Dr. Robert Hausserman is a Sports Medicine Doctor and Gardening Impresario
Dr. Bob Hausserman, an orthopedic and sports medicine surgeon who practices at the Kennedy Center for Hip and Knee at Mercy Medical Center, has created a 2 and a half acre botanical garden on his riverside property. With 14 separate flower and “woody” beds, Bob Hausserman’s garden is a riot of color even during the late Wisconsin autumn.
Everywhere you look, there are exotic bushes and shrubs. The landscape includes more than 20 varieties of Japanese maples, ten different varieties of beech trees and red bud. And then there are enormous flower beds – one dedicated only to rhodedendron, azalea and miniature hosta, all acid loving plants. And this doesn’t include the heath and heather garden or the bog garden or the waterfall or the dwarf conicals, or the rocks or garden sculptures that add texture and balance to the whole.
When asked why he transformed a once ordinary yard into an extraordinary botanical experiment, his answer was simple: “I’m a farm boy. I grew up growing things and I love it.
“I served as a general medical officer when I was in the army. During my overseas tour of duty, I visited some of the great English gardens. In France and Germany I had the chance to view both public and private estate gardens. It became a challenge for me to see new plants and plant varieties and see if I could grow them here in Wisconsin.”
It’s not easy maintaining this massive undertaking: lifting rocks, transplanting overgrown beds and all the various tasks required for the serious gardener can be hard on backs and knees. But for Bob Hausserman, he says he feels the best when he’s outside working. “The benefits to gardening are both physical and psychological.
“I had a car accident in 1983 and broke my neck. I had to wear a halo for three months so I can empathize with patients who have pain. Today, I have all the typical aches and pains of someone my age, but the benefits of being active are great.”
Dr. Hausserman explains that he’d been an orthopedic surgeon in Appleton for more than 30 years. His relationship with the Kennedy Center began on a personal level with Dr. Bill Kennedy, the founder of the Kennedy Center for the Hip and Knee. “Because of my long association and friendship with the doctors at the Kennedy Center, I feel very comfortable working here. The Kennedy Center has a great reputation so I was honored when Jeff McLaughlin chose me to join the practice.”
As an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports injuries – from shoulder and knee arthroscopy to knee replacement – Dr. Hausserman finds his own best therapy outdoors, creating and maintaining his beautiful garden.