Now Serving Chicagoland!

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!

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

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...

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

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.