From the Registrar: June 29, 2025

Hello Gardeners, 

 

Workday opportunity: There will be a workday this Wednesday, 7/2 at Eagle Heights Gardens from 9 am -12 pm. Two volunteers are needed. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 9 am. The workday will be for weed whacking. Please email me if you’re interested and I will assign the spots in the order I receive replies.  

 

Creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides): This is an extremely invasive plant with a purple flower that is currently blooming. While it does have a nice flower, it will quickly take over. If you see this flower in your garden, please remove it right away and don’t allow it to flower or go to seed:  

https://extension.umn.edu/weeds/creeping-bellflower

 

Thanks, and happy gardening,    

Lily 

From the Registrar: June 25, 2025

Hello Gardeners,  

Some weed and pest reminders:  

• Some varieties of invasive weeds are beginning to flower. It’s important to remove the flowers (and ideally the plants) before they produce seeds that can spread. Please look in your plot for Canada Thistle and Bindweed plants and remove them now:  
• Canada thistle has a light purple flower: https://blogs.cornell.edu/weedid/canada-thistle/ 
• Bindweed has a small flower like a morning glory that’s white to light pink: https://authenticwisconsin.com/field_bindweed.html 

 

• Potato beetles are beginning to spread in the gardens. Please remember to check your plants and remove insects, larvae, and eggs to prevent them from spreading into neighboring plots.  

 

Don’t enter any plots but your own: Remember that you can only enter another gardener’s plot with their permission. Please also make sure that kids don’t play in or run through other gardeners’ plots.  

No harming animals: The large vole population in the Gardens is a constant problem for gardeners each year. Harming or disturbing animals is prohibited inside the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. For this reason, traps and poison are not allowed. Poisoning rodents is also very dangerous for other animals in the area that might eat them. Sound/Ultrasonic repellers for rodents are also not allowed in the Gardens.  

Recommended ways to deal with voles include:  

• Removing hiding places like weeds, brush, and containers. Keeping the ground exposed between your plants will leave the voles susceptible to predators like hawks. 
• Preventing access with fencing, wire mesh, or using raised pots.  
  
  

Drone flight delayed: The research drone flight that was scheduled for Monday over the BioCore Prairie was cancelled due to bad weather. It will be rescheduled, and I will pass that information on if I receive it in advance. 

 

Thanks, and happy gardening,    

Lily    

 

Maintenance request form:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform  

Previous emails:  https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/   

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing/   

From the Registrar: June 20, 2025

Hello Gardeners,  

Row cover available: We have row cover available again for purchase. Please let me know if you’d like some. Pieces are approximately 7 ft x 20 ft and they are $5 each, cash only. http://eagleheightsgardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/row_cover_handout.pdf     

 

Drone flight scheduled: There will be an approved drone flight over the Eagle Heights Garden area on Monday, June 23rd between 10 am and 1 pm. Normally drones are not permitted in the Preserve, but permission is sometimes granted for research purposes. They will be mapping areas in the Biocore Prairie to the North and east of the gardens.  

 

Mulch alternatives: We have run out of leaf mulch very early at both garden sites this year. Unfortunately, we did not receive the amount of leaves that we needed last fall. We expect to receive what we need this fall, but in the meantime, we don’t have all the resources we usually have to keep weeds down. Some alternative mulches to consider are: 

• Paper bags and cardboard- These can work quite well to prevent weed growth when laid out over the soil. 
• Straw- Organic straw can sometimes be difficult to find and is not always sold in stores. There are farmers in the area that sell this though, and they sometimes advertise online.  
• Grass clippings- This can work well if there are not too many weeds in the grass that will spread to your garden. If used, grass clippings should not be spread too thickly while they are green. 
  
  

We will continue to receive deliveries of wood chips at both gardens throughout the season when they are available to us. 

