The weather is getting warmer, and gardening season will be here soon. Area gardeners and anyone with an interest in plants and science are invited to gather ideas at the UW Family Gardening Day on Saturday, May 3. The free, family-friendly event will be held on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus and runs from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Activities will be hosted at Allen Centennial Garden, D.C. Smith Instructional Greenhouse, Steenbock Memorial Library and the Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI).

Each location will host a variety of displays and demonstrations, including hands-on activities with seeds, plants and soil. Attendees can learn about pollinators and birds, try their hand at making art with flower pounding, ask questions about their own plants, discover books for all ages and more. There will also be plants and seeds available for people to take home for their own gardens (while supplies last).

All visitors can complete a “passport” by getting stamps at all the UW Family Gardening Day locations. A completed passport will earn them a free houseplant to take home (while supplies last).

“Family Gardening Day welcomes gardeners of all ages to campus. We are excited to engage with folks and encourage their interest in nature,” says Johanna Oosterwyk, manager of the D.C. Smith Greenhouse. “Come enjoy new activities in the garden and learn from our fun student groups while you enjoy all the new spring growth!”

All gardening day locations are within about three blocks of each other on the west side of the UW–Madison campus. Allen Centennial Garden, Steenbock Memorial Library and the D.C. Smith Instructional Greenhouse are located at 620, 550 and 465 Babcock Drive, respectively. The Wisconsin Energy Institute is at 1552 University Avenue, just south across Campus Drive from the greenhouse and Babcock Hall, which is at 1605 Linden Drive.

Free parking is available on campus in Lot 34 at 1480 Tripp Circle; in Lot 36 just west of Steenbock Library; in Lot 40 behind Babcock Hall; and in Lot 41 at 1820 University Avenue near the WEI. Find parking lot locations on the campus map. Or try the Madison B-Cycle with a convenient station right on Babcock Drive.

For more information, visit https://science.wisc.edu/family-gardening-day/ or contact Johanna Oosterwyk at jmooster@wisc.edu or (608) 262-3844.