University of Wisconsin - Extension

Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) will offer a tour of some of the state's uncommon, yet delightful, gardens in a broadcast scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 3.

The Wisconsin Gardener "Uncommon Gardens" visits nine spots of greenery in communities around the state and comes up with features as far ranging as waterfalls, banana trees and giant metal dragons.

Since Victorian times, tender tropicals like cannas and castor beans have flourished in Wisconsin's summers. Now, those willing to try something dramatic can plant bananas. The Rotary Gardens in Janesville serve as an inspiration.

Whimsy is in full display on two garden stops - a Halloween Garden at Milwaukee's Mitchell Park Domes and a public "Jurustic Park" garden in Marshfield. Clyde Wynia has created an entire garden of giant metal dinosaurs, frogs and dragons. According to Wynia, these are the remains of Iron-Age creatures unearthed from a nearby marsh.

Also in Marshfield, The Wisconsin Gardener producer/host Shelley Ryan makes a stop at Foxfire Gardens, which is erupting in springtime azaleas and rhododendrons. Just as lovely are the private grounds of the curator of the Longenecker Gardens at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, Horticulture Emeritus Prof. Edward Hasselkus. Hasselkus, Madison, shares some landscape design tips and opens his own garden to viewers.

Also welcoming is Wouterina de Raad of Pierce County who creates mosaic statues and mingles them with her garden layout.

Just north of the mosaic garden is a haven of waterfalls and flowers planted in loving memory of a lost child by Richard and Darlene Hinke of Somerset. Ryan visits this garden that has been the couple's source of healing.

Ryan also explores the Paine Art Center and Arboretum, and the eclectic backyard garden of Mike and Heather Geiger in Brillion. For more information about The Wisconsin Gardener, visit the Web site at http://wpt.org/garden/ .

Major funding for The Wisconsin Gardener is provided by Fiskars Inc. and Ariens Foundation Ltd.

Viewers with WebTV Plus boxes on their personal computers can simultaneously watch The Wisconsin Gardener and call up Internet links and exclusive interactive content related to the program through on-screen prompts. These prompts and links are embedded in the program, so they carry through to all repeat broadcasts, as well as videos recorded for later viewing.

Viewers without WebTV Plus boxes or Windows 98 interactive TV systems will not see the on-screen prompts.

WPT is a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and University of Wisconsin-Extension.

Wisconsin Public Television is a place to grow through learning on WHA-TV/Madison, WPNE-TV/Green Bay, WHRM-TV/Wausau, WLEF-TV/Park Falls, WHLA-TV/La Crosse and WHWC-TV/Menomonie-Eau Claire.