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August is going to be a unique tour month for our organization. We have some very interesting and outstanding gardens to tour but they are all out of town. Believe me, they will be worth it!! Remember you are invited to attend the tours of all three chapters. I do know that the Polk Co. chapter tour of McDonalds on Tues., Aug. 26 is a very nice garden.
On Sat. Aug. 2 we will have the opportunity to tour two or three gardens in central and north central Iowa. The first garden we will tour is one that the Central Iowa Water Garden Association toured last year and the tour attendees were just blown away by the size and beauty of the garden. This garden is called 7B Ranch in Webster City. It is owned by Gene Barrick and the name came from the number in his family. The logo of 7B is a swan. They currently have a successful nesting pair of trumpeter swans as well as a pair of successful nesting mute swans. The trumpeters were the original swans from Lake LaVerne on the ISU campus. They could not get them to mate but they did at 7B. They have 5 cygnets right now.
Gene has the biggest and most elaborate display of Victoria water lilies. This is the biggest lily with 6 to 8 foot diameter leaves. We plant them directly in the bottom of his ponds and they could grow bigger. We will tell you why when you get there. Reiman Gardens also has a huge display but Gene's are bigger because of the above reason.
7B has a display of many kinds of water plants and elaborate gardens that is embedded around the water. You will not be disappointed. We will meet at 10:00 AM at the Ranch. We will have a bunch of gardeners there. The Story County Master Gardeners, Boone County Master Gardeners, and the Central Iowa Water Garden Association (all three chapters are invited, of course). If the group is too large we will divide up and have smaller groups going around. The Ranch is large enough that this will work very well.
To get there, take Hwy 17 into Webster City. As you enter town turn right (East) at the first stoplight. Go to the end of this road. It will go across a set of RR tracks and curve around the sewage treatment plant but then you will be at the entrance. The gate will be up -- proceed in and look for the trumpeters that will be on your left soon after you go through the gate. Park at the barn -- lots of parking and plenty to see. Gene is planning on being there to greet us and personally give us a tour.
Now for the next garden. I had promised you that we would be seeing a fabulous garden in Algona. Everything was set but I just found out that the hosts are not ready and we will have to delay to see this garden until next year. Bummer!! However, due to the length of the drive it would probably be better to organize a bus trip. We will combine this garden with some more from the area -- next year. It will be worth the wait.
I am in the process of arranging another fabulous garden or two in the Webster City/Fort Dodge area. I was just notified of the cancellation of the Algona garden so I have not had time to line up the gardens yet -- but I will before the tour to 7B. It will be the same day. We will travel to the Ranch first and then everybody will get directions to the next garden from there.
Have faith in our ability of finding the best gardens in the area to tour.
For future tours we are always interested in gardens to add to our list of gardens to see. If you know of a garden or want us to tour your garden please let me or any of the officers know.
Preliminary reports indicate that Water Garden Tour was a huge success. 300 plus toured and that comes close to the Ames leg of the Tour last year. Congrats to the committee that put it all together this year. Great job.
Hope to see everybody at 7B Ranch -- that will be our meeting for the month.
The Big Toad, Jamie