Going for a stroll through the garden, surrounded by beautiful flowers, with the faint floral fragrance drifting through the air is just about as close as it comes to paradise on Earth. But, for those black-thumbed gardeners like me, it can be frustrating when your garden doesn’t really…grow. No worries there; luckily for us, there are plenty of pretty gardens in Iowa open to the public that we can tour whenever we want. Better yet, you don’t have to weed them to enjoy them!

1. Reiman Gardens, Ames

Reiman Gardens, 1407 University Blvd, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Scott McLeod/Flickr
The beautiful Reiman Gardens in Ames spans 14 acres and offers 26 unique garden areas. There are two glass houses: the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing, which has one of the most diverse collections of live, exotic butterflies in the country, and the indoor Conservatory, which is open year-round. The gardens at Reiman include the Dunlap Courtyard, the Hillside Garden, Joey and Jesse's Herb Garden, Lake Helen (displaying aquatic plants), Margaret E. Penkhus Campanile Garden, Missing Buck Roses, Patty Jischke Children's Garden, Rose Gardens, South Field, Stafford Garden, and the Town and Country Garden, which is a test garden used for magazines.

2. Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Dubuque

Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 3800 Arboretum Dr, Dubuque, IA 52001, USA
Dirk DBQ/Flickr
The Dubuque Arboretum is an award-winning, volunteer-run arboretum and garden that offers a breathtakingly beautiful, and stunningly large variety of all types of flora. The garden has over 800 roses (hybrid teas, miniature, shrub, and old garden roses) and over 13,000 hostas (700 varieties), as well as special collections of irises, peonies, lilies and daylilies, dahlias, and dwarf conifers. Special gardens include a Rose Garden, a Knot Garden, an Herb Garden, and a Japanese Garden. A Greenhouse and displays of prairie wildflowers and grasses complete the site.

3. Central Gardens of North Iowa, Clear Lake

Central Gardens of North Iowa, 800 2nd Ave N, Clear Lake, IA 50428, USA
Jude/Flickr
Central Gardens in Clear Lake is a lovely 2.75-acre garden that showcases 22 theme gardens, including the Container Garden, the Moon Gate, the Alumni Walk and Garden, the Low Shrub Garden, the Ceremony Garden, the Heritage Garden, the Herb Garden, the Shrub Rose Garden, the Midwest Garden, the Stream Garden, the Butterfly Garden, the Ornamental Grass Garden, the Wetland Garden, the Bird Garden, the Wildflower Garden, the Victorian Shrub Garden, and the Victorian Garden. Features include beautiful winding paths, a pergola, ponds, lawns, and steps.

4. The Bellevue Butterfly Garden, Bellevue

Bellevue State Park Butterfly Garden, 24668 US-52, Bellevue, IA 52031, USA
Lori Lensch/Google Local
The Bellevue Butterfly Garden was designed specifically to attract butterflies by providing nectar plants for adults and host plants for caterpillars. There are around 60 species of butterflies each year, and the garden comes alive with color. Because they are adjacent to a prairie preserve and wildlife food plot, these gardens are also used as a teaching and research resource.

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5. Bickelhaupt Arboretum, Clinton

Bickelhaupt Arboretum, 340 S 14th St, Clinton, IA 52732, USA
Victoria Bailey/Google Local
Bickelhaupt Arboretum is a 13-acre arboretum that displays more than 1,500 plants, including trees, shrubs, flowering perennials, and wildflowers. Special collections include dwarf and rare conifers, lilacs, a medicinal plant display, and a conservatory showcasing house plants.

6. Des Moines Botanical Center, Des Moines

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, 909 Robert D. Ray Dr, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA
Jason Mrachina/Flickr
The riverside Des Moines Botanical Center displays nearly 1,000 different species of tropical, subtropical, and arid regional plants in an 80-foot-tall and 150-foot-wide glass dome. Special collections include cacti and succulents, bonsai, and orchids (over 200 species). The outdoor displays feature annuals and perennials, a cottage garden, a butterfly garden, and an herb garden.

7. Scholte Gardens, Pella

Scholte House Museum & Gardens, 728 Washington St, Pella, IA 50219, USA
Paul VanDerWerf/Flickr
Pella, famous for their Dutch Tulip Festival, obviously has some pretty great tulip gardens. Aside from the 28,000 tulips, there are also annuals, perennials, and roses that ornament the village which includes the Scholte Gardens, and a Statuary Garden dedicated by Princess Margriet of The Netherlands.

8. Noelridge Park, Cedar Rapids

Noelridge Park, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402, USA
Friends of Noelridge/Facebook
This large public park in Cedar Rapids contains a display garden, a test garden, and a greenhouse. The greenhouse produces annuals and perennials for planting on public property and a permanent display of large tropical plants is also housed there.

Public gardens are awesome – you get all the enjoyment of a garden without the work! These pretty gardens in Iowa are just the start – there are dozens more peppered all over the state, so start exploring! You’ll love it.

Need a place to stay while you’re meandering? Check out all the offerings from our friends at VRBO. You never know what you’ll find! Do you have any favorite gardens in Iowa to explore in the spring? Tell us about them in the comments.

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More to Explore

Pretty Gardens in Iowa

Tori Jane | March 12, 2024

What are some genuinely pretty gardens in Iowa?  

Iowa is a beautiful state that gets overlooked much too often, if you ask us. It seems like everywhere you turn, you’re sure to find something beautiful, and our gardens are no exception. Some of the most beautiful gardens in Iowa are: 

  • Reiman Gardens – This garden in Ames is 17 acres of flowers and sheer amazingness worthy of an afternoon stroll (or ten).  
  • Bellevue Butterfly Garden – Not only is this garden gorgeous, it’s also home to hundreds of butterflies!  
  • Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden – This is one of Iowa’s most popular botanical gardens for a reason. Come out and see why.  

Learn more about another amazing spring garden in Iowa.

 Where are the best gardens in Iowa to add to my bucket list?  

Of course, the list of amazing gardens in Iowa doesn’t end with the shortlist above; there are so many more that we can’t quite list them all in this short paragraph! Of course, some Iowa gardens are definitely worth a mention, like: 

  • Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens – This stunning garden is everything that’s wonderful about Iowa all packed into a little place worth a stroll.  
  • Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens – This stunning Japanese garden is a labor of love that we can’t get enough of (see link in text above!).  
  • Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanical Gardens – With lots of flowers and a variety of plants to admire and learn about, this one’s a can’t-miss.  

Learn more about the Cedar Valley Arboretum.    

What is spring in Iowa like?  

Spring in Iowa is an interesting and finicky time. Sometimes it can’t decide if it wants to be warm and humid or cold and dry; it all depends on the weather. But a few things one can expect during spring in Iowa include: 

  • Typically spring begins in late March and goes through late May before transitioning to summer. 
  • By the end of March, the average daytime temperature is about 59 degrees, though it can still get quite cold at night.  
  • The weather is awesome! Expect mild days and occasional rain showers; Iowa’s severe weather season usually doesn’t kick off until late spring/early summer, though some years have seen severe weather events as early as March.  

Come see all the most amazing things about spring in Iowa. 

 

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