Garden Guru
Gardening experts attend Iowa City gardens at regular times throughout the growing season. Visit the gardens for free food, inspiration, learning and fun.
Got gardening questions? Ask a Garden Guru.
From May through October, garden experts in bright t-shirts will help you...
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Increase yields in vegetable and herb gardens
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Successfully grow fruit trees and berry bushes
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Mitigate the impact of climate change through gardening
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Grow habitat for pollinators and birds
2020 Theme: Gardening for Hope and Healing
Gardening topics this year are designed to help communities cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hope and wellness can be found by going outside and getting your feet and fingers in the soil. This is the one activity you are “allowed” to do and it may be exactly what is needed for long-term well-being.
Until public gatherings are safe, events will be held via live streaming on Facebook. Follow our page and watch for events so you can participate and ask questions of the gurus.
Visit the gardens after each event to see what was done, pick up publications, tend the garden and harvest food.
We wish you an abundance of wellness.
Edible Classroom
Robert A. Lee Rec. Center
220 South Gilbert St.
Enjoy lunch in the garden and learn about...
Creekside Park
New orchard at
1858 7th Ave Court
At Iowa City's newest edible forest, learn about...
Wetherby Edible Forest
Existing orchard at
2400 Taylor Dr.
At this mature edible forest, learn about...
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Harvesting free food.
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Large plots of fruit trees and berry bushes.
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Pollinator and bird habitat.
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Increasing soil health.
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Regenerative agriculture.
Edible Classroom Schedule
1st and 3rd Friday of each month,
10:30 am - 11:30 am.
May 1 Veggie Planting Top Tips
May 15 Harvesting Greens All Season
Jun 5 Wellness in the Garden
Jun 19 Pruning for the Perfect Tomato
Jul 3 Building Your Immunity by Gardening
Jul 17 Summertime Veggie Planting
Aug 7 Tea from the Garden
Aug 21 Wellness in the Garden
Sep 4 Sowing Fall Greens
Sep 18 Invitation to Learning at the Edible Classroom
Oct 2 Garlic Planting Party
Oct 16 Planting Spring-Blooming Bulbs
Creekside Park Schedule
2nd and 4th Wed. of each month (unless specified)
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm.
May 13 Planting Edibles, Groundcover, and a Living Mulch
May 27 Inter-planting Veggies
Jun 10 Herbal Friends and Flowers Planting
Jun 24 Build a Sundial
Jul 8 Delicious Ways to Use Leafy Harvests
Jul 22 Wild Plant ID and Maintenance
Aug 12 Pollinator Honoring
Aug 26 Maintain the Garden
Sep 23 Tree and Shrub Protection for Winter
Oct 28 Leaf Blanketing and Yoga Nidra for the Garden
Wetherby Edible Forest Schedule
1st and 3rd Sunday of each month,
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm.
May 3 Wake Up, Garden and Tool Care
May 17 Sow Resilience: Veggie and Herb Planting
Jun 7 Inviting Wildlife Into the Garden
Jun 21 Art in the Garden
Jul 5 Healing with Tea from the Garden
Jul 19 Tour a Residential Edible Forest
Aug 2 Fairies in the Garden
Aug 16 Herbal Syrup Making (postponed due to derecho)
Sep 6 Get to Know Aronia (postponed due to audio issues)
Sep 20 Pollinator Garden Prep - Volunteer Workday
Oct 4 Facebook Live: Design a Pollinator Garden
Oct 18 Facebook Live: Establish a Pollinator Garden
CLIMATE-FRIENDLY GARDEN
Join neighbors to transform landscapes into spaces that help reduce the impact of climate change.
At all Garden Guru events, we'll provide top tips for how you can create a climate-friendly garden.
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Grow vegetables, herbs or fruits.
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Plant trees or shrubs.
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Cover bare soil with mulch or ground covers.
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Compost.
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Seed and grow cover crops.
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Seed lawn with Dutch white clover or violets.
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Use natural products instead of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
This project would not be possible without sponsors and supporters. Please frequent these generous organizations to thank them for donations of materials, services and funds.
