Outdoor Gardens,
Lobby + Gift Shop
April - September
10 am – 6 pm daily
October - March
10 am – 4 pm daily
Bolz Conservatory
10 am – 4 pm daily
Schumacher Library
10 am – 4 pm, Mon - Fri
10 am - 1 pm, Sat
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Preserving Seed Heritage
Thanks to the efforts of library volunteers such as Katie Hartman-Grohn (pictured above), Schumacher Library now has an active seed library. Seed packets are free to anyone who visits the library while supplies last. Each seed packet comes with information about ideal growing conditions. Whether you are a new or seasoned gardener, when you use or contribute seeds you join a larger community of people who are preserving gardening knowledge and seed heritage.
You can contribute to this project by bringing non-invasive seeds to donate to the Seed Library or picking up and growing this year’s seeds at your home. If you have success with the seeds you take, please bring some back at the end of the season for next year’s growers and help us promote sustainable gardening for years to come.
Borrowing Seeds is Simple
- Visit the Library during open hours to choose up to "borrow" seeds for your garden.
- Grow your plants and enjoy!
- After harvest, collect some of the seeds to return to the seed library for next year (or share them directly with your own friends and family).
If you're looking for more opportunities for seed preservation and sharing, Madison Public Library recently debuted its own Seed Library program at five participating libraries throughout the Madison area.
For questions about the seed library, get in touch with the Schumacher Library by visiting during library hours or calling 608-246-5805.
Garden Stories
But I Don’t Want to Think About Fall!
Spring is the time to plan for floral and foliage color to keep your garden engaging until the first frosts and beyond.
Don’t Rush Your Spring Clean Up!
There are many benefits to delaying your clean-up process and some environmentally friendly factors to keep in mind.
Spring-Flowering Trees That Deserve a Wider Audience
Crabapples, cherries, and magnolias, while beautiful, are staples in the spring landscape. Check out these lesser-known spring-flowering trees to take your garden to the next level.