Foxfire Botanical Gardens in Marshfield, WI
In 1978, Dr. Stephen and Linda Schulte bought the property where Foxfire gardens is now located. They began to build their 2 story brick home on the property. Not too long after they moved in the Schulte’s bought and transported one of Marshfield’s remaining old brick streets and used it for their circle drive. This started one of the many recycling additions in the process of developing Foxfire Gardens. They said they never had a plan when they first started out, but they had a sense that something was waiting to be born.
In 1985, Foxfire Gardens was ready and opened to the public. Dr. Stephen and Linda Schulte and their three children Kale, Baaron, and Skye do all the maintainence and up keep on the property with the occasional help from a local volunteer or two. In 2002, the gardens received the status of a botanical garden and is consider one of the Midwests’s best hidden gems. It is also an official National Hosta Display Garden for the American Hosta Society.
As you walk through the 15 acres of Foxfire Gardens, you will be in awe at how beautiful it is. Make sure to bring a camera! The gorgeous flowers and plant life filling the property are just amazing. They blend the techniques of Eastern and Western gardening. The Tea House Gardens is also a very amazing site to see. There is so much area to explore throughout the grounds. Also check out the gift shop. There is some really neat things that you can purchase in there.
The garden is open everyday from 10 am to 5 pm from May 1st to October 1st. For the general public admission is free. You can ask for a guided tour though, if you’d like, but they do charge a small fee for that. They are constantly getting groups of people from all over the world so that they too can enjoy the scenary of the gardens. Individuals from New Zealand, Germany, Japan, and Africa have been some of the visitors to this beautiful place.
Anyone that has walked through the gardens will agree that this is a unique and breathtaking place! Some people say that walking through the garden is like being in a wonderland! Another person said it is one of the most beautiful places in the area. And they are right by saying that. Foxfire gardens prints and distributes over 5000 brochures every summer. But since it is free to walk around the gardens, it is hard to say how many people walk through the grounds every year.
They do allow wedding ceremonies for up to 300 guests be performed at the location. You can contact Stephen and Linda for more information on pricing and availability at 715-387-3050.
