Get ideas and inspiration from area tours and gardens.
Story by Carol McGarvey
Featured in May/June 2021
From nearly any standpoint—bitter cold, snow, ice, gray skies, isolation, COVID, we had a rough winter. Many central Iowans are craving color, and flowers and plants are the “just right” antidote.
Garden tours of any measure haven’t occurred for two years, so it’s time. Here are some ideas to help you saunter through some of Mother Nature’s beauty, all within short distances. To get started, walk through garden centers to see variety in blooms and colors. Then visit established gardens or tours to see how gardeners have added beauty and interest to their own and public spaces.
Salisbury House Garden Party
A new springtime event, the Salisbury House Garden Party, will benefit the historic home’s foundation. It will be Sunday, May 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stroll the grounds and enjoy spring flowers and huge oak trees, croquet, and entertainment by the Dueling Fiddles, along with an alfresco brunch.
Self-guided tours of the 42-room manor home will showcase Tudor Revival and Jacobean Revival architecture. Cosmetics magnate Carl Weeks and his wife, Edith, built the home from 1923–28. It was modeled after the King’s House in Salisbury England.
The party is recommended for those 21 and older. Tickets cost $75; tickets purchased together will be seated together. Registration closes May 14. Location: 4205 Tonawanda Drive, Des Moines; 515-274-1777; SalisburyHouse.org.
Beaverdale Garden Walk
The biannual Beaverdale Garden Walk, sponsored by the Beaverdale Neighborhood Association and several businesses, will be Saturday, June 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. It will feature seven gardens, including several new ones, plus a favorite from the past.
Tickets will be available starting June 1 for $8 in advance at these Beaverdale businesses: Country Outfitters, Beaverdale Books, Beaverdale Confections, Grounds for Celebration, and O’Donnell Ace Hardware. On tour day $10 tickets will be available at a table outside Grounds for Celebration. Tickets will include a map and names and addresses of the gardens. Beaverdale.org.
Central Iowa Garden Railway Society Tour
This tour combines two fascinating hobbies, gardening and G-scale or garden-scale railway setups. Elaborate setups showcase trains weaving in and out of plantings for the railcars and accessories.
The tour is sponsored by the Central Iowa Garden Railway Society and Reindeer Pass Railroad of Ankeny. It will be Saturday, June 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at spots from Altoona to Johnston to throughout Des Moines. Tickets cost $10 per carload.
There are six spots on the tour. Begin at the train layout of Howard Hoy, 311 5th Street Place SE, Altoona.
Because the group didn’t get to sponsor a tour last year, members will stage a second tour September 18.
Iowa State University Extension Service Gardens
Three area gardens open for touring are sponsored by the Extension Service, each with a specific purpose; no admission:
- Discovery Garden. This garden full of perennials and annuals is open anytime outside the Agriculture Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, E. 30th and Grand Avenue. It showcases a huge variety of plantings. During the Fair each plant has a label. During the 11 days of the Fair, it is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Demonstration Garden. This garden, begun in 1988, is a cooperative effort of Iowa State Extension, Polk County Master Gardeners, and the city of Urbandale. The one-acre garden is at 9200 Dewey Gibbs Road, Urbandale. Techniques classes for planting and tools are offered. Open anytime for touring.
- Enabling Garden. This garden, open anytime for touring, illustrates gardening for individuals with physical limitations in a barrier-free environment. Techniques such as raised beds and vertical design are demonstrated. 1050 First Avenue South, Altoona.
Reiman Gardens
The 17 acres of this garden gem showcase gardens inside and outside. A special touch is the 2,500-square-foot Butterfly Wing. The facility offers classes, workshops, and exhibits for adults and children. To support Patterns Unfolding, the Gardens’ 2021 theme, the current exhibit, Origami in the Garden, features oversize examples of the folding technique. Location is 1407 University Boulevard, Ames, just south of Jack Trice Stadium at Iowa State University; 515-294-2710; admission.
Iowa Arboretum
The forested gem of 160 acres features hundreds of species of shrubs, trees, and flowering plants. Visitors will find walking paths and woodland trails. A variety of classes and workshops are offered. Location is 1875 Peach Avenue, Madrid. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; 515-795-3216; admission.
Brenton Arboretum
It’s easy to celebrate nature at this museum of shrubs, trees, and native prairie that offers 2,200 plantings for browsing. Through children’s programs and adult workshops, the guiding principles are enjoyment, education, conservation, and research. Location is south of Dallas Center or north of Highway 6 at 25131 260th Street, Dallas Center. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. daily; 515-992-4211; admission. •
