Let’s Dig Into Gardening

Let’s Dig Into Gardening

The second Dig into Gardening (DIG) Symposium is almost here! Register now for this daylong gardening event where newbies and professionals alike will learn the latest research-based gardening techniques and best practices to create outdoor spaces that inspire! The DIG Symposium serves as a fundraiser for the Polk County Master Gardener volunteer service program. They use these funds to offer local educational programming, support youth engagement projects, and maintain three area demonstration gardens.

Saturday, March 1

8 AM – 4 PM

FFA Enrichment Center on the DMACC campus – Ankeny, IA

“What makes DIG different? Our presenters and speakers are experts – ISU professors, Master Gardeners, and local professionals,” said Stephanie Harrington, natural resources program coordinator for ISU Extension and Outreach in Polk County. “They will offer gardening and horticulture information that is research-based and trustworthy, potentially busting some common myths along the way.”

BREAKOUT SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS

The 2025 DIG Symposium, “Gardening for Change,” will focus on garden information that takes into account Iowa’s unpredictable weather and changing climate, specific conservation practices, and practical gardening techniques. 

“All our workshops and breakout sessions will be informative and geared to gardeners of all levels. Participants will walk away with new ideas and techniques that they can apply to their home gardens right away,” Harrington said. 

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Each of the speakers will offer inspirational words and insight. The morning keynote David McKinney, Curator at the Iowa Arboretum and Gardens, will talk about how to adapt gardens to Iowa’s changing climate. He will share strategies, tools and resources to select the right plants for now and the future. The afternoon speaker, Jared McGovern, Director of the Wanderwood Gardens in Dubuque, will share how a love for nature is “caught, not taught.” He’ll describe the importance of imaginative play in nature and how it helps create lifelong positive relationships with the living world.

Registration is $85, is open to the public, and includes breakfast and lunch. To register or for full details on speakers and schedule visit https://polkcountymastergardeners.org/DIG-Symposium. 

“We hope that those attending, whether it’s the home gardener or seasoned professional, can walk away informed, inspired, and ready to dig into their gardens,” Harrington said.

About the Polk County Master Gardeners

Polk County Master Gardeners is a volunteer service organization where advanced horticulture education and training is provided in exchange for volunteer service within the community. In 2023, 375 active Master Gardener volunteers served the community by:

• Donating nearly 7,000 pounds of fresh produce to local food pantries.
• Providing community spaces for education and respite through three community gardens.
  • Demonstration Garden, Urbandale
  • Discovery Garden, Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines
  • Enabling Garden, Altoona 
• Serving over 13,500 service hours!  

About ISU Extension and Outreach in Polk County 

For over 100 years, ISU Extension and Outreach in Polk County has served its residents by connecting them to research and resources developed by Iowa State University. Knowledge and programs offered through the ISU 

Extension Polk County office have been specifically tailored to represent, enhance, and meet the needs of Polk County residents and community. For 2025 ISU Extension in Polk County will focus on local issues including:     K-12 youth outreach; family and food; and agriculture and the environment. ISU Extension and Outreach in Polk County is a part of a 99-county campus backed by research to serve all Iowans to create a strong Iowa.