Garden Tour: Allen Centennial Garden

There is a small garden that I adore near my office. It is where I seek refuge in the warm months after I have gone cross eyed from staring at excel files at work. This garden has helped to reground me enough times that I wanted to feature it in this newsletter. It sits on the west side of the campus of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, just a short walk from Babcock Dairy Store’s famous ice cream and the shirtless rowing team practicing in the Porter Boathouse. Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing?

There is a beautiful Queen Anne style home built in 1896, which was the home of the first four deans of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The gardens encircle the home moving from a kitchen garden, an herbaceous border, a beautiful koi pond, a Czech crevice garden, and a circular lawn. If you come on a midsummer night, then you might even catch some Shakespeare in the garden.

There’s a ton of events throughout the year, and if you are in Madison you should definitely check out this beautiful garden! Here’s some reason’s to visit in 2025:

1. Shakespeare in the Garden (free): July 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th - 6pm, July 13th, 20th - 2pm

2. Drop in public tour $5: Sunday, August 3rd at 4:00 pm

3. Summer concert nights (5pm): August 3rd & August 17th

4. Fall Garden Party Fundraiser: September 5th, 4-7pm (tickets)

5. Harvest Folk Festival: October 4th

They also have a variety of fun events happening such as workshops, and the best way I’ve found to learn about them is by walking past the garden and checking their sign. If you follow me on Instagram I will try to share these on my stories.

The garden welcomes new members to help financially support keeping such a beautiful place thriving, and volunteer opportunities as well. I think every gardener should pick at least one garden organization to volunteer with. Olbrich Gardens has kept me entertained and meeting a ton of local gardeners.

The garden is not large by any means, so I don’t want to spoil too much more with photos here. Take some time to pay it a visit, and if you do on a weekday let me know so I can take a stroll with you. It’s a perfect spot to plot against your enemies.

This Weekend in the Midwest Garden

The weather looks decent in Madison, but I don’t trust the forecast. Likely not too hot, but possible rain on Saturday.

1. Plant Fall season crops: It’s prime time to sow carrots, beets, chard, collards, kale, green onions, scallions.

2. Deadhead blooms: Now is a good time to cut back some flowers for a second flush of blooms on bee balm, catmint, yarrow, and salvia.

3. Scout for pests: I’ve been dealing with a ton of earwigs in the last few weeks. Now’s a good time to see if you have any unwelcome guests in your yard.

The Plot Thickens

This week I ended up removing some of my homemade leaf mulch from the beds around my house. I think it was attracting a swarm of earwigs into my house, and most of my time has been devoted to reducing their numbers. This weekend I will be volunteering for the Olbrich Gardens home garden tour, and then will likely be spending some time mowing, mulching the beds with wood chips, and cutting down more trees on my fence line to provide more space and sun for a veggie garden.

What I Loved This Week

• Read: My cousin Zach recommended Less by Andrew Sean Greer, but I think you should also read Zach’s new book of poetry Stillwater

• Watch: 11 crops you can STILL plant in July by Epic Gardening

• Listen: Avant Gardener by Courtney Barnett - Music for gardeners with asthma

• Connect: Sara Lindquist (TikTok) - Food in the Twin Cities, skin & self

Reader Feature:

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Written for 27 beautiful readers. 💌

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.

Instagram | Bluesky 

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