforts will be made to meet same-day requests to the extent possible.