The Plot Newsletter

Inside Two Ferns Nursery: A Conversation with Athena Salzer

Early Autumn leaves are crunched between boots and pavement under a calescent September sun. I’m walking along a driveway at a ranch style home towards a hoop house in the back of the property. I know this is the place before I turn the corner for the Ragwort, Asters, and Goldenrod are landmarks before I spot the sign for Two Ferns Nursery.

A Bur Oak tree nearing its third century on this Earth spreads in graceful tenure over the nursery. Like people, you can see its age by the state of its limbs. Some are still healthy, but about half are dried and might break from a strong gust of wind. This gnarled Oak oversees a restoration of plants beneath it’s branches back to an ecology that only it remembers. Underneath the ancient Oak, and the bowed frame of the grow house, stands Athena waiting to greet me with a powerful handshake. Athena is the owner of Two Ferns Nursery and is as vibrant as the healthy plants she grows. She is responsible for the full beds of native plants underneath the Oak and in the adjacent park, as well as the hoop house full of plants bound for other Madison gardens.

Two Ferns began as a business between colleagues Athena and Amy Jo in 2019, who were both working as land managers in restoration work. They started small while still working in their jobs and today it is just Athena running the nursery. Two Ferns Nursery radiates charm and is frequented by Madison homeowners who care about using native plants to bring habitat and diversity back to their yards. I sat down with Athena at a picnic table where we were joined by a gentle breeze, and will share some of her answers to my brief questions below.

Q: What underrated plant should more people grow (especially for part shade)?
Athena: Early Meadow-rue (Thalictrum dioicum) is the first plant that comes to mind. It’s a sweet, compact, clump-forming plant about 2 feet tall with delicate foliage and airy flowers in April/May. People overlook it between the teeny spring ephemerals and the very tall meadow-rues, but it’s perfect for part shade. I’m also fond of Rue Anemone (Anemonella thalictroides; sometimes listed as Thalictrum thalictroides) and Prairie Groundsel/Ragwort (Packera plattensis), which makes a good, tough groundcover and sends up cheerful yellow blooms.

Q: What does a typical day look like for you as the owner of Two Ferns Nursery?
Athena: It changes with the season. There’s a surprising amount of admin: I’m cash/check only, and I take orders via email,  so communication and paperwork take time. Spring is full tilt: sowing, potting, maintaining, and customer pickups. Summer has a small lull (emphasis on small), fall ramps up again, and by November things taper. Winter is cleanup/reset, seed sourcing, and stratifying. I try to take some downtime in December and January and lean into art in the form of watercolor and linocut/woodblock prints.

Q: Gardening often starts as a solo act. What are the best ways for new gardeners to find community?
Athena: Wild Ones is fantastic. I’m the Madison Chapter VP. We do spring hikes, an August ice-cream social, a harvest potluck/annual meeting, and a big native seed swap in November. You don’t have to bring seed; there’s always plenty to share. Membership has more than quadrupled in the last few years, and there are many more younger faces now. It’s a great mix of learning and community.

Another great group is The Prairie Enthusiasts. Their mission focuses on protecting, restoring, and stewarding larger, high-quality prairies and savannas across the Upper Midwest. Their annual February conference is excellent, good for novices and experts. Since 2020 they’ve often done it virtually, which makes it easier to attend and participate in discussion forums.

I learned a lot in my discussion with Athena and know where I will be buying a bulk of my native plants next Spring in Madison. To purchase plants you can visit Two Ferns Website and to get updates on events you can follow the Facebook Group. Athena sent me home with some Early Meadow-rue and Great Blue Lobelia, it’s my first time growing both and the quality of plants was much higher than other nurseries.

Weekend Almanac

The First Weekend of October

1. Stave off the vampires by planting garlic in your garden bed, two knuckles deep, tucked in with a light blanket of straw to rest until Spring.

2. Pick Up Native Plants from Two Ferns Nursery, Do your part to keep yourself and your corner of the world in good health. You still have time to plant this Fall.

3. Leave your leaves where they fall. The fireflies will sing their thanks with light next Summer.

Plotter’s Commons:

What is your favorite thing to do in the garden in Fall?🍂
Respond to this email with your answer. I’d love to hear from you!

Community Board

• Learn: Inside the Home of the World’s Best Plant Designer, Lean into Winter by designing an indoor jungle. I’m doing my research as I consider what to write about during the colder months.

• Event 1: Night of 1000 Jack-O’-Lanterns, Chicago Botanic Garden, 10/3, Embrace the darkness with this start to spooky season in Chicago. It happens through October, but nothing beats the energy of an opening night.

• Event 2: Gravel Gardens with Jeff Epping, Olbrich Gardens, 10/7, learn how to create this type of garden in Madison. Here’s a teaser from Jeff’s discussion with Margaret Roach a few years back if you can’t make it in person.

Written for 112 cunning Plotters. 💌
This newsletter grows best by word of mouth. Forward The Plot to your friend who is most likely to set up skeletons in their garden.

Until next Thursday,
Ken Welch

About the Author

Ken Welch is a horticulturist and research professional at UW–Madison. He’s drawn to native ecosystems, community gardens, and helping others grow confidence in their craft.

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