Thanks to everyone who visited us for Science Expeditions 2014!

Check out our facebook page to see the cool arrangements that you made.

We are open weekdays from 8-4 or visit us Saturday, May 10 for UW Family Gardening Day!

Brave the cold for a sign of spring at the Wisconsin Garden Expo!

Greenhouse manager Johanna Oosterwyk will be joining other staff from UW-Extension and the CALS Agricultural Research Stations in the extension booth.

Hope to see you there.

Dennis has had lots and lots of visitors since Thursday morning.  We have asked people to leave their comments.  Here are some that were left on Thursday.

As of 1PM today our titan flower started to open! We love company so feel free to stop by Thursday or Friday to experience this unique flower. We will remain open today and tomorrow until 9PM.

The DC Smith Greenhouse is on the corner of Babcock and Linden Drives on the UW Campus. We will be open Thursday and Friday until 9PM while the Titan is in bloom.

Check out our titan webcam online. The hardworking tech crew from UW-Extension put it together for us!

No signs of opening yet, but stay tuned!

All the shields have dropped. We are getting close… Could bloom today, we are waiting for word from Mo Fayyaz, the expert at the UW Botany Greenhouse.

DC Smith Titan Arum 2013 Bloom

Feel free to stop by the greenhouse located at 465 Babcock Drive. We’ll post updates and let you know when the flower starts to open. Regular greenhouse hours will be extended until 9PM during the bloom.

Whether your garden sprawls across an acre or fits into a pot on your balcony, this year’s UW Family Gardening Day, May 11 on the UW-Madison campus, will provide tips for making it your best one ever.

The annual showcase of gardening ideas runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the university’s D.C. Smith Instructional Greenhouses and Allen Centennial Gardens. UW-Madison and UW-Extension experts and volunteers will be on hand at both locations with answers, ideas and demonstrations for gardeners of all ages and levels of experience.

Here’s a sample of what’s on tap:

• Designs for accessible gardens and ergonomic tools that can make gardening a lifelong activity for everyone, regardless of age and physical ability.

• Kids can make a living locket — a seed wrapped in moist cotton in a plastic bag on a string — to keep warm inside their shirts until the seed sprouts for planting. They can also take home a four-pack of tomato, pepper, basil and oregano seedlings to grow the makings of a perfect pasta sauce, and transplant a seedling to a “cow pot” made of organic material that can be planted pot and all.

• Ideas for limited-space gardening. The terrace and kitchen gardens of the 2.5-acre Allen Centennial Gardens will be full of raised beds, pots, planters, bags and similar gear for growing vegetables and flowers in nooks and crannies.

• Displays of cold frames, row covers and similar techniques for extending the season.

• Organic lawn care. Bando Organics will show how it maintains the Allen Centennial Gardens lawn.

• Tour the gardens to view thousands of ornamental plants including vegetables, perennials, trees and shrubs in 26 individually themed gardens. Volunteers will be stationed throughout to answer questions.

• Steenbock Library, located between the two gardens, invites visitors to peruse its extensive collection of horticultural information, including UW-Extension materials for Master Gardeners.

• The Babcock Hall dairy store will be open and dishing up its famous ice cream treats.

The D.C. Smith Greenhouse is located at 465 Babcock Dr., across the street from Babcock Hall. Allen Centennial Gardens is a block north at 620 Babcock Dr. Free parking is available in Lot 40 behind Babcock Hall and in Lot 36 just west of Steenbock Library.

The D.C. Smith Greenhouse is home to some of nature’s wonders including the Mimosa pudica. Also called the touch-me-not or Sensitive Plant they are currently on display in our main entrance. Stop by to check them out!

The reaction of the sensitive plant is what is called a nastic movement. For more videos of Plants in Motion and the science behind it check out this website.

While primarily used by students and faculty, the greenhouse is open to the public Monday through Friday and also offers tours and is available for special events. For more information contact the greenhouse manager at 608-262-3844.