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Register Now!
Join the Polk County Master Gardeners for a day full of beautiful private gardens, a flower farm, a farm-to-table lunch, a prairie restoration and plant nursery shopping in Story and Boone County.
Registration fee: $85– includes bus travel, lunch, snacks and garden admissions. Physical activity: moderate walking stairs, occasional uneven terrain, will require walking on a gravel road for a short distance, and stairs on/off bus.
Itinerary: We are very excited to have the privilege of touring 4 very special private gardens. Highlights include:
- A large urban garden that has numerous conifers, Japanese maples, sun and shade plants of various sizes and shapes. While wandering through the garden you’ll find 6 water features and fish too!
- A five-acre perennial garden that is situated on three levels. Each level contains distinct microclimates and plant ecosystems. You will see over 1500 Hosta’s and hundreds of companion shade perennials displayed in various designs. You will observe several pollinator gardens, a rose garden, a daylily collection, water features and several original art pieces.
- A 10-acre home site of a local Story County Master Gardener that includes a reconstructed prairie, a large daylily collection Hosta, iris and a diverse collection of perennials, shrubs and trees.
- A 3200 square foot garden that features 57 different plant species! This entire landscape was designed and planted by Kelly Norris. Kelly is an award-winning author and plantsman, and the former director of horticulture and education at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens.
- Friend’s Flowers is a family run flower farm with over 70 varieties of flowers through the season. There will be an opportunity to build a bouquet at their flower bar for $15 per person. Please note your interest in participating on the registration and bring cash the day of the trip.
- Nursery Red Granite Farm is a diverse, family-owned retail garden center operation. Its garden center is full of unique perennials, succulents, shrubs and hardy vines.
Note: Lunch will be provided by Clayton Farm’s Salads. How many times have you met the person who grew your lunch? As we eat our fresh salads (or wraps) Clayton will give us a presentation on their hydroponic farm. The cost is included in the registration fee. On your registration you will need to select Caesar, Strawberry Arugula, Southwest or Crunchy Asian as either a salad or a wrap and your choice of protein (chicken or tofu). Please see this link for additional information: https://claytonfarms.com/
Educational Hours: Each participant will earn 3 hours of Master Gardener continuing education.
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. We plan to return to the Extension Office around 6:00 pm.
Final trip instructions will be emailed two weeks before departure.
Please email Carolyn Magnani at cersgarden@aol.com with any questions about the tour.
Sign up now – We expect the trip to fill up fast! How to register: register by clicking the button above or below.
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 Friday, May 23, 2025. Cancellations by May 15, 2025, 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, 2025, and will receive a refund minus a $10 processing fee per registrant.
