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Hartung Park Pond

Revisiting Hartung Park: Floating islands and so much more!

September 8, 2020  |  Topics: Places


By Eddee Daniel

If you saw my pictures of Hartung Park’s floating islands when they were installed in September 2018, you may have wondered, as I did, what they would look like when the plantings on them had time to mature. Well, since it’s been two years it seemed like a good time to revisit and check them out again. I’m happy to report, as you can see in these new photos, that the islands are burgeoning with wildflower blossoms. As you may recall from my 2018 story, the islands were created and set afloat in order to help filter the water in the detention pond and create habitat for aquatic species.

Floating Islands
Floating Islands

Hartung pond is not only located on the Milwaukee/Wauwatosa boundary line, it also is jointly administered by the two cities. And while the islands are fascinating and beautiful enough to warrant a visit, the park has much more to offer, especially during the wildflower blooming season—a wealth of nature all in one place!

I invite you to enjoy my photo essay.

Sunrise over the pond
Sunrise over the pond
Island close up
Island close up
A quiet morning stroll
A quiet morning stroll
Echinacea (purple coneflower) and Monarda (bee balm)
Echinacea (purple coneflower) and Monarda (bee balm)
Walking the labyrinth
Walking the labyrinth
A patch of ironweed blossoms
A patch of ironweed blossoms (purple)
Viceroy butterfly, a monarch look-alike
Viceroy butterfly, a monarch look-alike
Detention pond berm, a wildflower garden!
Detention pond berm, a wildflower garden!
View of islands from the berm
View of islands from the berm
The largest patch of nodding onion I've ever seen!
The largest patch of nodding onion I’ve ever seen!
Nodding onion close up
Nodding onion close up
Hillside path
Hillside path
Ragweed close up
Ragweed close up
Coneflower close up
Coneflower close up

Addendum: I just learned that the Hartung Park Community Association is holding a 10-year anniversary celebration on Sept. 19 from 2:30 to 4:00 pm in the park. Maybe I’ll see you there!

To learn more about the floating islands go to “Floating islands help rehabilitate Hartung Park.”

Eddee Daniel is Project Director of A Wealth of Nature, a project of Preserve Our Parks.