Formal Gardens in Frame Park, Waukesha

Within 5 blocks of the raccoon district are the precisely-maintained formal gardens of the city of Waukesha.

If we had a nickel for every wedding picture shoot that has taken place in that ethereal domain over the years.......well, what better place for perfect background? And just to sit for a while on one of the comfortable benches and peer......

The old bower-forming lannon pillars supporting the cross timbers in the staging arbor are still plumb and rigid, giving testimony to their original excellent construction and their careful remortaring maintenance over the eroding decades.

In our youth in the 40's there was a large, dark, deep pond across the front (or interior), about where the red flowers above are seen. The pond had huge goldfish plying the murky, lily-padded depths, fish which we later learned were called Koi. They would disappeaar into the darkened water and rise, blazing orange in the surface sun. Along the way, the pond was filled in to make room for even more flowers.

It is indeed beautiful there.

A visit yesterday reminded us of what a treasure for Waukesha these gardens are. A young park employee was carefully watering the hundreds of flower varieties, and she kindly warned us that we might get peripherally wet when she turned on the sprinklers. Chipmunks skittered about, and unbelievably big bumble bees worked the bee balm flowers. They may have grown so large because of the pollen and nectar 'mother lode' which is their home.

There were many robins.

The clay urns of old are still there. looking fresh, with metal lids I don't think they had in the old days.

We believe the proposed baseball mini-stadium, surely noisy, a hundred or so yards away from this placid site is not in accord with the donor, Andrew Frame's intent for this beautiful park along the Fox River.

Esthetics and leisure, we think, should hold sway.