The inaugural Family Horticulture Day will be Saturday April 30 from 10 to 2 at the West Madison Agricultural Research Station (WMARS) in collaboration with Dane County Master Gardeners and Dane County 4-H youth and adult volunteers.

New! See the April 25 Wisconsin State Journal story.

(Posted with permission. Click here for large 300 dpi ".pdf" file.)

Family Horticulture Day will feature many "Exploration Stations" where people can explore the science of horticulture. Below is a listing of Exploration Stations which will be at Family Horticulture Day. See Bob Cooney's great news release about the event.

Indoors in the Headquarters Building

Plant Science Exploration Stations indoors in the conference room will be staffed by 4H members or Master Gardeners.

Extracting DNA Glop from Wheat Germ
Extract DNA glop from wheat germ using just stuff you can find in your kitchen. Ponder the puzzle: given the choice between having a plate full of cookies or the recipe card for cookies, which would you take--and why? This helps you get a grip on why it's powerful to be able to extract and work with DNA--the genetic recipe card of life!
Measure and Move a Millionth of a Liter
The adjustable, hand-held micropipette is one of the icons of biotechnology. It's used in real labs and clinics and you can see it used on TV crime shows to measure and move tiny droplets of liquid. The adjustable micropipette was invented in Madison and Middleton, making it a great example of Wisconsingenuity. You'll learn how to hold, adjust and use a $200 micropipette to measure and move as little as a millionth of a liter. (As the classic German chemists used to say: Messen ist Wissen. To measure is to know--but to move is to go!)
Invent the Squirt Gun!
Here's a stepwise series of ingenuity challenges. Given a plastic straw and a cup of colorful water, invent as many ways as you can to move a drop of water from the cup to the tabletop, using the straw. Then can you improvise an eye-dropper out of the straw? Try inventing the V-shaped "two-legged" eye dropper. Next, get a 6 inch long cotton swab, and team that up with your straw: can you invent the syringe? Finally, by adding a blue plastic tip as a nozzle, can you invent the squirt gun? Add a little serendipity: can you invent the slide whistle? These puzzles show that the link between "engineering" and "ingenuity" is not just that they come from the same root word.
CataLase and the Foam Factor
Ever put a drop of hydrogen peroxide on a cut on your finger? The drop makes a foam. Same with some seeds, including bean seeds. Can you design a do an experiment to test which seeds have the Foam Factor? Once you know the Foam Factor is there, can you do some sleuth work to figure out more about it?
The Paradox of the DNA Tube at Family Horticulture Day
We give you a small clear tube labeled "A Sample of DNA." You see a white fuzzy string inside. But wait a minute: isn't DNA too small to be seen?! Now you get to experience science as exploring the unknown. Design and do an experiment to test your ideas about DNA, using just one little hint: DNA dissolves in water. One more paradox: we'll show you how you can build a human DNA model that you can take home or anywhere!
Introducing Manduca the Supermodel!
The Manduca Tobacco Hornworm is the big green caterpillar that eats tomoto leaves and turns into a hawkmoth. Manduca is not a big pest, but insect scientists find it useful to study anyway, as a model organism That's because it's a great way to quickly study the genes involved in how things grow and develop--for example, things like wings. Puzzle this out: Why do scientists work with model organisms, and what makes a good model organism?
Mapping Your Face: See Yourself in a Different Light
Maps help us see information and make connections. Here, you'll use a mineral light to cast a glow so you can see and map the condition of the skin of your face. You can design and try experiments testing skin treatments, with the left half getting one treatment and the right half another. Try out two key ideas in science: to describe nature (in this case, your face) and to test ideas by experiment.

Outdoor Exploration Stations

Biological Control of Purple Loosestrife

Loosestrife is a problem throughout Wisconsin wetlands. Loosestrife clogs waterways and destroys the habitat for native plant species. A small insect has been found that eats only loosestrife. Visit this station to see the insect. View plants that have been eaten by the creatures. And if your are interested take home a kit to raise the insects for the Extension service.
Native Perennial Gardens

Visit with experts who will show you how to develop a garden of flowering plants which return each year and are Wisconsin natives. Learn what plants will bloom in early spring and how to plan so there are always plants blooming until late fall – birds, bees and butterflies love these plants too.
Rain Gardens that Fit Your Home Landscape

Join an expert that can help you plan, develop, plant and care for a home rain garden. Keep the rain that falls on your roof of your buildings on your land. Using Wisconsin native plants can not only save runoff water, but bring in native butterflies, insects and birds – what a bonus for all!
Labyrinths for Those Who Wish to Meditate

Walk the new labyrinth and feel the meditative powers of the path. Labyrinths quite the mind and encourage meditation and insight into a calmer being. Walk the path with your children and enjoy the peaceful nature of the paths and the wonderful smell of thyme.
Spring Flowering Bulbs - for Color and Fun

Visit with an expert on Spring flowering bulbs. Learn what bulbs work best in Wisconsin and see the hundreds of bloom bulbs at the Station. Take a walk along the paths of flowering bulbs and take the time to sniff the wonderful frangrance of each.

The Soil and Plant Analysis Lab

The Soil and Plant Analysis Lab will offer an Open House, including demos and Q and A on how to collect soil samples and plant samples for analyzing soil fertility in gardens and in lawns.

In tents

These Horticulture Exploration Stations will be in tents set up outside and just to the west of the conference room.

The Popcorn Challenge

Popcorn comes in lots of colors, including white, yellow, red, purple and black. So, how do you figure out which type makes better popcorn? Design and do an experiment to make a fair compare of the different colors of corn. You'll get to deal with two types of puzzles: one is how to compare things like popping size that you can measure, and the other is finding out which types people like better. Get an tasty introduction to the joys of the objective traits and the subjective traits that plant breeders work with when breeding new strains of crops.
Rainbow of Potatoes

Have you ever seen mashed potatoes that are purple? Potatoes range in colors from red, pink, purple, yellow, blue and the tried and true white you usually eat. Visit the potato station and see how potatoes grow and how you can grow a potato on your deck or apartment balcony. Take home a potato tuber or "seed" and grow your own.
Transplanting Tomato Seedlings Made Easy

Have you every wanted to grow your own tomatoes? Feel intimidated by the little plants? We can help. Learn what soil to use, how to transplant the tiny plants, and how to care for them at home. Even more fun — take home your transplants, grow them in your garden or on your patio, and enjoy the fruits of your work.
Sowing Seeds for Good Food or Beautiful Flowers

Have you looked at seed packages in garden stores and been afraid to try growing your own plants? Join us and learn the proper soil, pots, and depth to sow seeds, and how to care for the seeds at home. Best yet — take home a pack of seeds to grow your own.
Herbs for Cooking and Fragrance

View the herbs in the garden and in pots. Learn how to use them in a pot or poperie. Take home a small cutting to use for your first meal. The experts in the garden will help you learn how to plant, how to care for and when best to use herbs.