According to the Allen Centennial Garden website, below is the history of the Garden.
The Allen Centennial Garden was dedicated in October 1989. The former teaching gardens
attached to the Plant Sciences building were destroyed in 1979 to make room for a new
building addition. In the early 1980s, plans evolved for a new instructional garden (what
would eventually become the Allen Centennial Garden) to be located on the 2.5 acres
surrounding the historic Dean's Residence, one block north of the Plant Sciences building.
The development of the Allen Centennial Garden was designed to complement the home and its
existing plantings, including the larch tree (Larix decidua) planted in 1899 to commemorate
the birth of the dean-in-residence's son. Early donations from student groups and anonymous
gifts were available for the initial planning and design. With a substantial gift from Mrs.
Ethel Allen, the groundbreaking was possible for construction to begin in the spring of
1985. Ethel Allen, a former member of the UW faculty, received a bachelor's degree in
botany, a Masters in bacteriology, and an honorary Doctorate of Science from the University.
She was a renowned naturalist and international authority in her field. A Madison resident,
she was instrumental in providing support for the early phases of Garden construction as
well as multiple additional gifts to UW-Madison programs. Ethel Allen was married to
University of Wisconsin bacteriologist, Dr. Oscar Allen. Professor Allen taught at the
university from 1948 until his death in 1976. This eminent couple co-authored what is
considered the "encyclopedia" of the role of legumes in nitrogen fixation. Naming the
Gardens after the Allens in 1989 coincided with the commemoration of the 100th year
anniversary of the Department of Horticulture, hence the Garden's full name of Allen
Centennial Garden. Allen Centennial Garden is constantly evolving. The varied topography and
exposures of the 90,000 square foot site allow for a great diversity of plantings and the
hardscapes. The major emphasis within the Garden is on herbaceous ornamental perennials but
the site features many other plantings including annuals and woody plants.