UH plots available: Due to some recent cancellations, we now have some open plots at University Houses gardens. If you know of anyone that is interested in having a plot this season, please let them know. They can contact me with any questions, and applications are available here: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardeners/plot-applications/ 

 

Thanks, and happy gardening,    

Lily    

 

Maintenance request form:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform  

Previous emails:  https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/   

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing/  

From the Registrar: June 10, 2025

Hello Gardeners,  

Workday opportunity: There will be a workday this Friday, 6/13 at University Houses Gardens from 9 am -12 pm. Four volunteers are needed. The group will meet at the UH garden shed at 9 am. The workday will be for weeding plots. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. Please email me if you’re interested and I will assign the spots in the order I receive replies.  

Hoses in path: Please do not leave hoses lying in the path. The garden workers need be able to get through to mow. Stopping to disconnect and move hoses at Eagle Heights and return them to the reels/stands at University Houses takes a lot of extra time. Hoses can be difficult to see in the grass and are easily cut by the mower.  

  

Thanks, and happy gardening,    

Lily    

 

Maintenance request form:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform  

Previous emails:  https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/   

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing/ 

From the Registrar: June 4, 2025

Hello Gardeners,  

Workday opportunity: There will be a workday this Saturday, 6/7 at Eagle Heights Gardens from 8:30 -11:30 am. Eight volunteers are needed. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 8:30 am. The workday will be for weeding and mulching plots. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. Please email me if you’re interested and I will assign the spots in the order I receive replies. 

Colorado potato beetles: The potato beetles have started to come out for the season. Plants may be hosting eggs right now on the underside of the leaves. This is a good time to check your plants and destroy the eggs before they hatch. Once the eggs hatch, plants can be quickly defoliated if there are many larvae. The best method for controlling the eggs, larvae, and adult beetles in your plot is to pick them off and dump them in soapy water. Dealing with them now and throughout the season will help reduce the number in the gardens overall. 

 

Potato beetles will eat the leaves of anything in the Solanaceae family, including tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tomatillos, but most of the damage we see is on potato plants.  

 

The link below from the University of Minnesota Extension has some good pictures of the beetles at each stage of life. Please remember that only organic control methods are allowed. The gardens sometimes spray Spinosad to control them, but it is too early to consider that.  

 

https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/colorado-potato-beetles 

 

Lakeshore Nature Preserve rules: Both Eagle Heights and University Houses Gardens are a part of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. The rules and regulations of the Preserve also apply to the Gardens: 

• We observe the Preserve’s hours, which are 4 AM to 10 pm every day. 
• Bikes are permitted on the garden paths, but not on the Nature Preserve paths. 
• Dogs must always be on a leash everywhere in the Gardens and Preserve.    
• Amplified sound is not permitted in the Preserve. Headphones must be used to listen to music. 
• Nothing can be disposed of in the Preserve (like weeds), and nothing can be taken from the Preserve (like sticks).  

• For additional information about Preserve rules please see their website: https://lakeshorepreserve.wisc.edu/visitor-etiquette/ 

 
Please note that any events that are held at the Gardens must be approved by both the Garden Committee and the Preserve.   

 

Thanks, and happy gardening,   

Lily   

Maintenance request form:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform 

Previous emails:  https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/  

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing/ 

From the Registrar: May 27, 2025

 Hello Gardeners,  

Weeds to remove from your garden: Now that the gardening season is underway, many plants are starting to do very well in the gardens. Unfortunately, this also includes weeds and invasive plants. These are easier to remove when they are small, and if they are left to grow, they will produce seeds and spread.  

Here are some photos of a couple of weeds to look out for and remove from your plot. These photos are from today, so they show the current stage of growth of the plants: 

Artemisia Annua: 

 

Canada Thistle: 

 

 

Tree trimming at EH Gardens: This Thursday UW Physical Plant arborists will be removing two limbs from the mulberry tree in the path of the 1200s row at EH Gardens. They will not be entering any garden plots to do this work.  

 

Thanks, and happy gardening,   

Lily   

Maintenance request form:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform 

Previous emails:  https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/  

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing/