Garden Expo 2017

With temperatures in the high thirties, the snow melting and the ice disappearing, people flocked to Wisconsin Public Television’s annual Garden Expo held at the Alliant Center in Madison. The show began on Friday, Feb. 10 and continued through Sunday, February 12

My son Steve and I were there on Saturday. Steve and I talked about our book, Roshara Journal: Chronicling Four Seasons, Fifty Years, and 120 Acres. Steve shared photos from the book and he talked about how he shot the various pictures. I shared entries from my journal that I’ve kept since we bought Roshara, our Wild Rose farm, 50 years ago. We both suggested that people with land, backyards, and gardens do what we’ve done over the years—capture what was happening in words and in pictures.

Attendees to the Garden Expo could also learn about straw bale gardening, “Landscaping tips for Elderly Living,” and “Birdscaping in the Midwest.” You could attend a session titled, “Everything you wanted to know about beets.” Square foot gardening remains popular—there was a seminar on how to do it. And if growing tomatoes has become a challenge, there was a seminar to answer your tomato questions.

For the nature lovers, there were seminars on Monarch Butterflies, Gardening for Humingbirds, and attracting Eastern Bluebirds. And much, much more.

If you came with garden questions, UW-Extension experts were there to help with information from insects to soils, plant diseases to how to enroll in a Master Garden program.

It was a great break from winter, and an opportunity to capture a bit of spring.


THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Garden Expo. A warm taste of spring.

WRITER’S WORKSHOP: Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose, WI. Call 920-622-3835 for reservations. Limited enrollment. Nine to Twelve in the morning.


UPCOMING EVENTS:

Wednesday, February 22, 6:00 p. m. Wild Rose H.S. Auditorium. Premier Showing of Never Cruse the Rain, A Film by Wisconsin Public TV. Jerry’s newest hour-long documentary.

Wednesday, March 8, 7:00 p.m. Never Curse the Rain on all Wisconsin Public TV stations.

Saturday, March 18, Madison Area Master Gardeners, Goodman Community Center, Madison. Whispers and Shadows.

Wednesday, March 29, 10:00 a.m., Keynote speaker, Master Agriculturist Award Program, Oshkosh

Saturday, April 8, 9-12:00 a.m. Writer’s Workshop, Wild Rose Library.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs:

Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)
Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm books.)
The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows.)

Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including: Jerry’s newest novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County. and Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Jerry’s newest books, Roshara Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guide book for those who want to write their stories—are also available.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835