University of Wisconsin–Madison

Blog Posts

Introducing the Makers’ Circle

Hi all, We are excited to introduce our Makers’ Circle for 2026. This is a meet up for makers (all kinds) on selected Saturdays.  Here are the specifics: The meet up is free. It is open to all craft forms and creative endeavors. It will emphasize fabric and clothing. If you draw, journal, contemplate, and/or …

Interpretation Q and A

Hi, my name is Sam! I’m the interpretation intern for Allen Centennial Garden this 2026 spring semester. This means that I am writing the informational signs that will be placed throughout the garden. A little bit about me: I’m currently a sophomore studying conservation biology. I grew up spending all my free time out in …

Building on a theme – Illuminate the Garden

Visitors of Allen Centennial Garden know it packs a punch. On just 2.5 acres of land, we proudly feature 27 different styles of gardening. Most of these gardens feature perennials for ease of maintenance and cost-saving. However, 2 of the 27 gardens at Allen Garden are annual display gardens, featuring a rotating spectacle of showy …

Interns reflect on working at ACG

You might wonder what it’s like to be an intern at Allen Centennial Garden. Will I mostly be making copies or actually getting practical work experience? We’ve gathered some feedback from our interns that we hope will help answer your questions. Our goal is to support the professional development of our interns through many hands-on …

2025 Wreath Workshops

Support the Garden and join us for our festive yearly tradition of wreath making! Sign up for an in-person workshop or take home a DIY-kit. Both include enough evergreens to freshen up any door or holiday table, dried plants, a wire form, and plenty of wire to pull it all together. Hand pruners, shears, and …

2025 Harvest Folk Festival Lineup

Meet our performers for the 2025 Harvest Festival on October 4.  (Listed in order of appearance) Beni Daiko We are excited to welcome Madison’s Japanese Taiko group Beni Daiko to kick off the Harvest Festival’s live performances this year, starting at 12:45pm on October 4. Founded in November 2012, our group now includes members from …

Intern Project – Embroidery with Garden Colors

Post written by Lila Becker, Allen Centennial Garden Programs and Education Intern I first started embroidery during the pandemic, when the days often blurred together. I craved something slow, tactile, and grounding to contrast my life full of technology and Zoom calls. Sitting by the window in my bedroom, I found solace in the repetition …

Intern Project – Miniature Cranberry Bog

Post by Fernando de la Torre, ACG horticulture intern for summer 2025. As a PhD student in  plant breeding and plant genetics at UW-Madison, my specialization has been in breeding intersectional hybrids of Vaccinium – which is the family of plants that contains blueberry, cranberry, and lingonberry, among others. For summer 2025, I wanted to …

Intern Project – The Science of Dyeing

This post was written by Allen Centennial Garden Programs Apprentice Ava Jeffery. The best place to teach science isn’t a classroom, but a garden full of curious children with hammers! As the Community and Educational Programs Apprentice at ACG, my goal was to infuse approachable science lessons into the pre-existing workshops the Garden was already …