Chippewa River Trolley: Behind the Garden Gates: Exploring the Private Spaces of Eau Claire’s Master Gardeners

Our tour begins at Libby Stupak’s remarkable half-acre garden, a property that proves you don’t need a traditional turf lawn to have a breathtaking yard. The front yard bursts with natives, nativars, and cultivars, while the shaded east side and sun-dappled back hillside showcase prairie plants and shade-tolerant species. The tree canopy includes oak, cherry, hackberry, ironwood, pagoda dogwood, serviceberry, and more. The Stupaks even extended their conservation efforts to neighboring lots, clearing invasive buckthorn throughout the area.

From there, we’ll visit Ellen Terwilliger’s beautiful garden where you’ll see how native and non-native plants, trees, and shrubs can coexist to provide inviting habitats for birds, insects, and other wildlife.

Then, we’ll stop at a vibrant public pollinator garden where Master Gardeners did the hard work of removing invasive species and replacing them with native sedges and shrubs, creating a haven for local pollinators.

Thu. May. 28 9am

Fri. May. 29 2pm