Good Oak News

Backyard Wildlife Gallery

2012-01-12T11:55:00.000-06:00

As I'm getting ready for The Garden Expo I'm sorting through some photos to use in presentations and at the booth. I decided to fix up Good Oak's "Backyard Wildlife" album. I tend to focus a lot on plants and flowers, so I thought I should have an album of the critters that these native plants attract. There are over 50 photos in it now of critters that for the most part found there way in to my own yard, but a few photos are from clients properties as well.

Here is the album on Good Oak's Facebook page. And below are a few select photos for you to enjoy as well.

Brush Clearing Before & After at Speckled Hen Inn

2011-12-08T19:01:00.001-06:00

This past week we did some brush clearing for the folks at the Speckled Hen Inn, just north of Madison. This will be the first step in restoring this open oak woodland back to health. On my initial site visit I notice a lot of conservative woodland and savanna species including: doll's eyes, red baneberry, blue cohosh, horse gentian, yellow honeysuckle, yellow giant hyssop and purple joe-pye weed. So there's a great chance for recovery of the woodland flora once brush clearing and hopefully a prescribed burn are completed. We will be working with Robert and Patricia on reintroducing more native wildflowers, grasses and sedges and probably plantings a few bur oaks in the areas where we end up with a good gap in the canopy.

So below are a couple of "before and after" photos from our first day of work on the site. Most of the brush we removed were large buckthorns, but we also cleared a handful of honeysuckle, privet, mulberry and boxelder trees. Bob will be harvesting many of the hackberries (skinny tall trees in the photo) for firewood to further open the woodland canopy.

This is the area we cleared in the morning of our first day working there. There were four of us working on site that day. Click on either image to see them in full-size, and see switch between them to see the dramatic difference!

Here is the area we cleared the afternoon of our first day on site:

Honeysuckle: Really Quite Terrible for Wildlife

2011-10-18T14:50:00.000-05:00

Clearing invasive brush is a big part of Good Oak's business. After all, most midwestern woodlands suffer from the negative effects of honeysuckle, buckthorn, multiflora rose, Japanese barberry... and others.

People always want to know why these plants are so bad for our local ecosystems. First and foremost they simply displace native plants. Either buckthorn or honeysuckle can effectively take up all of the growing space on the ground layer in a woodland, leaving nothing but bare dirt on the ground below them. They're also bad for our birds, especially migrating birds. I usually explain that both honeysuckle and buckthorn produced berries, but these berries are not nutritious for our birds and other wildlife. Honeysuckle berries for example are the nutritional equivalent of cola. Berries from native plants are more like a glass of milk or orange juice, with protein, fat, vitamins and minerals and more complex carbohydrates.

But some new studies have found that honeysuckle harms wildlife in ways I could never imagine. A study titled Invasive shrub alters native forest amphibian communities recently published in Biological Conservation found that honeysuckle can change the "forest understory microclimate", reducing the habitat quality for native frogs and salamanders. Essentially, I think what is happening is the honeysuckle kills off all the other plants so there are no ground layer plants, and very little leaf litter or duff layer either, meaning the soil and air near the ground dry out faster, which is not good for animals who need to stay a little moist all the time. The abstract of this article concludes "invasive [organisms] may affect native organisms with which it shares no trophic connection, and suggests that changes in microclimate may be one mechanism by which alien plants affect communities where they invade.

It has been known for a while that the red berries of honeysuckle (which, now that fall has come are quite visible on these shrubs in our region) can change the color of bird's plumage. Specifically a study has been done exploring the effects of eating honeysuckle berries on cedar waxwings, with an unknown effect on the mating success of the affected birds.

Now, an new study has found that honeysuckles have created an "evolutionary trap" for cardinals. In essence, consuming honeysuckle berries artificially enhances the plumage of a cardinal, making it look brighter. A bright red cardinal is more likely to attract a mate that a duller one, usually because a brighter bird is stronger and healthier. In this case however, the opposite may be true, since these birds eat more "junk food" honeysuckle berries and have territory in poor quality habitat (infested with honeysuckle)... thus tricking birds into choosing a poor quality mate!

Add to that the fact that not one but two recent studies have found that birds nesting in honeysuckle and buckthorn have less success rearing young than birds nesting in native trees. Suddenly you can what broad ranging effects just a couple species of invasive plants can have on ground layer plants, amphibians and locally nesting and migratory birds.... Basically these plants are causing damage on all levels of the ecosystem and altering natural communities in many profound ways that.

So that is why we work so hard clearing invasive brush from our midwestern woodland and grasslands. Honeysuckle flowers may be pretty in the spring, but we shouldn't trade this fleeting beauty for the long term stability of our ecosystem.

Fall Inventory Reduction Sale: Just Got HUGE-ER!

2011-09-20T19:50:00.039-05:00

NOTE: As of 10/17 our Fall Plant Sale is now over, we donated our last 243 plants to the Goodman Community Center and Atwood Prairie. We are still planting trees and shrubs if you're interested in some, but we're done with native perennials and grasses for 2011.

We've got a lot of plants left over this year that ABSOLUTELY MUST GO in our HUGE fall INVENTORY REDUCTION SALE!!!

UPDATE: As of 9/29 we just got another 250 plants left over from a project. Lots of great new plants, prairie grasses and enough woodland species for a fine, fine planting!

We have a lot of plants that we'd like to see people put in the ground, since we don't have much room to overwinter plants, so we're selling them all off at... HUGE SAVINGS, ALL ITEMS ARE 50% OFF OR MORE!!!

Sorry, couldn't help myself. Seriously though, everything is on sale for half their normal retail price (or better). Below is a regularly updated list of what we have left in our inventory, please email me at frank at goodoakllc dot com, to call "dibs" on some plants.

*Price does not include sales tax. All plants are to be picked up at Good Oak World Headquarters at 205 Walter St, Madison. Delivery and installation are available for additional charges.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Size	Qty	Price
Perennial Forbs
Jack-in-the-pulpit	Arisaeama triphyllum	quart	11	$3
Marsh Milkweed	Asclepias incarnata	2.5"	1	$2
butterfly milkweed	Asclepias tuberosa	2.5"	1	$2
Sky Blue Aster	Aster azureus	quart	4	$3
Downy Wood Mint	Blephilia ciliata	2.5"	34	$2
Turtlehead	Chelone glabra	2.5"	4	$2
False Sunflower	Heliopsis helianthoides	2.5"	26	$2
Kalm's St. John's Wort	Hypericum kalmanium	quart	19	$2
rough blazing star	Liatris aspera	2.5"	17	$2
interrupted fern	Osmunda claytoniana	quart	27	$3
Virginia Creeper	Parthenocissus quinquefolia	quart	3	$3
Fox Glove Beard Tongue	Penstemon digitalis	2.5"	13	$2
Yellow Coneflower	Ratibida pinnata	2.5"	41	$2
Old-field goldenrod	Solidago nemoralis	2.5”	14	$3
Elm-leaved goldenrod	Solidago ulmifolia	2.5"	12	$2
Grasses
side oats gramma	Bouteloua curtipendula	2.5"	23	$2
kalm's brome	Bromus kalmii	2.5"	20	$2
Springell's Sedge	Carex springellii	2.5"	1	$2
bottle brush grass	Elymus hystrix	quart	41	$3
Virginia Wild Rye	Elymus virginicus	2.5"	42	$2
Dudley's Rush?	Juncus dudleyi	quart	1	$3
Little Bluestem	Schizachyrium scoparius	2.5"	38	$2
Little Bluestem	Schizachyrium scoparius	quart	7	$3
indian grass	Sorghastrum nutans	2.5"	10	$2
prairie dropseed	Sporabolus heterolepis	2.5"	13	$2
prairie dropseed	Sporabolus heterolepis	quart	17	$3
Trees & Shrubs
Arborvitae	Thuja occidentalis	6 ft	1	$90
black oak	Quercus velutina	quart	12	$3
Pagoda Dogwood	Cornus alterniflolia	quart	19	$3
dwarf bush honeysuckle	Diervella lonicera	2-gallon	2	$12

Last updated: 11:00pm, Oct. 13th, 2011.

Prairie Tours at Heritage Farm Fest

2011-09-16T13:46:00.001-05:00

We've been pretty busy this year so I haven't had much time for the wildflower walks we used to do. But I will be leading one tour this year, this Sunday at the Heritage Farm Fest in Waunakee

I'll be leading prairie tours as part of this family fun event at 2pm and 3pm. FOr more information about the Heritage Farm Fest, check out:

http://www.schumacherfarmpark.org/Default.aspx?pageId=1081685

-- Frank

-- Posted from the trail

Prairie Tours at Heritage Farm Fest, Sunday Sept. 18th

2011-09-16T13:45:00.001-05:00

Good Oak's Gentian Guide

2011-09-12T22:05:00.007-05:00

Just in time for the fall flower season, I've put together a guide to all of the gentians of Wisconsin and Illinois. This project is in many ways a prototype, just one example of the kind of information we can relay by means of the plant database we are developing. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Good Oak's Gentian Guide

Downy gentian, and the bee-mimicing fly that has come to pollinate it.

American alternatives to European lawn grasses

2011-08-31T18:15:00.000-05:00

A few years ago I was helping a friend down in Urbana get her yard going with native landscaping. While clearing out some weeds, I noticed something odd about her lawn grass in the small strip of lawn between her and her neighbors house. It was in fact not grass at all, but was a sedge! It seemed quite happy there mixed with the Kentucky bluegrass and was surviving mowing just fine. Since she is a botanist, I asked her to bring it to work and have the sedge experts there tell us what it was. Jamie Ellis from the Illinois Natural History Survey identified it for us as Carex jamsii... or lawn sedge. At first I thought he was pulling my leg, since his name is James and we found it in a lawn, but sure enough, that's what it was.

