A VISIT TO THE ROBERT W MONK PUBLIC GARDENS IN WAUSAU, WISCONSIN

AN EMERGING WASAUA, WISCONSIN GARDEN...

...WITH A COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN

ENTRANCE  KIOSK AND STORAGE SHED

MEMORIAL GARDEN AND PLAZA

FIRST ELEMENTS OF A MEDITATION GARDEN

TREE HOUSES 

Thursday, 8:30 AM.  62 degrees, wind SW, light.  The sky is clear, the humidity is 84% and the barometer stands at 30.0".  We are in for some more nice weather.
   We got back too late to pick Buddy up from the vet's kennel in Ashland yesterday, so I am off to get him shortly; we are anxious to see how he is.
   The trip to Wausau and tour of the developing Robert W. Monk Public Gardens was very interesting and worthwhile.  It is a fast growing cultural institution in a vibrant Central Wisconsin community.  It was begun some years ago by Robert W. Monk III, a prominent local businessman, whose dream was to create a public garden for Wausau residents and visitors.  He donated twenty acres for the garden, which has some features he personally developed.
   The gardens were incorporated a decade ago, its mission statement being, "To promote an understanding of the aesthetic, economic, and ecological role of plants."  The site has a large pond, pine  plantations and other forest trees, a new system of walkways, several recently developed gardens and a wonderful tree house complex located in a wooded area.  Several new garden features, including a vegetable garden and potager will be added this year, and major infrastructure projects have just been completed.  A comprehensive professional master plan has been developed to guide future expansion.  At this point the garden is run by volunteers, with a small summer staff paid for through grants.  Children's education will be a major future program, complete with a children's garden.
   While we were touring the grounds there was a constant flow of visitors, mainly families with children but tourists as well, the later who were able to find the gardens in spite of a lack of off-site signage.    For further information on the gardens, go to www.rwmonkgardens.org.
   Even in its still embryonic state this garden is worth a visit, and in particular to see how a public garden can  grow from a dream to a major community resource.