GREEN & GROWING

Central Gardens celebrates 10 years

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow,” Audrey Hepburn once said.

Those that envisioned Central Gardens of North Iowa were not only believers.  They were do-ers.  The group will celebrate 10 years since the opening of North Iowa’s largest public garden on Sunday with a garden party and unveiling of a donor recognition wall.  It will be the first formal, permanent recognition of those who have helped the gardens grow so successfully in its first decade.

Kayla Myers has been a volunteer at the gardens since the beginning— even before the beginning.  She and her father, Dayle Rydstrom, planted and cared for a small patch of land at the entrance to the Lady of the Lake landing site and promoted the development of the 2.75 acre gardens where the former Central Intermediate School was located.  Today Myers is among 200 volunteers who keep the gardens beautiful in a variety of ways.  As a florist, her specialities include making plant cuttings so the garden can produce better, and creating fresh bouquets which can be purchased each Friday.

“It’s fun for me,” she said.  “At work, we order what we need.  Here, you use what the garden gives you.”  In addition to bouquets, she was also busy last week creating centerpieces for an out-of-town wedding.  Sharing the wealth of the garden beyond its fenceline has become an important outreach, as well as fundraiser for the non-profit corporation.

Mary Stealy considers herself a relative newcomer to Central Gardens.  As an avid gardener, her friend Julie Steinberg asked her to join.  She said she has enjoyed learning more about plants and gardening in general, as well as sharing her own passion with others.  She has even brought some of her own flowers to contribute to the Fresh on Friday events held throughout the summer in support of the gardens.  “This is an all volunteer garden— that’s how it’s maintained, and it’s a real credit to many, many people through the years that this has become such an amazing place.”

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Stealy now serves on the board of directors for the gardens and is organizing Sunday’s recognition event.  She notes that although the gardens have seen construction of a Nature Education Pavilion adjacent from a workspace building with public restrooms, and a new welcome gazebo at its arrival garden area, there are still things to be done at the garden.  They range from the obvious planting of flowers and trees, replacing some which have not survived over 10-years, to the introduction of technology, which could help visitors take a self-guided tour of the grounds.

The master plan for Central Gardens of North Iowa was created by award-winning landscape architect Dennis Buettner, of Buettner & Associates, Fox Point, Wis., who also designed Reiman Gardens in Ames.  In 2000, a formal committee was appointed and efforts began in the design and organization.  Always a work in progress, when completed the gardens will be home to over 22 theme gardens.  Already, the Ceremonial and Activity Lawns together with the Naturalist Terrace, Butterfly Garden, Reunion Terrace and Fountain Courtyard provide much needed space for guests and visitors to use for corporate events, weddings, family reunions or for just a contemplative stroll or a quiet lunch.

Ciar Carnall was at the garden Friday to participate in a yoga class as part of a new Fresh on Friday offering called “Take 10 at 10.”  Meanwhile her six-year-old was having fun in the “Bee Happy Kids Garden.”  “It’s like an oasis here.  We just love coming here, being outside and doing something good for ourselves,” she said.

Because of the support of so many, the garden is able to provide an appreciation of nature through educational, contemplative, social, and cultural experiences for all our guests, points out Board member Troyce Fisher.   “Although the largest demographic group of visitors is persons middle-aged and over, for whom gardening is one of their top recreational activities, the Gardens is also the site for weddings, memorial services, class reunions, garden club meetings, book club gatherings, Earth Day meetings, graduation parties, baby showers, birthday gatherings, the Francis Lauer fund raising Extravaganza, and even a play.”

  Literally thousands of guests register as visitors to the Gardens annually.  Last year the 15,000 who took time to register as visitors came from 40 states and 17 different countries.

“It is most heartwarming to see daily the numbers of parents of young children and grandparents who stroll their youngsters through the gardens, enjoying the wonders of flowers, fish in the ponds, and the beauty of the grounds.  We are proud to be so inter-generational,” added Fisher.  “Through the support of so many, the garden is grateful for the opportunity to provide nature, education, and beauty to the community.

Admission to the Gardens is free.  Its gates are open yearly from May to November.

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