the
Garden Door

A beautiful wisteria and rose-covered arbor greets you as you enter the garden. Pick up The Garden Door brochure from the rack as a handy guide to your tour of the gardens and the artistic structures. Then stop to spin the Garden Kaleidoscope filled with colorful annuals that create the stunning ever-changing patterns.

Flanking both sides of the entrance arbor, these gardens extend from the roadside through to the interior of the garden. Anchored by a river birch and a large blue spruce, Black Lace Elderberry, other interesting shrub forms and colorful succulent ground cover lend dimension and interest.

The Dwarf Conifer Garden provides evergreen beauty on a small scale. Beneath the towering blue spruce at the entrance, and in a raised mound surrounded by large rocks, these conifers range from 3” to 36” in height and feature varying color and needle form.

A vast collection of shade-loving plants from ajuga to weigela – including a large selection of hostas, coral bells and hydrangeas – make up The Shade Garden. Rest in one of the Adirondak chairs or on the benches along the wood chip path and enjoy these perennials that bloom at different times throughout the season and offer a splash of color in a shady area.

The Sedum Garden contains a variety of low-growing succulents with colorful foliage and neon-pink, yellow and red flowers. Allium Millenium ornamental onions offer upright showy purple globes in late summer. Hypertufa planters dot the area and are particularly popular for succulents due to their ability to hold moisture and allow for good drainage.

Culinary herbs and natural dye plants are grown in ground, along the stone path, and in containers in the Herb Garden. Some of the herbs are selected for their color properties specifically to be used as natural dyes for silk scarves. Bottle-topped rebar tomato cages add vertical interest.

Interesting rocks were strategically placed to form a hardscape framework for the Rock Garden. Many different ground cover varieties, including wild strawberries, can be seen surrounding the rocks and trailing down from the low stone wall. The jewel-toned flowers provide a nice contrast to the green foliage and the hypertufa pots.

The spectacular Wence (wall + fence) and blue bottle tree along the north boundary of The Garden Door embrace a collection of 60 species of ornamental grasses. Ornamental grasses come in many shapes, sizes and colors, and the diverse collection includes specimens that change considerably as the seasons pass.

The Vegetable Demonstration Garden highlights several small-space vegetable gardening techniques. Grow bags, grow buckets with water reservoirs, tiered towers and raised beds all provide good growing environments and help to keep the critters at bay. The three colorful obelisks support tomatoes and other vining plants.

Stunning peonies ranging from white and yellow to deep magenta line the paver walkway as you approach the gazebo. The peony garden features three different peony varieties including a tree peony, early blooming fern peonies, and Itoh peonies in several striking colors. A smoke bush and other perennials fill in with color when the peonies are no longer blooming.

The Memorial Garden borders both sides of the tunnel that sits in the center of The Garden Door. It features perennials that add color throughout the season plus 12 different clematis varieties and wisteria that climb the tunnel structure. It is a showcase of glass artwork, and the mosaic benches in the dome at the end of the tunnel provide a quiet spot for reflection.

The Perennial Garden is a cottage-style garden with a combination of old-fashioned perennials mixed with pollinator plants. It is a riot of color and texture and is in full bloom from summer into late fall. Meander along the paver path to discover the salvaged cupola nestled in among the plants.

An enchanted castle anchors the fanciful children’s Fairy Garden. Small plants, miniature houses, furniture and fairy figurines capture the imagination. Wander through the castle grounds to the swimming pool, slide and picnic table. Then find the sandy beach complete with a fire pit, beach umbrella, outhouse and kayaks.

An officially designated Monarch Way Station, the Pollinator Garden provides food, host plants, water, and a puddling area where butterflies gather to drink and absorb essential minerals. Numerous native plants line a new stone path that winds through the garden and leads to a two ton, 425 million year old limestone piece of the Niagara Escarpment.

The Raised Bed Gardens are planted with vegetables and flowers for pollinators. Their benefits include an extended planting season, weed reduction, less soil compaction, and easier tending with less bending and stretching. The container garden area demonstrates how various containers can be repurposed to display annual flower arrangements.

Carved out of the cedar trees, the Toad Abode is a quiet, shady space where children can find natural objects like shells, beach rocks, and painted stones, as well as charming toy fairies and even a fascinating toad. The path leads to a purple park bench, passes an ornamental butterfly and ends in a child-size arbor.

Cold-hardy cacti that can grow in Wisconsin are beautiful flowering plants, showing off red, yellow, caramel and white flowers. When not flowering, the cacti offer unusual shaped pads, stems and perfectly arranged spines. Cacti require fast draining soil, so the top soil was removed to 18” deep and replaced with small stone, coarse sand and pea gravel.

The Pond Garden is a decorative water feature that displays various aquatic plants. With a backdrop of ferns, hostas and wild geraniums, the tranquil sound of flowing water draws visitors to the pond filled with water lilies in bloom. A welded lily pad bench, heron, and a graceful aluminum arch add a touch of elegance.

The eastern part of the Rose Garden features rugosa roses which are very winter hardy, require little care and bloom all summer with beautiful bright yellow, soft orange and brilliant red roses. The western section has tea roses and rose shrubs bordered by lavender along the pea gravel path and a bench to stop and smell the roses!

The Highway 42 Entrance Garden on the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station grounds is an eye-catching mixture of pink, yellow, lavender and deep purple blooming perennials surrounding The Garden Door Public Gardens welcome sign. Follow the arrows to The Garden Door, a hidden gem tucked in behind the Research Station buildings.