Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

03/25/2025

Join the Buzz! 🐝🌼

Ready to reduce lawn maintenance while helping our precious pollinators? Join us with Stephanie Harrington from ISU Polk County Extension and Outreach to learn the basics of creating a thriving pollinator lawn on April 3rd! Explore options beyond traditional grass, get hands-on tips for a successful setup, understand how pollinator lawns boost biodiversity and soil health.

Attendees leave equipped with resources for starting their pollinator lawn and a seed sample for starting a 20 square foot area of “bee lawn”. Registration is required, ages 12+.

Don't miss this chance to turn your yard into a haven for pollinators! Click the link below to sign up now and learn how to support these vital creatures! 💐🌻🌾 https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/event/alternative-lawns-4-3/

03/23/2025

Bougainvillea 'Raspberry Ice' is overflowing in the conservatory! 🌴

03/22/2025

A nice sunset shot over the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden by Nichol Cretsinger in Des Moines.

03/20/2025

Spring has sprung at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden! ☀️ Step into a wonderland where every corner bursts with color and life. Whether you're wandering through lush pathways or soaking in our always friendly climate, there's a magical moment waiting just for you. Experience the beauty of nature awakening—your perfect spring escape is here! Happy first day of spring! 🦋🌻🌈

03/16/2025

Spring into the season, this April, at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden! 🦋 Check out our full list of programs this month, below ↓

🌷 Spring Wreath Making | Tuesday, April 1, 5:30-7 PM
👟 Walking Wednesday | Wednesday, April 2, 7-10 AM
🧘 Yoga in the Garden | Every other Wednesday in April, 6-7 PM
🌾 Alternative Lawns | Thursday, April 3, 5:30-7 PM
📚️ Story Sprouts | Every Friday, 10:30-11 AM
🍋 Indoor Citrus 101 | Saturday, April 5 & 12, 3-5 PM
🍵 History of Tea | Sunday, April 6, 1-2:30 PM
🌵 Advanced Terrariums | Tuesday, April 8, 5:30-7 PM
🌶️ Veggie Gardening 101 | Thursday, April 10, 5:30-7 PM
🎨 Botanical Watercolor | Tuesday. April 15, 5:30-7:30 PM
🌎️ Earth Day at the Botanical Garden | Saturday, April 19th, 9 AM-4 PM
📸 Prom Photos | Saturday, April 5th & 19th, 4-6 PM only.
🥂 Sip & Stroll | Thursday, April 24, 5:30-6:30 PM OR 7-8 PM
🌱 Marimo Moss Ball Drop In | Saturday, April 26, 10 AM-2 PM
📖 Botany Book Club | Monday, April 28, 5:30-7 PM
🍄 Spring Ephemeral Hike | Tuesday, April 29, 5:30-7 PM
💧 Marimo Moss Ball Aquarium | Tuesday, April 29, 5:30-7 PM

See something you like?! Click the link for the full details & to get signed up! https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/events/

03/14/2025

03/13/2025

Spring Break is in full bloom! We still have day-camp spots available, as well as a couple of programs you can look forward to at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden in the coming days:
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🌟 TWO extra nights of Dome After Dark | Saturday, March 15th & 22nd, 6-10 PM⁠
🐛 Guardians of the Garden Day Camp | March 18th & 19th or 20th & 21st, 9 AM-4 PM⁠
🌿 Air Plant Homes Drop-in | March 18th-21st, 11 AM-3 PM & March 22nd from 10 AM-2 PM⁠
🥂 Sip & Stroll | Thursday, March 20th, 5:30-6:30 or 7-8 PM⁠
📚️ Story Sprouts | Friday, March 14th & 21st, 10:30-11 AM⁠
🥞 Flora Brunch | Sunday, March 16th & 23rd, 10 AM-2 PM⁠

Visit our Events calendar to see all of the fun activities coming up!
https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/events/

Presented by Better Homes & Gardens - a Dotdash Meredith Brand.

03/12/2025

Join us this week as The Ducharme-Jones Band provides original americana roots-rock with the backdrop of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. Enjoy this one-of-a-kind, tropical experience in the heart of downtown Des Moines! 🌴

Enjoy food and drinks from , now offering brunch as well! 🥞 Performances are at 1 PM & 3 PM. Admission is available at the door on a first come, first served basis! Click the link below to view the full line-up ⬇️
https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/botanical-blues-details/

03/10/2025

Still looking for spring break plans?! Team up with the best gardeners in the galaxy as we dig up secrets about the awesome power of plants from all corners of the globe. From medicine and food, to engineering and building materials, plants might just be the heroes this world needs. 🌱🦸

Our innovative day camps for kids inspire youth to create, explore and discover in our unique garden classrooms.

