Master Gardeners and Demonstration Garden

The Polk County Master Gardeners maintain their own web site.

The Master Gardener program is a volunteer service training program whereby adults are given advanced training in horticulture in exchange for volunteer service to the community.

Mission - The mission of the Master Gardener Program is to provide current, research-based, home horticulture information and education to the citizens of Iowa through ISU Extension programs and projects. Through their participation in educational activities, Master Gardeners also increase their own personal knowledge in horticulture

Demonstration Garden
The Demonstration Garden, located at Dewey Gibbs Road & 92nd Street, is the oldest Polk County Extension Master Gardener project. It is a cooperative arrangement between the Polk County Extension District and the City of Urbandale.
Set in an out-of-the-way location near the Walker Johnston Park, the beauty and interesting displays contained here make the drive well worth the effort.

The purposes of the Demonstration Garden are to provide a working garden area for: demonstration of various garden techniques, and hosting classes in maintaining environments suitable for annuals, perennials, vegetables, berries, and orchard fruits.

The garden opens with a lovely rose garden accompanied by dwarf conifers and unfolds into two orchards, herb gardens, small fruits, native grasses, and many demonstration gardens full of creative ideas and horticulture information. The emphasis here is on learning, the bonus is the beauty that abounds.

On Thursday evenings, the Master Gardeners offer a series of lectures held in the garden and open to the public at no charge. The lectures begin at 7:00 p.m. and all that's required is a lawn chair and an interest in gardening.