Most people don't realize that the most common landcover in our urban areas, lawn, is composed entirely of non-native plants. Kentucky blue grass (Poa pratensis) is not from Kentucky but is instead from England. The other major component of lawns, cultivars of meadow fescue (Festuca elatior) is also from Europe, as are most of our major lawn weeds such as dandelions, common plantain and creeping charlie. What a shame that so much of Americas landscape is covered with these non-native plants that offer almost no value for wildlife and very little of interest for people!

And indeed lawns themselves are often pretty pointless and wasteful landscape features. Many people have a lot of lawn that is never used for anything but to dull the blade of their lawnmower. I have blogged about this before, and so have others, so I won't go into this rant today. However, I will admit that there is some use for some lawn in a landscape. As Allison our landscape designer says, it makes for good "negative space".

So I started thinking about using sedges as an alternative to lawn grass. Lawn sedge is an obvious good place to start, and it seems to grow well in Illinois and can also be found in southern Wisconsin, though I've had trouble finding a population local to Madison that I might harvest seed from. Another one that might work in Illinois is Caitlin sedge (Carex texensis) which Dick Young notes as "a lawn weed at Fabyan Forest Preserve surviving the mowing nicely and is more graceful, soft and interesting in the moist deep shady spots than Kentucky Blue Grass." Another closely related sedge that might work for lawn is Carex radiata, star sedge, but I don't know much about this plant yet, and finding live plants of this species for sale at a nursery is almost impossible.

Here at Good Oak World Headquarters we've been experimenting with some more common woodland sedges that tend to form "lawns". Take a look at this lawn-like groundcover in a Wisconsin black oak woodland:

Acres and acres of Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)! A consistant, attractive ground cover. So I have started testing out Pennsylvania sedge and another common woodland sedge as lawn alternatives in a few small areas at HQ. The results, so far are admittedly inconsistant:

Pennsylvania sedge is slow to establish. It may take years to get a consistent carpet like the photo above. The first patch below looks pretty good, but does need some weeding at this point to keep various things such as tree seedlings and dandilions out. The second patch looks a bit more ratty, I did get a little overambitious with herbicide in this patch earlier this summer and its been dry here so I think these guys are starting to go dormant. Still, I think if I am patient they will be just fine.

Rosy sedge (Carex rosea) on the other hand has taken off so well, and so quickly, that we're almost not sure what to do with it. Even though we planted it in late June, it filled in the growing space by the end of the year by growing out and just covering the ground with its leaves. This year it was growing up as well as out, it completely hid our stepping stone path through this lawn patch. It also started to develop a bumper crop of seeds. At that point we weren't sure if we should mow it (and lose the seeds), and if so, how high. My instincts are to mow it at about 6" so as to keep the bulk of the vegetation intact while making it look a little more tidy, but my little reel mower only goes up to 2.5" and is definitely NOT up to the task of cutting long sturdy sedge blades. So we just left it alone for now and hand-trimmed around the stepping stones and edge of the patio.

So I think rosy sedge has a great potential as a lawn replacement. Unfortunately the patch you see below gets trampled a lot and I think has also been effected since we mix herbicide nearby. Also, being the end of August, its not the best time for a cool-season plant like sedges.

Another sedge that's closely related to rosey and caitlin sedge is Carex radiata, star sedge, but I don't yet know enough about it to know if it might be a good lawn replacement. A local nursery manager recently suggested path rush (Juncus tenuis) for higher-travel areas and the largely overlooked sweet grass (Hierochloe odorata). Of course, many people have heard of buffalo grass, but it is native a bit west of here and needs very well drained soil to thrive in our area. Still, we have one client we planted buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides) for and its doing quite well in his sandy soils.

We honestly don't know yet how these plants will handle the stresses often put on lawns such as high foot traffic and low mowing. It seems that lawn sedges does fine with the mowing, and path rush even seems to prefer compacted soil, but the rest are thoroughly untested. Still I have a lot of confidence that we can find acceptable native alternatives to European grasses for use as lawn areas. The challenges are getting sources of seed or plants, learning the most efficient way to propagate and plant them, and getting people used to a slightly different, softer and more natural aesthetic for their lawn.

It took the lawn industry 30-40 years of propagation and propaganda to cement low-cut monocultures of Kentucky blue grass and fescue as the "standard" landscape across America. It may take us a while to change the tide so that homeowners choose something more sustainable and more... well, American.

What we need now are volunteers! We'd love to help set up some native lawn test patches with some of our friends down in central Illinois testing James's sedge and Caitlin's sedge. And we'd love some Madison area folks to volunteer some space trying out Rosy sedge, path rush, James's vanilla grass and more. Interested in trying a "greener" lawn. Give us a call!

entertaining way of saying lawns are stupid

2011-08-08T12:59:00.001-05:00

This fella has an entertaining way of saying, what I have been saying for a while, "lawns are stupid":

Enjoy.

The Battle to Preserve Global Biodiversity Starts Here

2011-08-02T09:45:00.001-05:00

We'll, its been a long time since I have posted! We've just finished our busy season so we have some time to breath, reflect, and share some ideas. I'm on a hard-earned vacation at the moment, and just today I read an article in Science Daily who's title could have been taken right out of some of Good Oak's marketing material: "Ongoing Global Biodiversity Loss Unstoppable With Protected Areas Alone".

This article goes into some pretty grim statistics and projections, that seem quite overwhelming. But I urge readers to not look at this dire forecast and be disheartened. Instead, consider it a battle cry! There may not be a lot you can do about Africa, the Amazon or coral reefs, but this biodiversity crisis is a global issue, and it is happening right here in the Midwest. In the words of Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has".

So lets start by restoring all of our woodlands, grasslands and wetlands to a more natural state that can harbor the biodiversity of our regions. At the moment, most of our "natural" areas (on both private and public land) hold only a fraction of the native species that belong there. We can't rely on state parks and natural areas to be the only places where we conserve our local biodiversity.

And really, there's a lot we can do in our back yards, front yards, school yards, city parks, roadsides and field edges. Our fine natural areas will need the support of a larger network of corridors and patches of native wildlife in order to preserve our unique and fascinating local biota for future generations. Every little bit you can do will make a difference!

Its Garlic Mustard Pulling Season!

2011-05-16T22:49:00.000-05:00

Perhaps May should be Garlic Mustard Awareness Month? With this agressive invasive species just beginning to flower in southern Wisconsin, its clear to see that it is taking over large parts of our landscape. This biennial weed has two unfair advantages over native plants First, it stays green all winter, so in the absence of prescribed fire it can gather resources in late fall and early spring and get a head start on native plants. Its others secret weapon is chemical warfare: garlic mustard releases chemicals into the soil that kill soil fungus. Our native plants rely upon these fungi in a symbiotic relationship in which the fungus help the plants extract nutrients from the soil and the plants provide the fungus with energy in the form of sugars. Without these fungus native plants are weakened and unable to compete with the invading garlic mustard.

We can turn this first advantage into a disadvantage by herbiciding them in late fall and early spring when native plants are dormant, and by applying prescribed fire which kills seedlings and weakens (and sometimes kills) overwintering rosettes. But by mid-May when the garlic mustard begin to flower, the best advice for most people is to PULL! Take a look at the video below and learn more about identifying and controlling this invasive plant.

Wisconsin Family Forests' Garlic Mustard Video

Madison Conservation Park Tours begin this Wednesday!

2011-04-26T14:40:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple years I led semi-regular "Wildflower Walks" throughout the growing season at great natural areas in the greater Madison region. Due to an increasing work load as Grand Pooh-Bah of Good Oak, I've had to put the wildflower walk series on hold for this year.

But if you still want to get out and see some great natural areas, never fear! Madison Parks is kicking off their "Wild Side Tours" Starting this Wednesday at 6:30pm at Turville Park and continuing with tours through spring, summer and into fall. Check out their official announcement below for more information:

Hike Madison’s Wild Side
Conservation Park Tours begin this Wednesday, April 27 at 6:30p.m.

Hike Madison’s Wild Side web: http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/parks/conservation/tours.cfm

Madison Parks is hosting free monthly tours of Madison Conservation Parks. The tours are led by a Madison Parks staff member and co-sponsored by the Madison Audubon Society. Each tour will focus on a different park and unique natural feature of that park. Madison Parks has 14 conservation parks comprising over 1600 acres. Each conservation park focuses on the restoration of native plant and animal communities while providing educational areas and opportunities for all.

April 27, 6:30p.m.
Turville Point Park, 1156 Olin-Turville Ct.
Explore this beautiful downtown park and its spring ephemerals

May 4, 6:30p.m.
Heritage Sanctuary, 600 Meadowlark Drive
At peak trillium bloom in mid-May, Heritage Sanctuary is unequaled.

June 9, 6:30p.m.
Kettle Pond, 5808 Old Middleton Road
Explore the restoration progress around this glacial kettle pond.

July 13, 6:30p.m.
Owen Park, 6021 Old Sauk Road
Explore the summer wild flowers and the ponds and their wildlife.

August 6, 8:00a.m.
Cherokee Marsh, Upper Yahara River Tour
Bring your own canoe or kayak and meet at the School Road boat landing
Partnering with the Friends of Cherokee Marsh, the tour will focus on the restoration work on Cherokee Marsh

September 7, 6:30p.m.
Strickers Pond, 7214 Longmeadow Road
Explore another glacial kettle pond and the lessons learned from this restoration project

October 12, 5:30p.m.
Knollwood Conservation Park, 3334 Westview Lane
Enjoy the fall colors, hike on the new “Cannonball Trail” and see the only sand prairie in the Madison Park system.

Just wrote an angry letter to the Arbor Day Foundation:

2011-03-23T11:01:00.000-05:00

Dear Arbor Day Foundation,

I recently received a mailer from your organization promising 10 free Colorado blue spruce along with membership. I live in Wisconsin, not Colorado, and blue spruce are not native here as they are in the Rocky Mountains.

