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• Seed Swap & Spring Gardening Workshop

  • When
    27 Apr 2024
  •  
    1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
  • Location
    Franklin Ave Library Meeting Room: 5000 Franklin Ave , Des Moines, IA 50310

  
  

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• Demonstration Garden Plant Sale

  • When
    4 May 2024
  •  
    8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Location
    Demonstration Garden, 3305 92nd Street Urbandale IA

  
  

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• Demonstration Garden Worknight

  • Start
    6 May 2024
  •  
    (CST)
  • End
    21 Oct 2024
  •  
    (CST)
  • Schedule
    29 sessions
  • Location
    Demonstration Garden 3305 92nd Street Urbandale IA

  Come hangout at the Demonstration Garden and help maintain it! Early in the season planting and then general weeding, watering, and later in the season picking vegetables to donate to the food pantry. Don't have to be a Master Gardener to come help.

  Be sure to check in and let us know if you are new!

  
  

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• Polk County Master Gardener Bus Trip

  • When
    8 Jun 2024
  • Location
    Start and End at: 1625 Adventureland Dr. Suite A. Altoona, IA

  

  Register for the Polk County Master Gardener Bus Trip! This year we are headed to Iowa City for a day full of activities. Stops include: The Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, University of Iowa Arboretum, two beautiful local private gardens, shopping opportunities at plant nurseries, and lunch at Pizza Ranch.

  
  

  For a full itinerary and additional details, follow the registration link below or see more about the event on PCMG Bus Trip Page!

  
  

  Register Now!

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• Weed Identification and Treatment

  • When
    13 Jun 2024
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Demonstration Garden, 3305 92nd St, Urbandale

  Join us at the Demo Garden for this presentation by Kelly Jensen.  Common weeds will be identified along with where they may be normally found. A number of organic methods of control will be explained as well as the shortcomings of these methods.  Herbicide control methods and their risks will also be included. 

  This event is open to the public.

  
  

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• Experience and Service with Hope Agency

  • When
    18 Jun 2024
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
  • Location
    Enabling Garden, 1050 1st Ave. S; Altoona, IA 50009, behind the Altoona Hy-Vee

  
  

  (Southeast of the Hy-Vee behind loading dock)

  1050 1st Ave. S., Altoona, IA

  Tuesday, starting at 6pm at the Enabling garden.  Educational Speaker, Emily Morris with Hope Agency will share her experiences, services and activities of the Hope Agency.  Emily, along with a crew of workers from her agency, is often found working alongside volunteers at the Enabling Garden where they also maintain a raised bed year after year. 

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• Everything Hostas

  • When
    19 Jun 2024
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
  • Location
    Discovery Garden - 1207 E Iowa St. at the Iowa State Fair, South of the Agriculture Bldg.

  Register

   

  Join the Discovery Garden Master Gardeners for an enjoyable evening about everything hostas! The evening is free education and Master Gardeners can count this as one hour of continuing education.

  Presenter is Ken Outzen from Rainbow Gardens in Jewell Iowa.  He has 1000+ varieties at his Garden.

  
  

  
  

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• Bird Friendly Landscaping

  • When
    20 Jun 2024
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Demonstration Garden 3305 92nd St, Urbandale

  How can we created backyards that will attract and support our local bird communities?  Annie Fangman from Red Tail Planning and Design will share best practices for developing an inviting space where our feathered friends can thrive.

  
  

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• Get Cooking with Grant Gillon

  • When
    9 Jul 2024
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
  • Location
    Enabling Garden, 1050 1st Ave. S; Altoona, IA 50009, behind the Altoona Hy-Vee

  This event is This event 

  (Southeast of the Hy-Vee behind loading dock)

  1050 1st Ave. S., Altoona, IA

  Get you summer garden menus spiced up with inspiration from Master Chef, Grant Gillon, winner, Fox’s Master Chef, season 13. Lean more and follow Grant here: https://linktr.ee/grantgillon .   

