Our Gardens
The centerpiece of Bookworm Gardens is our whimsical Hansel and Gretel administration building, which houses two classrooms, offices, and a small retail space. It is just as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside! This classroom space can be rented for small gatherings and meetings. Please contact us for details.
As funding becomes available, we will add two large outdoor spaces next to the building. The Secret Garden will look like a ruin, constructed from the same brick and stone as the building. Directly adjacent to the Secret Garden will be the outdoor kitchen, a large space designed for both hands-on and demonstration cooking. These spaces, in conjunction with the main classroom of the building, will eventually be available for rental.
Imagine watching a play in the woods, set against the backdrop of trees, birds and crickets! Our amphitheatre is nestled in the base of the ravine, and will be constructed from natural stone. Although the amphitheatre won’t open until next year, work will begin this fall.
The gardens themselves are divided into different areas. Each area has a gateway entrance which houses the books for that specific area.
Books
- Hansel and Gretel
- A Friend to All
- The Big Red Tub
- Mother Earth and her Children
- The Secret Garden
- Bugs for Lunch
Our Main Entrance, Walkway, and Multipurpose Area
Enter a world of literature and natural beauty through our whimsical Bookworm arch and descend to the Giving Tree Entrance Plaza. Engraved bricks surround the plaza, celebrating the many donations of time, labor and talent that have made our garden a reality. The central path leads to the multipurpose area, the heart of the garden, which houses several different book gardens. Home to two very rare American Chestnut trees, this space gives kids a spot to run, roll, and wriggle. The area also includes our language and literacy gardens, including enabling gardens and a rainbow complete with a pot of gold.
Books
- A Girl Named Helen Keller
- Alison’s Zinnia
- Chrysanthemum
- Frankie the Walk and Roll Dog
- Goodnight Moon
- Harold and the Purple Crayon
- He Came with the Couch
- Jack and the Beanstalk
- Planting a Rainbow
- Tennis Shoes
- The Giving Tree
- Sarah, Plain and Tall
- The Magic Schoolbus Plants Seeds
- Where the Wild Things Are
Woodland
The main feature of the woodland area is, of course, the treehouse, based on the series of chapter books titled The Magic Treehouse. Cantilevered over the ravine, the children will experience being in a real treehouse. Our Japanese teahouse and garden, based on One Leaf Rides the Wind and Sadako and the Thousand Cranes, is also located in the forest, showcasing woodland and shade loving plants. Finally, the cabin from Little House in the Big Woods offers children a chance to pretend they’re keeping house in a log cabin or traveling across the Midwest in a covered wagon. A myriad of book characters call the woodland home as well; Winnie the Pooh, Laura Ingalls Wilder, the Three Bears, and lots of tiny fairies, just to name a few.
- Explore the trails of the forest and identify the natural objects you find along the way.
- Visit Winnie the Pooh, tracking Woozles and Roo.
- Build your own fairy house in the woods.
- Learn to make origami paper cranes.
- Rake a pattern in the Japanese sand garden.
- Sweep the path to the log cabin with a tiny old fashioned broom.
Books
- Fairy Houses
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears
- Little House in the Big Woods
- One Leaf Rides the Wind
- Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
- The Magic Tree House
- Winnie the Pooh
Farm Garden
Dominated by a small, post and beam barn, the farm and garden gateway acts as the center of our educational programming. Raised garden plots are accessible for planting, nurturing and harvesting typical Wisconsin farm crops. The scarecrow from The Tale of Peter Rabbit guards these crops, as well as the veggies in our pizza and salsa gardens. Sculptures and planters made from recycled "junk" teach children stewardship and enforce themes from The Tin Forest, while parents rest in the Sock is a Pocket arbor.
- Find Charlotte’s message in the spider web in the barn.
- At harvest time make pizza with ingredients from the pizza garden.
- Read the tale of Johnny Appleseed and count the apples on the trees in the orchard.
- Look for Peter Rabbit. Has he eaten all the flowers???
Books
- A Kid's Herb Book
- Charlotte's Web
- Click, Clack, Moo
- Curious George and the Pizza
- Diary of a Worm
- From Corn to Cereal
- George Washington Carver
- Growing Vegetable Soup
- Johnny Appleseed
- Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots
- The Tin Forest
- Tops & Bottoms
- Gathering the Sun
- A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes
Memory Garden
Visitors to the Memory Area will be enchanted as they walk through the lovely and colorful butterfly garden. Filled with annuals and perennials selected to support caterpillars, butterflies, and hummingbirds, the area also includes three lovely serviceberry trees, native trees which attract birds and have starry white flowers in spring and brilliant fall color. At the end of the path, visitors arrive at the quietest part of Bookworm Gardens, the Memory Library. This area is furnished with comfortable rocking chairs where visitors may share memories, rest, and read. A stone libary wall allows for honoring of individuals with engraved granite books.
- Visit with your friends and loved ones while rocking in a comfy chair.
- Count and identify butterflies.
- Pretend you are a caterpillar and turn into a butterfly!
Books
- Waiting for Wings
- Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge
Pond and Wetland
Water always seems to be an attraction for children, and our pond and island is already a favorite destination. Located at the core of the garden, the McElligot’s Pool pond is visually highlighted by a wooden bridge with a rope railing. Filled with aquatic plants and fish, the pond will enthrall children and their parents alike.
- Explore the ducklings nest in Make Way for Ducklings.
- Search for tadpoles.
- Float some rubber ducks down the stream.
Books
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
- Make Way for Ducklings
- McElligot’s Pool
- The Story about Ping
Creative Expression
Enter the world of art and music! The Creative Gateway features a tiny house made from sunflowers, entered by stepping through several picture frames inspired by Katie and the Sunflowers. This area will also eventually house several gardens celebrating the joy of music and poetry.
- Imagine you are traveling from painting to painting in search of your dog.
- Play ‘house’ in the sunflower house.
Books
- Katie and the Sunflowers
- The Waterfall's Gift
- Joyful Noise
Animal Gardens
Because children love critters, animals are an important part of the garden. In the Dinosaur Bones garden children will dig for prehistoric fossils surrounded by ancient plants guarded by a friendly dinosaur. Horton protects his eggs from his perch in a giant tree in Horton Hatches the Egg, while nests and eggs of other sizes offer opportunities for learning and creating. Is Your Mama a Llama features plants with animal names (bee balm, lambs' ears, etc) while miniature plants surround the home of Stuart Little. There are sure to be many small volunteers wanting to wash Harry the Dirty Dog who will often need a bath.
- Build a straw, wood or brick house for The Three Little Pig.
- Pretend to make lunch in Monster's Playhouse.
- Hatch your own egg.
- Look for notes in the treehouse of Twitch.
- Give Harry a bath!
Books
- Diary of a Wombat
- Dinosaur Bones
- Harry the Dirty Dog
- Horton Hatches the Egg
- Is Your Mama a Llama
- Playhouse for Monster
- Sand County Almanac
- Stuart Little
- The Three Little Pigs
- Twitch
- The Wind in the Willows