Your organization claims to promote conservation and wildlife preservation, yet continues to push non-native trees for landscaping and "conservation" projects. Your distribution of non-native trees ignores the critical need local wildlife have for native plants to provide the resources they need for survival. For example native trees not only provide cover, they also provide fruit, seeds, and host to the local insect species which are the foundation of the diet of songbirds and other wildlife.

For example, you have a picture of an eastern bluebird on your mailer. Eastern bluebirds favored habitat is oak savanna and open oak woodland. How will Colorado blue spruce trees help reestablish this habitat type for the bluebirds? In fact, the bird is landing at its nest hole, in what appears to be a bur oak, bringing to its young a caterpillar that was undoubtedly plucked off of an oak or other native tree. Certainly ANY tree can provide SOME resources for wildlife, but native trees provide a considerably wider range of resources for our local wildlife.

Please do not contact me again until you can offer me hardy Wisconsin oaks, or other appropriate trees native to my region.

Sincerely,
Frank Hassler
Owner/Ecologist
Good Oak Ecological Services

Garden Expo Hand-Outs

2011-02-12T19:55:00.002-06:00

For those of you who were not able to get a hand-out at my talk today, or want to share the information with a friend, the links below will take you to PDF files that you can download.

Native Plants for Any Garden Plant List

Native Plants for Any Garden Slide Hand-Out (10.1 MB)

Gardening for Life by Doug Tallamy

Native Plant Sources for Southern Wisconsin

Native Landscaping Resources: Books and Websites

We are continuing to have technical difficulties with the Native Plants for Any Garden presentation, but as soon as they are rectified we will post them up here so that you can see images of the plants along with the listing.

Enjoy,

Come See us at the Garden Expo

2011-02-04T16:53:00.000-06:00

We will once again have a booth at the Wisconsin Garden Expo coming up February 11th, 12th and 13th. We'll be at booth number 231 so stop by to say "Hi" to Frank, Allison and Andrew.

Frank and Allison will be giving four talks during the Expo, including:

Weeds and Invasive Plants in Our Landscape at 9am on Saturday
Benefits of Landscaping with Native Plants at 2pm on Saturday
Native Plants for any Garden at Noon on Sunday
Benefits of Landscaping with Native Plants at 2pm on Saturday

See here for the full schedule of presentations. There are LOTS of other great presentations as well, this may be the best Garden Expo yet for the environmentally-minded gardener. So come on out for a day (or two) and enjoy the Expo.

Think Spring!

Brush clearing time lapse video

2011-01-19T21:06:00.005-06:00

This is just one day worth of work clearing brush on a client's property. 2 people. 7 hours.

Biodiversity loss: grossly underestimated and directly effecting our health

2010-12-10T21:49:00.000-06:00

The loss of biodiversity is a issue that concerns me greatly. My desire to preserve the amazing native plants and animals of the midwest is the reason I started my business. As such, couple recent articles in Science Daily have caught my attention. The first, Ecological Effects of Biodiversity Loss Underestimated, discusses how the complexity of an ecosystem can unwind as even a single species is lost. It describes how many animals, particularly invertebrates can be "picky eaters" and require different food sources at different stages of their life. If one plant species is lost from a community than several species of insects may go with it, leaving fewer food resources for the larger vertebrates that most of us think of as "wildlife".

This loss of species means we end up with a simplified ecosystem, and these simplified ecosystems will inevitably become unstable without the natural system of competition among various species providing checks and balances. The article, Loss of Species Large and Small Threatens Human Health, Study Finds, explores the direct effect this has on people, such the increased transmission of infectious diseases like Lyme's disease.

So recent research is building the case for the importance of preserving ever scrap of biodiversity that we have. Every plant and animal species is important, and we are today, right here in the midwest, loosing some species, particularly insects, before we even knew they existed. Other such as "common" prairie plants we take for granted even though their populations are roughly 1% what they once were, with a corresponding loss of genetic diversity within these species. The only way to stem this lost is to preserve and especially to restore natural areas and to re-create new ones where they have previously been lost. That is the mission of Good Oak Ecological Services, I hope you will partner with us to achieve it.

Gentian Safari Rescheduled for THIS SUNDAY, Sept. 12th at 9am!

2010-09-09T14:41:00.000-05:00

The title of this message says it all: due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict, we've had to move the Gentian Safari wildflower walk forward a week to 9 am on Sunday, Sept. 12th.

Enjoy the brilliant blues of our wild gentians, and if we're lucky we'll find a few ladies tresses orchids in bloom too. Meet at the parking lot for the Grady Tract section of the UW Arboretum at the southeast corner of Seminole Highway and the Beltline frontage road.

"Can't miss!" keynote speaker at UW Arboretum conference next weekend!

2010-09-06T10:55:00.000-05:00

Next Sunday, September 19th the UW Arboretum will be hosting its annual Native By Design native landscaping conference. I'm extremely excited to hear that this year's keynote speaker will be Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home. This is one of the most powerful and inspirational books I have ever read. I place it up on the high mantel shelf along side the works of Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson and Edward Abbey. This is a unique opportunity to hear Dr. Tallamy speak here in the midwest that should not be missed by anyone interested in natural areas management or landscaping with native plants.

The conference runs from 8:45 to 4:30 next Sunday. In addition to Dr. Tallamy's keynote, there will be a tour of the Arboretum's own native plant garden and several other workshop sessions to choose from. For more information, see the UW Arboretum's website.

Roadsalt: toxic to our streams

2010-09-02T20:26:00.000-05:00

Here is an interesting article on Science Daily that follows up on my previous post quite nicely. Essentially, we put so much salt on roads in the winter that the run off kills organisms in nearby streams. So please, only salt your driveway and walkway when absolutely necessary. Careful shoveling can remove most of the frozen wet stuff that turns into slick ice, snow blowers are less effective at scraping every bit off of the ground. Also, if you have the opportunity to be involved in the planning stages of a building project, site the entrance on the south side where sunlight can melt most of the hazardous ice away. Lastly, work with your city or township to encourage reduction in the use of salt on roads. Often it is just plain wasted. Other times there are less toxic alternatives like sand, beat juice and cinders.

Science Daily: Many Urban Streams Harmful to Aquatic Life Following Winter Pavement Deicing

Clearing Some Air about Herbicides and Toxicity

2010-08-26T22:10:00.000-05:00

I am working with a client now who is very worried about the impacts of herbicide to the environment. Herbicides are commonly used in restoration to kill invasive species and other weeds. They are so critical to our work; ecological restoration on any meaningful scale would be effectively impossible without them. Yet we are all aware that these chemicals are toxic and can have a real detrimental impact to the environment.

Here is an interesting article from the University of Florida Extension that makes the point that herbicides are of relatively low toxicity compared to many chemical we come in contact with every day. Take a minute to give it a read. Done? OK, well they do make some good points, but bear in mind that this article only discusses the acute toxicity (short term effects) of these chemicals to mammals (here rats serve as stand-ins for humans). So in most cases you're more likely to live if you drink herbicide than if you drink bleach or down a bunch of Tylenol. Even table salt will kill you faster than a few of these herbicides.

While this article does briefly address the long-term impacts of herbicide, such as the Agent Orange disaster in Vietnam, it largely ignores the often unknown long-term impacts these chemicals might have on human health. For example, a child probably isn't going to be killed by eating lead tainted paint chips, but it is well documented that their long-term mental development will suffer. This important impact is simply not well addressed by the way most herbicides are tested. This article also fails to mention that 2,4-D, the component of Agent Orange inevitably contains some carcinogenic dioxins as a result of the manufacturing process. Sure, there is a lot less dioxin than in Agent Orange proper, but considering that (according to Wikipedia) 2,4-D is the most commonly herbicide used in the world, perhaps we should be a little concerned.

So this is good information if you're just passing out these chemicals at your next cocktail party, but what about their effects on the rest of the environment? Sure, its relatively safe to drink glyphosate, but we wouldn't go spraying Mountain Dew or bleach all over a pasture or crop field. Who knows what the impacts would be to insects, birds, soil organisms and the fish downstream from this field? Would our groundwater become contaminated with caffeine (with the accompanying day-glow yellow color)? Even good old table salt can make soil unable to support (most) plant life.

We know herbicides are dangerous, and there are likely many negative impacts that we are just not aware of. Yet we need them to get our job done; they are valuable and effective tools. For example, the above mentioned client has a lot of buckthorn, honeysuckle, autumn olive and some of the more aggressive native shrubs such as sumac and poison ivy.

These plants are having several direct negative environmental impacts. First, they are reducing the habitat quality for other plants and animals. The effects range from suppressing herbaceous plants that provide food for insects and birds to blocking out the sunlight to such an extent that oak seedlings cannot germinate. If things keep going as they are, 50 years from now this historic oak-hickory woodland won't have any oaks in it.

Another environmental impact is the erosion resulting from the dense shade under these non-native plants. The steep hillside this woodland is on has a LOT of bare soil, and is clearly eroding away. The silt from this hillside then moves downstream and silts in our wetlands and streams, killing native wetland plants and animals and encouraging algae blooms and the nasty invasive reed canary grass.

This sounds pretty bad, and clearly something must be done to rectify this situation! (Sadly this site is typical of most woodlands in the Midwest.) The solution is to kill off the invading brush (and herbaceous plants like garlic mustard and Japanese hedge parsley) and allow native vegetation to recover (or push it along with some interseeding).

Shrubs, by definition, resprout readily when they are cut to the ground, so in order to kill this invasive brush we have to herbicide the stumps or repeatedly cut the resprouts down every few weeks for a couple of years until the energy stores in the roots are exhausted. The latter is feasible if you have just a few invasive shrubs, as is probably the case in most residential yards in the midwest, but in a 1.5 acre woodland, cutting those hundreds, maybe thousands of stems again until those shrubs all die would triple or quadruple the project costs. Meanwhile, in the short term at least, we would be exacerbating the erosion problem and impact to native plants as we repeatedly visit the site and scour the entire area finding every re-sprouting bush to cut down again.