Click the link for more information on what's going on at the Botanical Garden March 18th-23rd! ☀️🌴
https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/event/spring-break-2/

03/08/2025

Who's ready for Botanical Blues tomorrow, Sunday, March 9?! Join us for live music by Steve. E. George in the cozy warmth of the conservatory, every Sunday until March 30. Performances at 1 & 3 PM — don’t miss out! Admission is available at the door, on a first come, first served basis. 🌿💙⁠
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✨ Reserve a table for up to four guests! Perfect for a group outing or a romantic date. ⁠
✨ Leave outside food and drinks at home ⁠
✨ Leave chairs at home ⁠
✨ Purchase admission at the door ⁠
✨ Bring Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Silipint® for 10% off drinks ⁠
✨ Come prior to showtime or carpool to the Garden ⁠
✨ Shoes are required in the Garden at all times ⁠

Visit our website for more information! ⁠
https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/botanical-blues-details/

03/07/2025

In Growing a Greener Garden: Native Garden implementation and Management, Dan Schutte will share some of the key process steps that his company has used as they have grown over 500,000 native plants and installed hundreds of residential and commercial pollinator gardens in northern Minnesota! Dan is eager to connect people with the knowledge and resources to make creating and managing native landscapes easy and accessible, and motivated to help people realize their potential to grow plants and establish beautiful, low-maintenance native gardens and pollinator habitats. 🦋🌾

All ticket types include admission to the Garden, in-person, live-virtual, and recorded program viewing options. Funded by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Conservation Education Program (REAP CEP)

Click the link to join us for the last Learn on Saturdays of the year!
https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/learn-on-saturdays/

03/05/2025

We are tickled PINK this week! 💖

To show our support for the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) state basketball tournament, the Dome will be lit up pink all week long! 🏀 Thank you to Musco Lighting for their outstanding work on our lighting solutions!

03/05/2025

Steve. E. George is back this week for Botanical Blues! 🎶🎤 Over the years, Steve has been invited to sing at Chicago’s House of Blues, Buddy Guy's Legends, Kingston Mines, Blues Etc. and Blues On Clark. In 2005, Steve was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame- you won't want to miss this special performance!
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Enjoy food and drinks from . Performances are at 1 PM & 3 PM. Admission is available at the door on a first come, first served basis! Click the link below to view the full line-up ⬇️
https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/botanical-blues-details/

03/05/2025

Out of an abundance of caution, the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is closed today, March 5th, for general admission.

03/04/2025

To close out our Learn on Saturday series, we are welcoming Dan Schutte! With over 15 years of environmental education and natural resource management experience, he holds a strong passion for transitioning outdoor spaces into landscapes that support our declining pollinator populations. 🐝⁠ Dan started growing Minnesota-native plants over a decade ago as a hobby and hasn’t looked back since!
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His lecture, Growing a Greener Garden: Native Garden Implementation and Management, begins at 10:30 AM! All ticket types include admission to the Garden, in-person, live-virtual, and recorded program viewing options. Funded by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Conservation Education Program (REAP CEP)

Click the link to join us for the last Learn on Saturdays of the year!
https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/learn-on-saturdays/

03/03/2025

The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden has big plans to meet the growing needs of our community! We are aiming to ensure the Botanical Garden is a place where all feel welcome to gather, grow and find their true nature.⁠
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Join us to help create a more accessible, inclusive, and educational environment in the heart of downtown Des Moines. 🌱 Visit our website for more information on how you can get involved! https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/capital-campaign/

02/28/2025

It's not too late to join us at 10:30 AM for our Keynote Speaker, Kim Eierman, at Learn on Saturdays tomorrow! 📚️🌴

Beyond Sustainability: Using our Landscapes as a Source for Environmental Change explains how the design choices we make, the plants we select, and the maintenance practices we use, can transition traditional landscapes into healthy ecosystems filled with life.

Click the link to purchase your tickets!
https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/learn-on-saturdays/

Funded by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Conservation Education Program (REAP CEP)