Saturday and Sunday,

Save the Date!

Please join us as we take a tour through Eastern Iowa to tour both public and private gardens as well as stop at local nurseries. We will stay overnight in Moline. Educational hours will be available.

Highlights of the private gardens include:

• We will visit a garden that has transitioned from larger trees to those focusing on intermediate and dwarf conifers.  Numerous troughs and a rock garden showcase the miniature plants.  This garden displays a wide variety of interesting trees, conifers, shrubs and perennials.
• We will explore a garden filled with witch’s brooms along with other rare and unique conifers. Three ponds are home to water lilies and goldfish of various sizes.  You will see metal artwork throughout the landscape and vegetable garden.
• We will travel to the land of fairies on a ½ acre backyard that displays conifers, hostas and fairy gardens.  Two ponds contribute to the soothing sound of water and a pavilion with a fire pit provides an entertainment area.  There is also a playhouse for the younger family members.  The entry to the garden has a brick patio made up of 8000 bricks that the owners installed themselves.
• We will enjoy a one-acre yard that has several flowing beds and rock outcrops filled with a collection of over 800 conifer cultivars as well as many non-conifer trees and perennials set off by walkways and walls. A pond, streams, and waterfalls rea scattered throughout the garden as well.

Registration will be available March 27^th.

Please join us for a fun full day of gardens!

Educational Hours:  TBD                    

Trip Details:  Bus loading begins at 6:30 am at the Polk County Extension Office (1625 Adventureland Drive, Altoona, IA). Departure time is 7:00 am sharp.  This event is overnight. More details to come regarding reservations for the hotel block.

Final trip instructions will be emailed two weeks before departure.

Please email Lori Calhoun at czotlc@aol.com with any questions about the tour.

Sign up now – We expect the trip to fill up fast!  Registration is coming soon!

If you have questions about the registration, call Stephanie Harrington at the Polk County Extension Office at 515-957-5785.

Cancellation Policy:  Registrations are due by May 1, 2025.  Cancellations by May 1, 2026, will be refunded the registration fee, minus a $10 processing fee per registrant.  If the trip is cancelled due to low registration, you will be notified no later than June 1, 2026, and will receive a refund minus a $10 processing fee per registrant.