  This event is open to the public. Bring a lawn chair to sit and enjoy the ambiance of Enabling Garden while learning tricks of the trade from Grant!  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Allendan Seed Company Tour - Hosted by Discovery Garden

  • When
    10 Jul 2024
  •  
    1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
  • Location
    Discovery Garden - 1207 E Iowa St. at the Iowa State Fair, South of the Agriculture Bldg.

  Register

   

  This event is for Master Gardeners only.

  This will be a special tour for us to the  Allendan Seed Company in Winterset IA. This company produces native wildflower and grass seed to sell wholesale and retail  nationwide. This will be an exciting opportunity to learn about every stage of the native seed and plug production process.   Allendan has over 6,000 acres of wildflowers and grasses that produce the seed which they sell.  If wanting a preview, check out their website, (Allendan seed.com) to learn more about this Company.

  Polk County Master Gardeners should meet at the Discovery Garden (DG) at noon, drive to Allendan Seed Company. The address is 1966 175th Ln, in Winterset IA 50273.  Our tour (Download PDF with tour details) is scheduled for 1:00 pm and it will be approximately 1-2 hours long.  Then our trip back will take us back to the DG for work night from 4-6.  

  Please register so we know how many to expect.

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• Demonstration Garden Open House

  • When
    11 Jul 2024
  •  
    6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (CST)
  • Location
    92nd & Dewey Gibbs Urbandale across of Valarius Elementary

  
  

  Come to the Demonstration Garden, one of Urbandale's most hidden gems! Join the Polk County Master Gardeners for an Annual Open House this year on July 11th featuring a variety of garden-related demonstrations.

  Featured are children’s activities, live music, refreshments, and Master Gardeners available to answer your home horticulture questions. It’s a relaxing environment with ideas and activities such as a garden scavenger hunt to get families and friends working together while exploring Demonstration Garden.

  Come out and be inspired by new garden trends and see how to incorporate natives, cut gardens, edible landscapes food gardens and more. Let the master gardeners of Demonstration garden show you tips and trick on having garden success. Refreshments provided!

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• Experience Growing Roses

  • When
    17 Jul 2024
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
  • Location
    Discovery Garden - 1207 E Iowa St. at the Iowa State Fair, South of the Agriculture Bldg.

  Register

   Interested in roses?

  Our own PCMG, Susan Eckstrom, will share her experience of planting and growing roses in Iowa. Join Susan in the Discovery Garden at the Iowa State Fair. This event is open to the public. 

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• Fantastic Perennials for Fall

  • When
    25 Jul 2024
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Demonstration Garden 3305 92nd St, Urbandale

  Dustin Reese from Ted Lare Garden Center will discuss fall blooming perennials with a focus on the later blooming varieties in order to help promote pollinator food sources as late into the season as possible, all the while still adding aesthetic value to our beds and borders.

  
  

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• Let's Talk Conifers

  • When
    31 Jul 2024
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
  • Location
    Discovery Garden - 1207 E Iowa St. at the Iowa State Fair, South of the Agriculture Bldg.

  Register

  Let's Talk Conifers!

  We are excited to host Paula Flynn to give us a talk on Wednesday evening, July 31 at 6:00 pm.  Her talk will be on one of her favorite subjects.....Conifers.  She loves growing conifers.  She has an extensive collection of dwarf and unusual conifers which she will be sharing with us about and more on conifers.

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• An Evening of Plant Pathology, Entomology and More!

  • When
    6 Aug 2024
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
  • Location
    Enabling Garden, 1050 1st Ave. S; Altoona, IA 50009, behind the Altoona Hy-Vee

  

  (Southeast of the Hy-Vee behind loading dock)

  1050 1st Ave. S., Altoona, IA

  Educational speaker, Donald Lewis, Professor Emeritus, Iowa State University will speak o plant pathology and diseases and also enlighten us on the world of insects among us. Donald’s expertise is plant pathology, entomology & microbiology. Please bring your burning question as this event will offer time for lost of Q & A.

  
  

  This event is open to the public. Please bring a lawn chair to sit in and join us in the garden.

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