Gardeners invited to Family Horticulture Day

Tired of the same old backyard bounty? Maybe it's time to plant some red, pink or blue popcorn, or white, purple or black carrots.

These colorful cultivars will be among the ideas offered at the Family Horticulture Day, to be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison's West Madison Agricultural Research Station.

Here are a few of the many activities available to gardeners of all ages and skill levels:

• Self-tours of the station's extensive demonstration gardens to compare hundreds of varieties of herbs and spring flowers.
• Taste-tests of four types of popcorn and three varieties of Babcock Hall ice cream flavored with plant extracts.
• The opportunity to sow pumpkin and sunflower seeds and transplant cabbage, broccoli and kale seedlings and herbs, and take them home to plant in your garden
• Information on getting your soil analyzed and making use of the findings
• Answers to gardening questions provided by Dane County master gardeners and F. H. King student research interns
• A chance to check out the DNA of Wisconsin whooping cranes and learn how native quail reproduce and grow – maybe in your backyard
• A stop at Slow Food Madison's Carrot Caf�, where children can taste and discuss the texture, taste and colors of peppers, squash, carrots and tomatoes.

The West Madison station is located at 8502 Mineral Point Road, one-half mile west of the Beltline. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit http://www.cals.wisc.edu/westmad/.