![“A neighbor’s grandson made [this garden shed] out of cut logs,” says Aaroen of the rustic structure on the museum's grounds. “It's a nice backdrop for the plants.”](https://bravamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/McFarlandGardenClub-LarsonHouse10-870x580.jpg)
By Hannah Wente | Photography by Shanna Wolf
In McFarland, community pride takes root in the garden beds that line its streets and landmarks.
Behind these spaces is the McFarland Garden Club, a dedicated group of volunteers that tend the soil, caring for beautiful blooms for the community to enjoy.
Club members meticulously manage the gardens at the Larson Home Museum, bringing a historic home’s gardens back to its former glory. On a cheerful street corner, beautiful blooms burst around the McFarland Garden Club’s sign. And in a quiet backyard, the garden club’s vice president has designed her home garden to mirror a slower, peaceful phase of life.
A SERENE ESCAPE
JoAnn Hoffman has been a member of the McFarland Garden Club for 12 years and is currently vice president.
She started her garden when she moved to McFarland in 1988 and initially planted a mix of colorful, sun-loving flowers. Over the decades, her garden has morphed into something calmer: a shade garden with pastel hues. The trees she and her husband planted have created depth and interest.
“When I first moved here it was an all- sun garden,” Hoffman says. “Now the goal is serenity — something that looks nice from the porch. The serenity of Japanese gardens inspires me the most.”
She also draws inspiration from botanical gardens across the country, including a recent road trip she and her husband took through Iowa, Missouri and Kansas.
“We always check out the botanical garden wherever we go,” she adds. Hoffman volunteers weekly at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, which allows her to learn about new plants and techniques from professional horticulturalists.
Currently, she’s trying to establish a butterfly garden in her yard.
She’s happy with the natural evolution of her green space over the last 35-plus years. The vibrant blooms of past years have transitioned into graceful, soft hues — something Hoffman actively cultivates and appreciates.
“I like pastel colors — I like things softer and quieter,” she says.
REVIVING A HISTORIC CENTERPIECE
The Larson House Museum is a Queen Anne-style Victorian home originally built in 1898 and is located on Exchange Street in McFarland. After members of the Larson family lived in the home for over 80 years, the building sat vacant for 20 years until the McFarland Historical Society purchased it in 2012. Today, the historic home and grounds are open to the public (check its website for hours).
Gail Aaroen, garden chair of the Larson House Museum, says the garden was a blank slate when she retired from teaching in 2013. Restoration of the house and gardens has been a community effort.
“[The home and gardens] had been a centerpiece of the community when I met my husband in 1970. The neighbors took care of the yard and everyone in the community joined in to help,” she says of the renovation efforts.
“People [have] given their time and labor for free, so it’s been a nice way to get to know my community.”
When the museum’s garden committee set out to plant a new garden, funding was limited. Aaroen explains that each member contributed a plant from home to help establish the first garden. Since then, she says, the group has gradually expanded all of the gardens over time.
She describes it as a cottage garden — seeds are planted and the plants are allowed to multiply every year. This year, the group is partnering with Prairie Tech, a native perennial company, to intentionally pollinate native plants.
She also seeks out old-fashioned flowers like foxgloves and delphiniums that would have been around at the turn of the twentieth century. Bulbs like crocuses and Tarda tulips provide pops of color in early spring.
Ironically, the Larsons, the original homeowners, would’ve planted vegetables in their garden — not flowers. The only exception would have been a peony bed along the lot line, traditionally used to adorn graves and provide a link to ancestral homesteads. Today, the home’s gardens serve as a throughline connecting several generations of the McFarland community.
BOLD FLORALS ON A CHEERY CORNER
If you’ve driven through downtown McFarland in the spring or summer, you’ve likely come across the cheerful garden on the corner of Exchange and Bashford Streets.
This garden is lovingly tended to by about 20 members of the McFarland Garden Club. Every March, the women get together to discuss planting plans and set up a weekly watering and weeding schedule.
The Village of McFarland generously donates the money to buy annuals for the space — over 200 plants were purchased for the garden in April. The club members take care of the plants, shuttling them in and out of garages until the temperature is warm enough to plant, usually by early to mid-May.
“We aim for plants that spread, such as petunias, and some that are upright, like salvia, [that have] big and small leaves to create interest,” explains club president Margit Schiefelbein. “Every plant has a Chamber Music Visual Art Treble Choir Panel Discussion different texture — smooth or coarse — and when you pair them together, that’s what makes the other one pop.”
The team focuses on vibrant colors and a variety of textures. They achieve a new look each year by prioritizing annuals, with a few longer perennial grasses thrown in.
“We only have a few perennials,” explains Schiefelbein. “Color is our main goal — we want to make a splash in the village.”
Schiefelbein says the best thing is when people say thank you for the club’s beautiful work.
“We get smiles from men and women,” she says. “We want people to drive by and think, ‘What a beautiful garden.’”
