Wildflowers For Wildlife
Description
The Horicon Marsh Education & Visitor Center will host the 2025 Wildflowers for Wildlife event. Find the plants to use to create a beautiful native garden with colorful flowers that attract butterflies, birds and pollinating insects.
This year, we are continuing our partnership with a brand-new native plant business called Bombus. Bombus is a woman-owned small business in the hills of Wisconsin’s driftless area near Dodgeville. The name “Bombus” comes from the Bumblebee’s scientific genus name and is a nod to the company’s commitment to the health of our native pollinators. While Bombus itself is new on the scene, founder Corrine Daniels, “Corrie,” is not. She and her husband, Patrick, have more than 25 years of restoration and native nursery experience. Corrie formerly served as the director of Applied Ecological Services’ Taylor Creek Restoration Nurseries. She now grows natives full-time on her family’s historic dairy farm with the help of her husband, daughters and 80 year-old father. The family is thrilled to bring life back to the former dairy farm where Corrie and her father grew up, and her grandmother was born. They are equally delighted to bring you natives lovingly grown in the rich farmlands of Wisconsin.
Why native plants? Native landscaping restores ecosystems that once covered the Midwestern landscape but are now reduced to small parcels. Once native plants are restored, the birds, mammals, reptiles and beneficial insects return too. Native plants also enrich the soil, decrease run-off and filter pollution. In the long run, native landscaping can save money annually in maintenance costs. Native plants have evolved to thrive in a local environment, which means less watering, fertilizer and time. Experts will be on hand to answer all of your questions!
Partners include Bombus, Friends of Horicon Marsh Education & Visitor Center, the Wisconsin DNR, Friends of Horicon National Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Native plants are available for pre-order until March 31, 2025. New this year, we will have both paper and online pre-orders. Information for both can be found on the Friends of Horicon Marsh website.
Information on native plants can be also be found online.
For more information about plants, contact Jennifer Kakatsch at Jennifer.Kakatsch@wisconsin.gov or 920-387-7889. For details about the sale, please contact Liz Herzmann at Elizabeth.Herzmann@wisconsin.gov or 920-210-9054.
The Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center is located between Horicon and Mayville at N7725 Highway 28, Horicon. For a detailed list of all special events, please visit the Friends of Horicon Marsh website.