While we'd be happy to have the work, I think the increase in the cost of the project would put it out of the means of most landowners. If we do our brush clearing work in the winter when the ground is either frozen or covered in snow, we can nearly eliminate the erosion impacts caused by our work. Furthermore, if we're careful with the use of herbicide, we could have very little "collateral damage" to surrounding plants. We use glyphosate whenever it is feasible because this chemical is easily diluted by water (such as snow) and breaks down in the soil fairly quickly, so it's not around to impact plants, insects or soil organisms, or even wash away and accumulate in our streams and wetlands.

Even in cases when we are spraying broadcast herbicide to kill off weeds on a site before we seed in a prairie, its easy to see that the short term impacts of herbicides is a lesser environmental evil than the alternatives. Consider the regular, long-term application of herbicide to crop fields or well (overly) manicured lawns. Or alternately, the incredible benefit to wildlife that a prairie planting has compared to a rough lawn, pasture or weedy pasture.

Ecological Restoration work is like a doctor working on a critically ill patient. We know that the radioactive chemicals used in chemotherapy are dangerous, but if they can kill the cancer and allow the patient to recover and return to health then they are a most necessary and critical tool needed to save a life. Our natural areas are in critical condition too. We need to carefully and consciously apply herbicides as part restoration work so that we can restore health to our natural areas for the wildflower, wildlife and innumerable ecosystem services they provide. Herbicides are toxic, but maybe aren't as bad as we sometimes think they are, and certainly better than the alternative.

Now Taking Order for Fall Plantings

2010-08-11T14:32:00.002-05:00

Most people don't realize that fall is a great time to start a new planting. The plants have enough time to get established on the site and so they get a head start on any planting started the following spring. Also, you usually have fewer weed problems with a fall planting since they don't have time to get established in the fall. Whether you'd like us to do an installation for you or if you'd like to purchase native plants from us to install yourself, get in touch with us now so we can have everything ready to go when the weather starts to cool off and its time to start planting.

Better Lawns and Gutters Tour is coming this Saturday!

2010-08-11T14:31:00.003-05:00

The Better Lawns and Gutters Tour, presented by the Dane County Office of Lakes & Watersheds is a great opportunity to visit properties incorporating rain gardens, native landscapes and other ways to 'retain the rain' and keep our lakes and stream clean. The tour runs this year from 9 am to 1pm this Saturday, August 14^th. Get started at the information center at Brandt Park in McFarland (just off of US 51 on Siggelkow Rd.). For more information, follow this link.

Wildflower Walk, This Thursday @ Koltes Prairie and Westport Drumlin

2010-08-11T14:31:00.000-05:00

We have a wildflower walk coming up this Thursday to an amazing remnant prairie just north of Madison. The forcast is for hot weather, but hopefully we'll have a good breeze on these wide-open sites.We'll meet at 5:30 at the Good Oak World Headquarters, 205 Walter St. in Madison, to carpool. If you are driving yourself, take Northport Dr. north out of Madison, which becomes Hwy 113. 1.7 miles north of Highway M, take a right turn onto Bong Road Park along the side of the road 0.6 miles east of Hwy 113. Please RSVP with Frank if you plant to attend, whether you will be carpooling or meeting us on the site.

Wildflower Walk: This Thursday, July 29th: Peak Flowering at Atwood Community Prairie:

2010-07-27T10:33:00.000-05:00

By late July dozens of species may be blooming simultaneously in prairies. Come enjoy this little prairie on the near east side. We'll meet at 6pm where the Capitol City Trail crosses Ohio Ave., just off of Atwood Ave. We'll stay right on the edge of the bike path, and only walk about 1/4th of a mile, so this should be an easy walk for everyone to access.

Wildflower Walk: Thursday, July 14th 5:30pm!

2010-07-14T07:43:00.000-05:00

Good Oak and Wild-Ones Wildflower Walk to Remnant Prairies: Come join us as we explore the amazing floral diversity of some tiny 'postage stamp' prairies north of Madison. We will likely be visiting Ripp and Meffert Road Prairies, but we may visit other sites instead/as-well. We'll meet at 5:30 at the Good Oak World Headquarters, 205 Walter St. in Madison, to carpool. Bring some cold water to drink and dress for the warm weather but full pants are still strongly recommended.

Loss of a Legend

2010-06-09T07:07:00.000-05:00

Last week the environmental movement lost a powerful voice: Lorrie Otto. I'll let this obituary tell her story. The world is truly a better place for her having been here. here are a few of my favorite quotes from this irrepressible woman:

"When I removed my grass and planted native plants, some neighbors were skeptical, but most of them came to love it. In fact, some of them loved the yard so much that they're interested in buying it now."

"If we care about the Earth we could heal it by removing lawns, by finding alternatives to lawns. You can do wonderful things on your own property to protect the environment. Each little island, each corridor will help bring back the butterflies and birds."

"If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets, or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing, and human spirits would soar."

- Lorrie Otto, founder, Wild Ones Natural Landscapers: 1920 - 2010

Orchid Hunt at Stricker's Pond

2010-06-04T09:41:00.000-05:00

June 10th: Orchid Hunt at Stricker's Pond: A few species of orchid hide amid the woods at Stricker's Pond. Come join us as we look for these rare wildflowers along the trailside in this remnant natural area in the midst of suburbia. The hunt will begin at 6 pm and end around 8 pm or 9 pm. From High Point Road in Middleton, head east on Parmenter St, then take a right onto Westfield Rd. Park on the street near the paved path access to the park.
See you there.

May 20th: Wildflower Walk: Early Prairie Wildflowers of Koltes Prairie & Westport Drumlin

2010-05-18T09:41:00.000-05:00

Join us for a hike through some amazing prairie remnants just a few miles out of town. We'll see shooting star, wild geranium, prairie phlox, prairie violet, hoary pucoon and many other flowers in bloom at these high-quality prairies just north of Madison. Don't miss it! This event is co-sponsored by Good Oak Ecological Services and the Madison Chapter of Wild-Ones Native Landscapers.

We'll meet at 5:30 at the Good Oak World Headquarters, 205 Walter St. in Madison, to car-pool. If you are driving yourself, take Northport Dr. north out of Madison, which becomes Hwy 113. 1.7 miles north of Highway M, take a right turn onto Bong Road Park along the side of the road 0.6 miles east of Hwy 113.

For more information, see our wildflower walk web page.

Green Roof Presentation

2010-05-11T10:45:00.002-05:00

On Thursday May 13th there will be a meeting to discuss green roof possibilities and opportunities here in Madison. I will be giving a brief presentation on native plants for green roofs among a series of presentations by experts in fields relevant to green roofs. Following these presentations there will be time for Q&A and discussion. The event will be held at the Sequoya Branch Library starting at 6pm. http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/about/sequoya.html#map Refreshments will be provided.

GREEN ROOFS
IN MADISON

THURSDAY, MAY 13, 6:00pm
SEQUOYA BRANCH LIBRARY

Topic: Building Earth Hall
Dr. Cal DeWitt, Professor of Environmental Studies
http://www.nelson.wisc.edu/community/faculty-staff/dewitt/index.html

Topic: The Environmental, Economic and Community Benefits of Green Infrastructure
Emily Green, Sierra Club
http://www.wisconsin.sierraclub.org/

Topic: The Benefits of Green Roofs (the Water Resources Standpoint)
Michael Rupiper, Environmental Engineer
http://www.capitalarearpc.org/

Topic: Terra Caelum, the Production Facility for XeroFlor Pre-vegetated Mats
Bruce Johnson from TerraCaelum
http://www.terracaelum.com/

Topic: Pioneer Roofing
Anthony Mayer from Pioneer Roofing
http://www.pioneerroofing.net/?page_id=11

Topic: Hydrotech
Ron Rediger and/or Bill Schaefer from Hydrotech
http://www.hydrotechusa.com/

Topic: Grants for Green Roofs
Sean Foltz, Associate Director of the Clean Water Program for American Rivers
http://www.amrivers.org/

Topic: Maintaining a Green Roof
Tom Miskelly Facility Manager at The First Unitarian Society
http://www.fusmadison.org/green/intro.shtml

Topic: Using Native Plants for Green Roofs
Frank Hassler, Good Oak Ecological Services
http://www.goodoakllc.com/about.html

Spring WIldflower Walk: Today at 6pm!

2010-05-06T06:59:00.000-05:00

If anyone is coming to our site to find out more about the Good Oak / Wild Ones wildflower walk for this evening, here is the info:

Meet at the west side of Heritage Heights Park on Madison's east side, at 6pm. Take Cottage Grove Rd. east of Stoughton Rd, then go north on Meadowlark Dr. for 3 blocks. We'll take a hike through these two hidden gems on Madison's far east side and enjoy the rich suite of spring wildflowers.

Spring Wildflower Walk coming up April 22nd: Note the date change!

2010-04-14T09:15:00.004-05:00

Enjoy Earth Day by visiting dutchman's britches, rue anemone, spring beauties, toothwort and more of our spring ephemeral wildflowers. Meet at the Wingra Springs Parking Lot, on top of the hill, north of the Arboretum's main Visitors Center.

Note that we've moved the date of our April wildflower walk forward a week to accommodate the early spring we are having. Still, many of the flowers we expected to see in late April are already blooming and will be done by the time we get there next week, never mind the original date we had set!

This wildflower walk is sponsored by Good Oak and the Madison Chapter of Wild-Ones. There should be a lot of beautiful MID-spring wildflowers in bloom, we hope you can join us! For more information, see our wildflower walks web page.

First Wildflower Walk: Thursday March 18th

2010-03-17T08:10:00.000-05:00

This coming Thursday, March 18th Good Oak Ecological Services and the Madison Chapter of Wild Ones will be hosting our first wildflower walk of the spring. We will be seeking out skunk cabbage, our first native plant to bloom in the spring, which is able to melt its way through snow and attract carrion flies to its unique flowers. Meet at 6pm at the Wingra Springs parking lot, on top of the hill, south of the Arboretum's main visitor center.

For more information, see our wildflower walk page.

Now Hiring!

2010-02-27T20:00:00.000-06:00

We're looking to hire for two positions in the next couple of months. One position is full-time, the other is a seasonal intern. For more information, follow the links:

Ecological Restoration Specialist or Native Landscaping Specialist

Native Landscaping and Ecological Restoration Internship

Getting Social

2010-02-23T17:10:00.000-06:00

We've made a few changes in how we "keep in touch" with people lately. First, I hope you like our newly re-designed website! I think it looks great and it should be easier for you to find the information you are looking for. If you have a news reader, you can follow this blog by clicking on the icon on our site and follow along with the news and information I post to our blog from there.

In addition to the Linked-In account I set up last fall, Good Oak now has its own Facebook page and Twitter account. I hope to use the Twitter account to give people a peek "behind the curtain" so to speak, with a little more information about what Good Oak is up to and links to interesting information I come across while researching projects.

The Facebook page will have listing of upcoming events, photos of projects and wildflower (from our walks) and blog posts about relevant topics (also seen on the Good Oak website). I hope we can make this Facebook site a place for us, our "fans" and clients, and native plant enthusiasts to interact. If you are not on Twitter, the twitter posts will show up as "status updates" on the Facebook page.

Fhew, that's a lot of ways to get the word out. I'll do my best to keep it all useful, informative and interesting.

Garden Expo Presentations

2010-02-13T10:18:00.001-06:00

Did you make it to one of our presentations today? Even if you missed it, you can still download our presentation and handouts below.

Native Landscaping: a Primer

Controlling Weeds and Invasive Plants

Presentation
Weed Identification and Control Sheets for information about specific weeds.

Good Oak at the Garden Expo

2010-02-08T16:37:00.003-06:00

Good Oak will again have a booth at this year's Garden Expo. Please come to the expo and stop by to say "Hi." Additionally, Frank will be giving two talks on Saturday that we hope you can attend. Here's a summary of the talks:

12PM in the Waubesa/Kegonsa Room (on the second floor)
Native Landscaping: A Primer

There are many benefits to landscaping with native plants. Learn why native wildflowers and grasses are a good choice, and explore some of the species that will work well for you.

3PM in the Mendota 5 Room
Controlling Weeds and Invasive Plants

Identify many common and troublesome plants in our landscapes and learn how to deal with them with a focus on organic control methods.

There will also be other presentations about native landscaping and natural areas restoration, and several organizations such as Wild Ones, The Audobon Society, The Prairie Enthusiasts, the Southern Wisconsin Butterfly Association and more will be there too.

Hope to see you there!

lawns contriubute to global warming: shocking! (not really)

2010-01-26T13:27:00.002-06:00

Recent research has landed yet another strike against our obsession with the lawn, once again pointing out that just because lawn is green, is not really "Green".

Numerous reports have pointed out that many of the pesticides and herbicides can be harmful to non-target plants and animals (including your pets and your family), and groundwater. Fertilizers are used in great excess on lawns and in-turn pollute streams and lakes. And nearly 1/3 of our fresh, clean, drinkable water is used to water lawns, and half of that is wasted, not even making it to the plants its meant to water (EPA). If you ask me, putting so many resources into a lawn is a waste to begin with.

Now, a recent study confirms the obvious: lawns contribute to global warming. Sure, lawn grass is a plant, all of whom take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to make food. However, lawn roots are too shallow to store much carbon. Emissions from decaying lawn clippings, decomposing fertilizers, and (here's the biggie) emissions from lawn maintenance equipment are four times greater than what the lawn manages to store.

There are many great reasons to choose native plants instead of defaulting to a boring lawn. As far as global warming is concerned, native plants are powerful carbon sinks, with deep roots to draw carbon compounds deep into the soil where they can be stored for thousands of years. You don't need to run a lawn mower over them ever week either.

Ahead of the Curve

2010-01-20T09:30:00.001-06:00

I am attending the Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show this week to learn a bit more about the mainstream landscaping industry. The theme this year is "Sustainability for a Greener Tomorrow" and I am feeling pretty good that Good Oak is well ahead of the curve on this. Emphasis is on choosing plants that are well adapted for the site, reducing water use, reducing run-off, cleaning, cooling and slowing water before it reaches streams and sewers, soil heath, and inteligent, proactive design. The plantings, prairies, rain gardens, shoreline buffers (and more) that we install, all planted with native plants, already accomplish these goals. I'm looking forward to continue to lead the way in 2010 and beyond.

Location:S Indiana Ave,Chicago,United States

Invasive Christmas Decorations!

2009-12-30T10:35:00.002-06:00

Sure, the title of this post sounds like it could have been ripped from a tabloid magazine (it sounds more like a 50's sci-fi/horror movie to me), but its true some Christmas decorations are made out of invasive species. Oriental bittersweet has long been used in wreaths due to its bright red and orange berries, and wreath disposal is a likely source for many infestations of this extremely aggressive weed. But the Wisconsin DNR warns that other invasive species such as teasel and multiflora rose are being used in Christmas decorations as well.

So how should you dispose of your 'natural' holiday decorations? While you may be tempted to compost them or simply toss them in a "wild" section of your property, it is better to use caution and just put them in the trash if you are not sure what they are made of. We really cannot afford to spread more of these invasive weeds around the landscape. Evergreen trees, poinsettias and mistletoe should be safe to compost or dispose of in the woods by the way. An old Christmas tree stood up outside can even be good cover for winter birds, just be sure there is no tinsel or ornaments left on them that animals might eat and get sick from.

Three New Weed ID Sheets

2009-12-21T18:38:00.002-06:00

This week we've wrapped up three new "weed identification and control sheets" for sow thistles, foxtail grasses and lamb's quarters. Check them out in the Knowledge Center.

Protect your woody plants this winter

2009-12-10T14:36:00.002-06:00

Winter is a tough time of year for wildlife. Animals like rabbits and deer that would prefer to be eating succulent leaves, buds, fruits and roots are reduced to eating bark and tender young branches off of shrubs and small trees to survive. In areas where deer are over-populated, this can have a tremendous impact, wiping out nearly all oak seedlings for example. In urban areas, rabbits are usually responsible for a great deal of damage to young shrubs.

If you have young trees and shrubs on your property that you would like to see again next year, you really should protect them from hungry herbivores. This PDF file will tell you ways to protect your shrubs from rabbits, and similar measures can be taken against deer, though with larger and more robust defenses. If you are interested in purchasing any Liquid Fence, please contact us since we are considering putting together an order for our clients.

Dane Buy Local

2009-12-10T14:32:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to make note that Good Oak Ecological Services joined Dane Buy Local recently. This is a great organization, that supports local businesses here in the Madison area. I have already made a few good connections in the single event I have been able to attend so far. Anyhow, if you have a moment check out their website to learn more.

Kane County Wild Plants Field Guide Available for Sale (again)

2009-11-02T07:52:00.003-06:00

We have re-stocked on our inventory of Wild Plants and Natural Areas of Kane County by Dick Young. This wonderful field guide described every species of plant found in the wild in Kane County Illinois. EVERY SPECIES! This level of detail makes it the ultimate field guide for the Chicago Region, and is among the best available from southern Wisconsin on down to Central Illinois, and even eastern Iowa and northern Indiana.

The guide contains approximately 1400 species of plants with incisive and often charming descriptions of each species and simple though detailed hand drawing. The book is organized in a manner that is easy to use, with plants divided by major types (ferns, trees, shrubs, wildflower, etc) and then further divided by flower color and family.

Regular price for this book is $18. However, if you contact Frank by Friday, November 6th, you will get a special discount price of $16.

In the News: Its Garlic mustard "Whacking" season

2009-10-16T09:25:00.004-05:00

As this article on Channel3000.com points out, now is a great time of year to get a leg-up on garlic mustard. Garlic mustard is certainly the most destructive herbaceous weed in our midwestern woodlands. It can form dense colonies which virtually wipe out all other plant life. We have a window of opportunity for the next month-and-a-half or so while they are still green and active and it is warm enough to deal with them. So now is the time to take action! Take a look at our recently updated Garlic Mustard Weed ID Sheet for more information on how to control it. If you need help tackling your infestation, feel free to contact us. Now is also a good time of year to begin or start planning for prescribed burns and exotic brush clearing.

Recent research has shown that garlic mustard releases harmful chemicals into the soil that kill soil fungi and other organisms that native plants rely on to help them take up nutrients from the soil. This means that a garlic mustard infestation can have long-term impacts on the ecology of a woodland, yet another reason to control populations while they are small. The good news is that there may be help on the way; a single weevil species has been identified as a potential bio-control agent. The introduction of this weevil is still a few years off, and will not eliminate the garlic mustard threat all on its own, but it will be a big help for land managers who struggle to keep this noxious invasive species in check.

Super Native Plant Sale!

2009-09-22T12:15:00.001-05:00

We have a few left over plants as we near the end of the growing season that we would like to get out of our driveway and into a new home. So we are offering these plants for sale at 75% off of retail prices! That's just $1 per plant for these 2.5" plugs! Offer available only while supplies last, so contact Frank right away if you are interested so we can set up a pick-up time or low-cost delivery.

The sale is pretty-much over, all we have left is one black oak seedling for $2.

"Gentian Safari" at the UW Arboretum, this Saturday!

