Yard MD blog: Barkhausen garden gets a makeover

Birds and butterflies are welcome to check out the new native butterfly garden at Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve, just north of Green Bay, thanks to a newly designed native plant garden installed by Stone Silo Prairie Gardens, Brown County Park staff and volunteers from Saputo Cheese USA, which donated to the project.

Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve is located at 2024 Lakeview Drive, Suamico. This is just east of the Lineville exit off U.S. 41.

The preserve features over 9 miles of trails winding through various habitats, including marsh, woodland, prairie, pond and swamp that sprawl over 920 acres along the west shore of Green Bay.

For years, the garden, initially constructed 20 years ago and located behind the main West Shores Interpretive Center building at Barkhausen, has been slowly overtaken by towering cup plant, which, while native, can still choke out other smaller native wildflowers and plants. In addition, the small pond had developed leaks and was basically invisible, hidden behind a thick growth of cup plant, cattails and ferns.

"Before we completed the work that was done this summer, the garden consisted of a flagstone path, benches, a pond and mostly cup plant," said Justin Kroening, owner of Stone Silo, De Pere. "Cup plant is a wonderful native plant with a large taproot, goldfinches love it. The downfall of cup plant is its ability to spread by way of seed in managed soil."

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Outdoor seating and a fireplace enable for outdoor programming year-round in the newly designed native plant garden at Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve. ROB ZIMMER/Post-Crescent Media. (Photo: Rob Zimmer/Post-Crescent Media )

Kroening said that other native plants that were intermingled with the cup plant including fireweed, wild columbine, shooting star, butterfly weed and some joe-pye weed were left in place to enable them to take advantage of the area now free from dense stands of cup plant.

In addition to the layout redesign and new plantings, hardscaping was also installed in the garden.

"The flagstone was lifted and reset in a way that the path is now ADA compliant. A brick patio was installed, along with new benches and a fireplace. With the help of the wonderful staff at the park, we were also able to redo the pond," Kroening said.

A new pond was dug within the area, with a small waterfall feature added as well.

The garden was replanted with many new native plants, especially designed to create habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife, then heavily mulched to enable the plants to become established without competition.

Newly installed plants include cardinal flower, butterfly weed, dotted mint, bee balm or wild bergamot, wild blue phlox, penstemon, little blue stem grass, goldenrod and many more.

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The new Saputo Recreation Area located at Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve along the west shore of Green Bay, features a newly installed native plant garden, pond, waterfall and seating area for group programs. ROB ZIMMER/Post-Crescent Media. (Photo: Rob Zimmer/Post-Crescent Media )

These plants will provide continuous color, texture, food and shelter for wildlife from spring right through fall.

"All of the natives will benefit butterflies and other wildlife," Kroening said. "The milkweed is a food source for both the larvae and adult stage of monarchs, and some of the other varieties offer great habitat for wildlife, as well as a food source from seed or pollen."

In fact, Kroening went heavy on stunning orange milkweed.

"With 30 new orange milkweed plants, the blast of striking orange will be incredible," he said.

While the new plantings may look a little sparse now in fall, the garden will quickly fill in over the coming years to create a stunning display of native wildflowers and shrubs where wildlife will feel welcome.

"With proper maintenance, this garden will become a wonderland of color, texture and wildlife in the years to come," Kroening said. "It will take 3 or 4 years to mature."

The new Saputo Recreation Area will be used for educational programs, public events and the enjoyment of park visitors and, of course, local wildlife.