Here we are into our second decade of the 21st Century and the Arboretum is on the cusp of some very exciting times. We have been planning now for over a year to create a new Master Plan to take us into the future. This year the Master Plan committee is in the process of choosing the firm to produce that plan

In the meantime, we will get on with making this space beautiful and inviting to our guests for this season

JANUARY

We have been hoping for a mild Winter and so far, not bad.

We have had just enough snow this month to show evidence of some visitors.

Whenever I walk the grounds of this wonderful space, especially, with my camera, I immediately feel a sense of peace and calm. The beauties of nature never disappoint.

Today I noticed no matter how familiar this dear place is to me; it is always changing. I saw some evidence of the inevitable realities of the natural world. Some stumps where we had to remove damaged or dead trees. The fort Gary built on the fish- pond because there are hungry critters out there more than willing to dine on our fish. The fallen leaves, the bare branches, the patches of snow make for a stark but gorgeous landscape.

FEBRUARY

Winter has arrived, lots of snow and very cold!

MARCH

The old saying goes that if March comes in like a Lamb it will go out like a Lion. As I wander the grounds in the early part of this month; I am excited for the season to start. I am pleased that the snow is almost gone. We have selected our firm to draw up our new Master Plan. I can’t wait to get back into the swing of things.

Towards the end of the month, the Lion appeared; not the weather but something much worse. The world is reeling from a Pandemic of a virus that broke out in China and quickly covered the world. The resulting illness is called Covid-19 and is a respiratory infection that can be fatal. As of the end of the month, a good deal of the country is shut down. A new term has surfaced called social distancing. The virus is transmitted mostly from infected people expelling it into the air from a cough or sneeze. Although not airborne it will travel about six feet when expectorated. It can live on hard surfaces for a time so touching things that others have recently touched may also spread it. Our season has halted before it really began. This is an announcement from the Board of Directors.

After much discussion and recommendations from the CDC, the Iowa Department of Public Health and local officials, The Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanic Garden will be closed until further notice. The decision has not been easy as we recognize the importance of outdoor spaces during difficult times however, out of an abundance of caution for volunteers, visitors, and staff closing the Arboretum to the public is the safest thing we can do at this time

Our Director, Rob, is manning the outpost alone while we wait to see what happens and Beth works from home.

APRIL

It is now the second week in April and the weather has turned mild and today is sunny, I have been working in my yard but unfortunately the Arboretum is still closed.

We are now into the third week of April, and the Pandemic has continued to escalate in our little corner of the world. Needless to say, we are still closed, although last week one day it was sunny and warm, so I called Rob and he allowed me to come out to work in the gardens. I brought my own tools and drove around back and walked in, no crowds and no contact with anyone or anything. I was able to cut back the grasses and rake up the debris, I saw some Lenten Roses about ready to peak out and the Dogwood tree is all budded out.

Towards the end of this month the pandemic has made itself known in a devastating way. Black Hawk County has the largest number of Covid-19 cases in the state. The death toll in Iowa has reached into the hundreds. However, nature goes on without us. The Arboretum has initiated a volunteer policy much like my earlier experience. While the facility remains closed and we are not allowed to ask for volunteers, anyone wishing to work in the gardens (such as the mowing crew) will need to call Rob in advance. They will be allowed to work by themselves only. But as I mentioned plants and trees continue to follow the age-old cycle of life.

MAY

While we have continued to be closed and have had to re-think our entire season including suspending all actions on our new Master plan, there is some reason for optimism as the country and our state talk about how to slowly “open up” while staying cautious and safe.

This month I ventured out to take a look around and discovered that Spring is here for sure.

As we near the end of the month more places are being allowed to open for business and we are more optimistic. Here is the information we have seen lately.

As always, all our volunteers are hard working and faithful:

JUNE

It is now Summer, and we are close to opening for the season as soon as the Governor allows public spaces to continue business we will do so.

This is our most recent announcement:

JULY

We have been open for several weeks and visitors are starting to come out. Unfortunately, the pandemic is very much still with us and we have canceled all our education classes and events. We must remain mindful of the social distancing policy that is still with us. The gardens continue to thrive, and our volunteers remain steadfast in their commitment to making this place thrive. 

AUGUST

The dog days of Summer this year brought a drought. However, our gardeners have done a wonderful job keeping our place looking spectacular. During the windstorm in July, a tree limb fell on the bridge and there was significant damage. Our brilliant maintenance team were able to repair it and it is fine shape now.

SEPTEMBER

The following is from this month’s issue of THE VIEW

“There's something special about the changes in nature as the summer sun starts to give way to autumn. Sweltering heat changes to cool nights, the rainbow of colors in the garden change to flashes of yellow, orange, red, and brown, and the plants and trees slow their growth and prepare to rest. There is a lesson we can take from nature when it comes to the changing of the seasons; rest is good, and we all need it! This month, be sure to take time to rest, recharge, & enjoy the beauty of nature.”

We had another crop of fruit this year to present to the food bank:

Other exciting things are happening: we have begun the Master Plan process again. The Master Plan Committee had a kickoff meeting this month with Confluence the firm we have chosen for this process. We had announced earlier in the year that we are cancelling the Fall Harvest Festival but our folks have come up with a safe method to create an event called the Scarecrow Stroll.

OCTOBER

Fall is here and it is glorious with vibrant colors everywhere. The scarecrow stroll is a huge success with attendance exceeding the Fall Harvest Festival.

NOVEMBER

The season is now officially over for this year. Covid-19 cases have spiked once again, not only in Iowa and the Cedar Valley but nationwide. So, the decision has been made to close the Welcome Center with access by appointment only.

The grounds have been winterized with the water turned off and the fencing in place as well as the outdoor furniture put inside.

People can still visit when the gate is open with access to the parking lot and by walking down the service road. Starting in November there is no entry fee anyway.

 We did plant tulips this month as well as another quadrant in the Garden of Seasons, and they are sleeping with the rest of the flora in this magical place.