2009-09-17T14:09:00.000-05:00

We'll be having our "Gentian Safari" wildflower walk at the Greene Prairie at the UW Arboretum this coming Saturday at 1pm. Meet at the gravel Grady Tract parking lot, at the southeast corner of the Beltline frontage road and Seminole Hwy in Madison.

Gentians are some of the most rare and beautiful wildflowers in our region. Come join us to enjoy their beauty and learn more about this unique plants. Long sleeves and long pants are recommended, and insect repellent may be necessary.

Look for our ad in the Abode

2009-09-16T22:09:00.000-05:00

Hi all:

Just a heads-up to take a look for our beautiful full-color ad in this fall's edition of The Abode, the Isthmus' home and landscape guide for the fall. Its coming out Thursday Sept. 17th at all the places where you usually find The Isthmus.

New Weed ID Sheets available

2009-09-11T12:54:00.001-05:00

In preparation for the presentation on prairie weeds I gave this week for the local Master Gardeners, I have created 8 new Weed Identification and Control Sheets. These include:

Common Ragweed
Giant Ragweed
Nodding and Plumeless Thistle
Bull Thistle
Canada Thistle
Queen Anne's Lace
Sweet Clover
Wild Parsnip

See our Weed ID Sheets page for a full listing of these informative sheets.

-Frank

Order Plants for Fall Now!

2009-09-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

September is a great time to plant. The little plugs have nice cool, moist weather in which to grow and plenty of time to get new roots established before they go dormant in late October. So right now we're putting together orders for fall plantings, and we can provide you with any native plants you might be interested in. So if you want to buy some plants for a fall project of your own or would like to have us do an installation for you, please contact us right away. Fall is the best time to plant woody plants, and we'll also be doing a tree and shrub order within the next few weeks, so contact us if you're interested in those as well.

In other news, we hope you are able to get outdoors and enjoy this great early fall weather in your favorite natural area!

Wildflower walk Thursday Sept. 3rd at 6pm At the UW Arboretum

2009-09-03T09:18:00.000-05:00

The wildflower walk location this week will be the main Curtis Prairie at the UW Arboretum. Between the oldest prairie restoration in the world and the more recent native landscaping work done around the visitors center, there will be a lot of great stuff to see. Meet at the front steps of the UW Arboretum visitors center at 6pm on Thursday, Sept. 3rd.

The next wildflower walk will bejavascript:void(0) the "Gentian Safari" on Sept. 19th, and the Greene Prairie walk has been moved to Sept. 24th.

For more information see our wildflower walk webpage.

Wildflower Walk at Koltes Prairie, 6pm August 20th.

2009-08-18T22:50:00.000-05:00

We have another wildflower walk this week at a great site close to town. These lovely prairie remnants just north of Madison include both mesic and dry areas, meaning there are a variety of beautiful and rare wildflowers to be found here. We'll meet at the Good Oak World Headquarters at 5:30 to car-pool. If you are driving yourself, take Northport Dr. north out of Madison, which becomes Hwy 113. 1.7 miles north of Highway M, take a right turn onto Bong Road Park along the side of the road 0.6 miles east of Hwy 113.

For more information see our wildflower walk webpage.

WIldflower Walk this Thursday (Aug 6th) at the Atwood Community prairie

2009-08-04T09:43:00.001-05:00

Just about every day I get to ride my bike past the Atwood Community Prairie on the east isthmus bike path here in Madison. Right now this prairie is a explosion of color with dozens of species of prairie forbs in bloom. So I have made a change to our Wildflower Walk schedule to include a walk around this lovely site this week.

We'll meet at 6pm at the info Kiosk in the mid point of the prairie. This urban prairie is right along the east isthmus bike path, across from the Atwood Community Gardens. Its easy to get there by bike, by car try parking in the lot behind St. Bernard's Church, at the Atwood Community Center, or street parking nearby.

If you can't make it for the wildflower walk, make it a point to take a bike ride out that way soon to enjoy some beautiful native plants.

Wildflower Walk Schedule for Late Summer and Fall announced.

2009-08-04T09:41:00.000-05:00

Hi folks, just want to give everyone a heads up that we have put together our Wildflower Walk schedule for the rest of the 2009 growing season. Find all the information about it here.

Wildflower Walk this Thursday @ U-W Arboretum

2009-07-28T09:57:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know we are resuming our wildflower walk schedule on Thursday July 29th. We'll meet at the parking lot for the Grady Tract section of the UW Arboretum at the southeast corner of Seminole Highway and the Beltlone frontage road at 6pm.

We'll post more information and a full schedule for the rest of summer in about a week.

Roadside wildflowers

2009-07-18T09:51:00.000-05:00

I'm traveling through Iowa today and really enjoying seeing native prairie plants along the side of the highway. We hve seen purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, hoary vervain, butterfly weed, yellow coneflower, yellow coneflower and wild beramot in bloom as we wiz past at 70 mph. Thought they are mixed in with quite a few weeds (they could use a good prescribed burn!), none the less it is encouraging to see Iowa taking this critical step to te long-term preaevatipn of our native wildlife.

Welcome to Summer

2009-07-15T07:46:00.000-05:00

Whew! It was a busy spring for us here at Good Oak. So far this year we have installed roughly 4000 native plants, seeded over three acres into prairie and removed bags upon bags of invasive plants.

Now that we have a little time to catch our breath, stay tuned for information about our wildflower walk schedule for the rest of summer and into fall.

Stop Garlic Mustard!

2009-05-10T12:30:00.001-05:00

Its that time of year again when the garlic mustard is tall and in bloom and it seems to be everywhere! This extremely noxious weeds is a major threat to our woodlands displacing native plants and, in turn, animals. It might be found in just about any shady area and a few sunny areas too. Get to know this plant and if you find any on your property: get rid of it! Now is the time to act, so take a look around and check with your neighbors to be sure it is kept under control (eliminated!) in your neighborhood.

Take at look at our Garlic Mustard Weed ID and Control Sheet (PDF) for more information and pass this information along to your friends and neighbors.

More Spring Wildflower Walks this week!

2009-05-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

We have two wildflower walks coming up this week!

The first is on Tuesday at 6pm at meeting at the Wingra Springs parking lot at the UW Arboretum in Madison. We should see a variety of showy spring ephemerals such as great white trillium, woodland phlox, trout lily, anemones and more! From the Mill street entrance take Arboretum Drive past the residential area and up the hill through Gallistel Woods. The parking lot is at the top of the hill.

The second is on Sunday at 1pm. We'll travel south to Abraham's Woods in Green County to see its exceptional display of spring ephemerals including some rare species such as nodding trillium. After the walk through the woods we'll visit a nearby prairie remnant to see what happening in our grasslands this time of year. We'll meet at the South Madison Branch library at 2222 Park Street to car-pool, or contact us to make other arrangements.

These walks are free and open to the public, and we encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the natural beauty of our region. Please contact Frank if you have any other questions. Please see our wildflower walks webpage for other trips and more information.

Upright weeding tool lending service courtesy the Greater Madison Healthy Lawn Team

2009-05-04T11:59:00.000-05:00

Frank is participating in the Greater Madison Healthy Lawn Team's upright weeding tool lending program. This program is intended to promote chemical-free weed control by loaning out quivers of several types of weeding tools that can be operated easily from a standing position. If you are in the Madison metro area would like to borrow these tools for a few weeks let Frank know and we can check the tools out to you for a few weeks. For more information about the GMHLT, see: www.healthylawnteam.org

Come See Us at Green Day

2009-04-20T08:48:00.000-05:00

We're going to hosting a booth at the Green Day Expo at the Monona Terrace this Saturday April 25th. This is a great time to stop by and meet us in person to discuss native landscaping and ecological restoration... or just say "Hi".

Furthermore, Frank will be giving a presentation at a break-out session at 3pm titled: "Native Plants for a Sustainable Landscape". He will discuss the environmental benefits of landscaping with native plants and offer advice as to how you can go about adding natives to your home or business landscape.

We hope you can make it!

Good Oak Wildflower Walk Schedule for Spring 2009

2009-04-06T10:30:00.001-05:00

We've finalized the Good Oak Wildflower Walk schedule for April, May and June. For any of these hikes, be sure to wear appropriate clothing such as long pants and sturdy boots. Also bring with you any water or snacks you might need. Contact Frank for meeting location and more information.

And with that said, here is the schedule:

Tuesday, 4/21, 6-8pm Early spring ephemerals hike at the UW Arboretum
Sunday, 4/26, 1-6pm Early prairie wildflowers at Walking Iron Prairie
Tuesday 5/5, 6-8pm Woodland spring ephemerals at the UW Arboretum
Sunday, 5/10, 1-6pm Rare spring wildflowers of Abraham's Woods
Tuesday, 5/19, 6-8pm Woodland spring ephemerals at Cherokee Marsh
Sunday, 5/31, 1-6pm Wildflowers of Blue Mounds and Pleasant Valley
Tuesday, 6/9, 6-8pm Wildflowers of Koltes and Ripp Prairies
Saturday, 6/20, 1-6pm Wood Lily extravaganza at Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie
Tuesday, 6/23, 6-8pm Grady Tract and Green Prairie of the UW Arboretum

Contact Frank Hassler at frank goodoakllc.com or 209-0607 for meeting location and more information.

Report from the first wildflower walk of 2009

2009-03-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful early-spring walk in the UW Arboretum on Thursday. Though there is little other apparent plant activity this early in the spring, we found mosses, ferns and wood avens all green and actively taking in energy from the sun along the side of the trail. And as we hiked along we listened to the soundtrack provided by dozens of species of singing birds, ranging from red-bellied woodpeckers to sandhill cranes to the common cardinal.

When we finally made it to Skunk Cabbage Bridge, the skunk cabbage was in full bloom and their unique fragrance filled the air along the gentle stream where you can find them. For those not familiar with the plant, here is a photo I took last year of some flowers that melted their way through the heavy snow cover:

Our next wildflower walk will be in mid-April. We'll post our full schedule for spring and early summer here soon, so stay tuned.

