Driftless Arboretum/Botanical Gardens at Scenic Valley Farm
- Where: Located at Scenic Valley Farm
- A non profit privately owned with public access
- When: Opening in Summer 2026
Current Projects:
We are working on three water features:
- A fountain in the Shade/Hosta Garden
- A pond/waterfall in the Herb/Sensory Garden
- A pond/waterfall feature near the main entrance
Project Status Jan 10 2026:
We are seeking funding through grants.
We are preparing our seed orders for annual and perennial flowes and wildflowers and grasses.
Project Status Nov 21 2025:
From our trips Bachman’s Wholesale Nursery Lakevile MN) we secured various hardwood (31), evergreen (3), apples (9), pears(2) plums (1) and 75 perrinials/shrubs. Most of the hardwood are 2-3″ B&B and large container (15-25 gal pots). They are bedded in for the winter. 
We have also started from seed in our greenhouse another 300 perinnials flowers and grasses. All next spring we plan to plant. Our ponds are also bedded in for the winter with construction finished in the spring. We have begun the process of looking for Arboretum grants for 2026.
Project Status Nov 11 2025:
We are working (two trips to Bachman’s Wholesale Nursery Lakevile MN) on buying deciduous and conifers trees. perennial plants and shrubs from Bachman’s Landscape Nursery in Lakeville MN. We are expanding our Maple Collection, adding new tree varieties and expanding the Perennial Gardens; Later this week volunteers and I will be working on the pond/waterfall at the main entrance. We are saving our extensive collection of zinneas dried blooms for the seeds. They are available in baggies for people to take.
In the Spring of 2026 there are a couple Arboretum Grants available that we plan to summit proposals.
The aeborerun & botanical garden features include:
1. Garden plots for Community Garden with some possible inside a high tunnel
The garden plots will be availailable to the people living in the towns of Kickapoo and Readstown. The footprint of high tunnel 1 (30’x96′) willl be used. This high tunnel collaspe because of snow load. 10×20′ garden plots raised with 2×12″ wood boards for the sides along with various sized galvanize raised gardens will be provided. A well balanced compost along with water and wood mulch will be available. A yearly fee will be charged.
2. Education classes for kids and adults
a. Growing watercress at home.
b. Maple sap collecttion and making maple syrup.
3. Educational Seminars
“Good Food-Good Health” via nurse volunteer for kids and adults
4. Herb (sensory) garden featuring watercress
A rock garden with small pond and waterfall with various sensory, theraputic, good health herbs plants. Our feature herb is watercress.
The hole is dug on 7.25.25 for the pond and water fall.
Our sensory garden construction is tucked in for the winter. Next Spring after the pond and water fall are completed we plan to plant various edible and fragrant herbs around the garden perimeter. In the pond and waterfall we will plant edible watercress and fragrant waterlilly. Many of the plants will be started from seed in our adjacent green house including the watercress.
Yes, watercress is widely considered one of the most nutritious foods, topping the CDC’s list of “powerhouse fruits and vegetables” with a perfect nutrient density score of 100, meaning it packs more essential vitamins and minerals per calorie than almost any other food, like vitamin C (more than oranges) and vitamin K (more than milk).
Seminars will be given on growing watercress at home including the uses and nutrition value. T
Key Nutritional Strengths
- High Nutrient Density: Watercress scores 100/100 on the CDC’s nutrient density scale, beating kale, spinach, and Chinese cabbage, as noted in sources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Vitamins: Excellent source of Vitamins A, C, and K, crucial for vision, immunity, and bone health, surpassing oranges and broccoli in Vitamin C and E content, respectively.
- Minerals: Rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron, providing more calcium per gram than milk and high levels of other essential minerals, according to watercress.co.uk.
- Antioxidants: Packed with antioxidants, lutein, and zeaxanthin, contributing to its potential anti-cancer and DNA-protective properties, says The Healthy @Reader’s Digest.
A register nurse will be available and presenting educational seminars on therapeutic qualities of the plants. Including instructions on growing the plants at your home.
5. Trees and shrubs
There are over 100 mature trees with 40 some varieties over 20 years old, We will eventaully place name tags on the trees. Here are some of the trees:
Many of the trees are maple. In the early Spring we tap the trees for maple sap and boil down to maple syrup
in the outdoor sugar shack. We are offering demonstrations.
6. Water gardens
Two holes are dug on 7.2.25 and EPDM liners for the ponds have been ordered: Mike Lepke dug the holes.
7. Patio for relaxing and beverages
8. Butterfly garden – outside & inside tunnel
Gardens of zinnias for the buuerflys:
High tunnel is being prepared for the indoor butterfly garden.
9. Rose garden
10. Perennial plant garden – Demo garden
11. Annual plant garden – Demo garden
12. Walkways/Paths
Walkway in wildflowers.
Food Plot of clover and pumplins for the deer.
13. Vertical/raised gardens for flowers, veggies, berries
14. Compost Bins – From recycled food waste
15. Pollinator garden
16. Wildflower garden
Along with our natural wildflowers and grasses, see pics bellow, we plan for 2026:1) one forth acre in cultivated wildflowers and grasses, 2) thirteen beds of sellected wildflowers and grasses. All will be started from seed. Eventially we will offer demonstrations to the public, wildflower/grasses propagation and planting.
17. Vertical Strawberries
18. Evergreen Tree collection
19. Hosta/Shade Garden
20. Edible Berries Collection
In ground day-neutral strawberries with spotted wing drosophala insect neting.
Strawberries grown vertically in stacked pots. Click on Verticalky Growing Strawberries.,
Strawberries grown using vertical stacked pots, Nov 1 2025
Blackberry 2025
A cluster of large berries
Strawberries and lemon drop marigolds
21. Vegetable Garden Demo
22. Solar Thermal to heat high tunnels
23. Recycle Food Waste and Compost
24. Fruit Trees
Various apple varities, pear. plum, peach, apricots, cherry, fig, mulberry, persimmon & serviceberry.
Firewood
We are looking for Volunteers for the Arboretum Project. Contact me if you are interested.
A presentation – Aboretum at SVF
We are applying for grants via foundations to help pay for plants, material and labor. And maybe some state grants since all federal scientific grants have been suspended. We have identified grants for every feature ranging in size from $500-$100,000.