First Good Oak Wildflower Walk, Thursday March 26th

2009-03-03T22:07:00.000-06:00

Spring is finally on its way, and so we announce our first wildflower walk of the season. On Thursday March 26th at 6pm, join us at the UW Arboretum and explore some of the first signs of spring. Chief among these will be a visit to a patch of skunk cabbage. This unique plant is the first to bloom each spring with flowers that can even melt away snow above it as it sprouts.

We'll meet at the Wingra Springs parking lot. From the Mill street entrance take Arboretum Drive past the residential area and up the hill through Gallistel Woods. The parking lot is at the top of the hill.

Hope to see you there!

Now Selling: Kane County Wild Plants and Natural Areas book

2009-02-09T16:56:00.000-06:00

We are now selling Kane County Wild Plants and Natural Areas by Dick Young, a premium plant identification book, both locally in the Madison area or online at Amazon.com for those of you further afield. Just $18 if you buy it directly from Frank, with free delivery in Dane County, or $20 online.
Come visit our booth (#117) at the Garden Expo at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI on February 13-15th to pick up a copy.

This is, by far, my favorite plant identification book. Sure, you might say I'm a bit bias because Kane County, about 40 miles west of Chicago, is where I grew up. But its much more than that. Brief but apt descriptions, written in plain English, along side simple yet detailed drawings make identification easy for anyone. Since this book ONLY has species found in the wild in Kane County you know that every plant in the book is likely to be found in our local area. This is in contrast to broad regional guides like Peterson's and Newcomb's which contain many (if not the majority of) plant species which are not found locally.

Furthermore, because it has EVERY species of wild plant in Kane County it is also superior to books that focus only on a particular group of plants such as trees, grasses or only those that live in prairies. Though there may be a few rare species in your area which just don't happen to grow in Kane County, the vast majority of the plants you will find as far south as Urbana Illinois and as far north as Madison Wisconsin will be in this book.

-Frank

Come See Us at The Garden Expo!

2009-01-29T21:25:00.000-06:00

Come meet the Good Oak crew at the Wisconsin Public Television Garden Expo at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI on February 13-15th.

Find us at booth 117 and say hello to Frank, Allison, Doug and other Good Oak associates. Before you know it the first skunk cabbages, sharp-lobed hepaticas, blood roots and spring beauties will be blooming, so now's the time to start planning for spring!

Wildflowers of Colorado presentation, Wed. January 28th

2009-01-20T10:57:00.000-06:00

Wild Ones presents: Wildflower Tour of Colorado

During one of the coldest, darkest days of winter, come join us to celebrate the bright and cheery botany of summertime in the mountains. Colorado is home to a wide variety of wildflowers, some are also native to Wisconsin like wild bergamot, green-headed coneflower and harebells, while others such as corn lily, monument plant and elephant flower are endemic to their mountain homes. Frank Hassler from Good Oak Ecological Services will give us a lesson on mountain ecology and a guided tour of colorful flora that inhabits the foothills, mountain meadows and alpine tundra. Get in the mood: Dress for warm sunny weather and, if you can, bring a summer-time treat to share.

This event will be held on Wednesday January 28th at 7 p.m. at the Sequoya Branch Library, located at 513 S Midvale Blvd, Madison.

Presented by the Madison Chapter of Wild Ones: Wild Ones promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities. Wild Ones is a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization. For more information, contact Frank Hassler: frank@goodoakllc.com

Now Featuring Frank Hassler's Wildflower Photography

2009-01-05T19:46:00.000-06:00

I've been interested in photography my whole life but didn't have the money to buy a camera and get serious about it until after college. Over the past ten years or so I've photographed a variety of subjects from outdoor sports in action to landscape scenery. But my favorite subject has always been the amazingly beautiful wildflowers of the Midwest. So I've put together a gallery of my finest photographs on the web to share and offer them for sale. I hope to be offering additional features in the coming years such as additional galleries, free desktop images, and more. But for now, take a look and enjoy, and contact me if your are interested in purchasing any images. Below are just a few of the 60 photos I have chosen to display:

-Frank

Book Review: Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy

2008-12-13T17:16:00.000-06:00

This review can be summarized in one sentence: this is the most inspirational book I have read since A Sand County Almanac.

Dr. Tallamy does an excellent job explaining how important landscaping with native plants is to preserving our wildlife. Beginning with a heart-wrenching story about how as a child his favorite little pond full of toads and other wildlife was literally bulldozed in front of him, he describes how development and agriculture have wiped-out and critically fragmented our natural areas, leaving populations of our wild plants and animals on the brink of collapse. Furthermore, invasive plants and insects, most of whom were brought to North America intentionally or unintentionally through the horticultural trade are permanently altering our remaining natural areas and driving our native species to extinction.

As an entomologist, Dr. Tallamy focuses this book on the relationship between our native plants and the critical role wild insects play in the ecosystem. When most people think about insects, they only think of pests like roaches and yellow-jackets, but Dr. Tallamy explains that only 1% of insect species are pests to humans. He describes the fascinating diversity of native insects found in our native landscapes and how these insects regulate plant populations and are a critical food source for the amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals that we might hope to invite into our backyards.

Chapter 12 describes in detail exactly how various native plant species support wildlife. He continues in Chapter 13 with a catalog of the various families of insects, from beetles to butterflies, with fascinating stories about their lifestyles and striking photos of these truly beautiful though often overlooked creatures.

Finally, Dr. Tallamy offers recommendations as to how people can go about using native plants in their home landscape. This portion of the book is the only one in which I can find fault. First, he doesn't offer enough detail to be useful to most home owners. This is understandable since the book is a powerful treatise on "why" to landscape with native plants, it should be left to other authors to describe the "how" of native landscaping.

More critically, I, and others such as the Wild Ones organization, need to disagree with Dr. Tallamy regarding the use of cultivars of native species. He suggest cultivars as a harmless alternative to truly native plants since they can also feed wild insects. This could not be further from the truth. Many cultivars have been modified in ways that make them less useful to wildlife. For example, columbine is a critical food source for hummingbirds and hawkmoths, yet many cultivated columbines do not produce enough nectar to support these species. Some cultivars that, for example put a lot of energy into developing extra flowers, are less hardy than their wild counterparts and thus are less able to compete with weeds. These cultivars will be from other regions, and thus the plants will not be ideally adapted to local conditions, unlike local-ecotype plants. These factors make cultivated natives a bad choice for landscape use. Furthermore cultivars have the potential to interbreed with the small populations of our truly native plants. This risks "genetic pollution", weakening our native stock, and potentially accelerating their extinction in the wild, rather than aiding and supporting these populations as local-ecotype plantings will.

This minor point aside, this is one of the finest books ever written on the relationship between people and nature and should be on everyone's "must-read" list. Hopefully, future edition will exclude the suggestion that cultivars of native species are appropriate for use in landscaping.

Buckthorn clearing season is here!

2008-11-16T13:05:00.000-06:00

Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is perhaps the most damaging exotic species in the Midwest. It can invade and destroy remnant prairies and high-quality woodlands and is quite common in fencelines and woodlots. Buckthorn grow rapidly, and a stand of them often goes unnoticed until they are large, producing dense shade and poisonous chemicals which kill all other plant life in the area. Buckthorn produce berries prolifically, which are spread by birds and other wildlife. The berries are of little nutritional value because they have a severe laxative effect, depriving the creature that eats them of nutrition and water. Additionally, buckthorn is the sole overwintering host of the soybean aphid and is also an alternative host of crown rust of oats.

If you have buckthorn on your property, and you probably do, it is imperative that you eliminate it for the sake of all of our wild plants and animals. Now is a good time of year to kill buckthorn for several reasons. First, they are easy to spot, because instead of putting on nice fall colors, the leaves stay a dull green and hang on these shrubs through November and into early December. Second, most of the native plants are now dormant so you can go in and tackle the buckthorn without hurting any of the good-guys. Third, a herbicide application can be very effective on buckthorn stumps (else they resprout in spring!) as the plants draw nutrients back into the roots for storage for the winter, thus killing the plant permanently.

To help you in this effort, I have a Weed Identification and Control Sheet for buckthorn (PDF format) for you to download and learn from. If you have any questions feel free to contact us, we want to help get rid of buckthorn anyway we can! And if you have a job that's too big for you to tackle on your own, we're offering 25% off our our usual rates for any jobs clearing buckthorn and other invasive brush job this winter. So give us a call!

-Frank

Book Review: Birdscaping in the Midwest by Mariette Nowak

2008-10-29T17:12:00.000-05:00

From time to time I hope to keep readers up on some of the great books available about ecological restoration and landscaping with native plants. Today I will tell you a bit about Birdscaping in the Midwest by Mariette Nowak.

Ms. Nowak begins this book by explaining why plants, specifically native plants are critical to the survival of our wild bird species. Basically, she makes the case that there are critical habitat issues which threaten the survival of many bird species in North America and that by landscaping with native plants we can start giving that habitat back. This section is followed by several inspirational stories of people across the Midwest who have done just that.

In the following chapters the author goes into some specific types of gardens for various types of birds. These include particular species such as hummingbirds and Eastern Blubirds but most of the garden types she introduces us to are more general, intended to replicate habitat such as prairies or woodlands for the species that inhabit these natural communities. Each of these chapters is intended to be a manual for constructing backyard habitat for birds that live in these communities.

While the information in these chapters is sound, I found that there was a lot of potential overlap, for example, should your yard be a woodland bird garden, a shrubland bird garden or a bluebird savanna bird garden? The answer may be "all of the above" or just one of these habitat types, depending on your yard. By delineating these habitats into particular habitat types she provides organization for the book but also ends up with a lot of duplicate and discontinuous information. The end result was that I found myself flipping back and forth between various chapters quite a bit. Very few people are going to find that their yard fits neatly into one potential habitat type or another, so any user of this book will likely make use of several chapters to develop their bird habitat plan. On the other hand this might force you to look at your property in new and interesting ways. In the end I suppose this is both a strength and a weakness.

Birdscaping in the Midwest includes a whole host of information such as lists of plant species with high value to birds to plant, recommendations for bird houses and feeders. In fact, there is so much information this could really be split up into several books, and I hope the author can go more in depth on some of these subjects in this book in future works. I found the book very informative and with my extensive knowledge of native plants I was able to visualize some of the habitat gardens she described and extrapolate new ideas for species and designs that would help meet the needs of birds. For those not familiar with plants or landscaping installation, there is still a lot to learn which is why she includes "Gardeners' Resources" in the back of the book. I just wish she had more field guides and native landscaping books in her list of resources because I feel most people are not going to have a very good grasp of the many plant species she recommends in this book

Overall, I highly recommend this book for any bird lover or anyone interested in native landscaping. I pull it off the shelf and use it as a reference quite regularly. It really helps you understand the connections between different wild organism (plants, insects, birds and more), teaching us that the plants are really just the foundation of native landscaping much of the magic is the animals that utilize these plants. Mariette Nowak provides a resource for native landscapers whether they want to specifically focus their property on their favorite bird species, or just want to make a more well-rounded backyard habitat.

-Frank

Report on the Last Flowers of Fall

2008-10-16T09:54:00.000-05:00

It may be a week overdue (we've been very busy with fall plantings around here!) But I thought I'd send a quick report regarding our fall wildflower walk on the weekend of Oct. 9th.

We began our trip by looking at some of the fall blooming asters in the "dry prairie" portion of the UW Arboretums native plant gardens, this area is right at the front of the building. There we saw silky aster, flax leaved aster and sky blue aster all showing off a bit. Most of the goldenrods were starting to go to seed, but a few showy asters still had some bright yellow color for us. Last but not least we looked at several species of grass which are good for ornamental purposes such as dropseed, side-oats gramma, bottlebrush grass and little bluestem as the latter species began to take on the characteristic bronze coloration which it will maintain all winter.

Because some of the young plants that were planted this year are blooming out of sequence, the UW Arboretum's native wildflower garden is an interesting place to visit where we can see a number of species blooming that should have gone to seed months ago. Species like butterfly weed and early sunflower were doing their best to attract pollinators a good two months after their wild counterparts have finished blooming. I'm sure they'll get the timing right net year.

As we moved around the back of the visitors center we were delighted to find a flock of cedar wax wings dining on the berries of a grouping of elderberry bushes.

Storms were threatening to move in, so we called it a day after about an hour and a half at the gardens. It was an enjoyable morning there, but really, any time you get out in a natural setting is a good time.

Stay tuned here, for next year we will be planning bi-monthly field trips in the Madison area and around southern Wisconsin. If you would like to be put on the email list for these trips please contact Frank.

Last Flowers of Fall wildflower walk this Sunday, 9 am.

2008-10-03T07:20:00.000-05:00

This Sunday at 9am Frank will be leading a Last Flowers of Fall wildflower walk at the UW Arboretum. We'll start the walk taking a look at the native landscaping garden at the Arboretum visitor center. Then after an hour (or a little more) we'll head over to the Grady Tract, the portion of the Arboretum south of the Beltline to enjoy the natural areas there. Through-out the walk we'll take a look at flowering asters, late-blooming goldenrods, gentians, and if we are really lucky maybe an orchid or two. We'll also enjoy the bronzing prairie grasses and some of the early fall colors from the likes of sumac and aspen. We'll undoubtedly have some encounters with wildlife as well.

This walk is open to the public so contact Frank if you are interested. This single walk for 2008 will be forerunner of a series of twice-monthly walks starting in late April next year, so it should be a lot of fun!

See Us at the Willy Street Fair

2008-09-18T11:03:00.000-05:00

Good Oak will have a booth at a local community event here in Madison this Sunday September 21st. Frank will be staffing a booth at the Willy Street Fair from 11am to 7pm. Our booth will be between Paterson and Livingston streets, near the street address of 824 Williamson St. Stop by and say hello to talk about native plants!

Fall Planting Season is Here!

2008-09-08T14:12:00.000-05:00

With cooler and wetter weather, and several months to go until the ground freezes, it is again a great time of year to plant. Fall planted perennials will have a big head start on plants put in the ground next spring, meaning more vigorous growth and more flowers. If you contact us soon we can help you get some new native perennials and ornamental grasses on your property. Shrubs and trees on the other hand need to wait a bit longer until they go dormant for the year. But come mid-October we can install some of them for you too. There are a lot of great options for hardy native plants that will beautify your property and provide benefits to wildlife too, so give us a call or send us an email so we can get you started.

Native by Design: a "How-to" Conference for Gardeners"

2008-09-03T09:04:00.000-05:00

On September 14th the UW Arboretum will be hosting a native landscaping conference called "Native by Design" This all-day seminar will have several workshops and a guided tour of the native gardens at the arboretum. The cost is $50 for the general public and $43 for Friends of the Arboretum members (lunch included), a small price to pay for the information and inspiration this conference offers. And look for Frank there, he will be volunteering at the check-in table and ushering tour groups around the gardens.

Now Serving Chicagoland!

2008-08-16T19:18:00.001-05:00

My good friend Douglas Chein, the man who gave me my start in prairie restoration way back in college, has decided to join the Good Oak team in order to offer native landscaping and ecological consulting services in the Chicago area.

Chicagoland was founded in a landscape with an exceptional diversity of plant and animal life and rich with a variety natural communities. So contact Doug if you're in the Chicago region and want to bring back the natural beauty of Chicago to your property.

...And, as always, contact me for projects here in Wisconsin.

-Frank

Better Lawns and Gutters Tour this weekend!

2008-08-13T00:23:00.000-05:00

The 7th Annual Better Lawns & Gutters Tour highlights what local residence are doing on their property to improve local water quality. The tour highlights rain gardens and landscaping with native plants. So come on down to the Bruce Company at 2830 Parmenter Street in Middleton this Saturday between 9am and 1pm to start off your tour. Frank will be there helping out at the Wild Ones booth, or off taking the tour himself! Click on the link above for more information.

Greener Golf

2008-07-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

Despite being composed of acres of green grass, golf courses are not typically very "green" in the environmental sense of the word. However, including native plants in golf course landscapes can help keep water clean, provide wildlife habitat and reduce maintenance costs. Win, win, win! Are you a golfer? Talk to your club or course manager about the benefits of going native. Take a look at these articles on Science Daily to find out more:

Golfers And Golf Courses Benefit From Native Grasses In Roughs
Plants Can Make Golf Courses Greener By Filtering Pesticides
Could Golf Courses Double As Wildlife Sanctuaries?

In The News...

2008-06-19T08:47:00.001-05:00

Check out this recent article about us in the Sustainable Times. The Sustainable Times is a great (free!), local, monthly environmental publication that can be found in many locations across southern Wisconsin.

Last call for spring wildflowers

2008-05-24T06:50:00.000-05:00

As our trees fill out their branches with leaves, the season for ephemeral wildflowers in our woodlands is coming to a close. But what a grand finale it is! In a fine woodland you can now see many species blooming such as Great White Trillium, Wild Geranium, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Large-Flowered Bellwort, Blue Violets, Virginia Waterleaf, Wild Columbine, Solomon's Seal, False Solomon's Seal, Jacob's Ladder, Shooting Star and even Yellow Lady's Slipper Orchid.

So take some time before spring is gone to head into the woods and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds you. Contact us for a list of recommended sites for a wildflower walk.

Its garlic mustard pulling season!

2008-05-09T12:28:00.000-05:00

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is one of the most troublesome noxious weed in our region. This plant can be found in many shade to semi-shade areas, sometimes forming extensive dense patches which exclude all other plants. This invasive species is originally from Europe, and because it doesn't have any pests or herbivores who will eat it here in the U.S., it goes entirely unchecked.

So this is a call to action! Get out and patrol your property for this species. See this UW Herbarium web page and this National Park Service page for help identifying this pest. Then get to work getting rid of it! For small patches it is fairly easy to pull it all up, make sure you get the root and all, and then bag it for disposal. These plants can produce thousands of seeds per plant and the seeds can ripen even on a "dead" plant laying on the ground. So don't just leave it laying around! Also, be sure to notify your neighbors about this pest and maybe take a few extra minutes to pull a few of the plants that are infesting your neighborhood park. Every little bit helps!

For larger patches of garlic mustard there are several other methods that will be more time-efficient at knocking that garlic mustard back. Please contact us and we can tell you how to tackle it yourself or you can hire us to do the dirty work for you.

Good Hunting!
-Frank

Spring wildflowers are here!

2008-04-28T17:47:00.000-05:00

Things are starting to green up quickly outside, and many of our spring wildflowers are in full bloom. Bloodroot, toothwort, Virginia bluebells, bellwort, hepatica, trout lily, rue anemone, spring beauty, violets, prairie smoke.... and more are blooming right now. You can find them at the UW Arboretum and other area woodlands and prairies. Contact us if you'd like to have them blooming on your property by next spring.

Come See Us at Green Day

2008-04-20T22:14:00.000-05:00

Good Oak is going to have a booth at the Isthmus's Green Day event, this coming Saturday, April 26th, at the Monona Terrace from 9am to 6pm. We'll have information about landscaping with native plants and be available to answer any questions you might have. See you there!

Earth Day Celebration

2008-04-18T05:50:00.000-05:00

Come find our table at the Habitat Re-Store Earth Day Celebration!

After visiting our booth, check out the Recycle/Reuse art auction or fun children's activities.