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To borrow a quote from that famous scene in the movie, Field of Dreams (filmed in Iowa): "Is this heaven? No, it's..." the 2008 Iowa DG Roundup at Noelridge Park in Cedar Rapids!
The Iowa Roundup, now in its sixth year, continues to be the most popular and well-attended one in the U.S.Attendance at this year's May 3 event equaled that of the previous year.Two members flew in from Texas (without knowing the other was coming) and a number of folks from surrounding states attended as well. See the "Fun Facts" list below for details.
While the weather wasn't exactly heavenly (cloudy, cold, and lots of wind), spirits were high.The sun did manage to come out during a wonderful potluck lunch, the wind died down a bit, and it even got somewhat warmer, just in time for rounds and rounds of prizes.
As the title and the thumbnail for this article suggest, the Iowa Roundup is indeed a portal to many wonderful experiences:
| Pre-Roundup potluck hosted by Wandasflowers Friday evening
| Finally getting to see the faces behind the names
| Making new friends and greeting old ones
| Salivating over the treasure trove of plants everyone brought
| Salivating over the delicious goodies everyone brought for the potluck lunch
| Touring some of the fantastic private gardens nearby
| Visiting the great garden centers in the Cedar Rapids-Marion-Palo area
| Attending sales at private gardens and those sponsored by organizations
| Taking home some great plants (including a fern-leaf peony), treasured door prizes, and a fistful of discount coupons from local garden centers
Fun facts from this year's roundup
| Members who came the farthest: City_Silvia and SteveFtWorth from Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas (They did not know each other before the Roundup!)
| Member who drove the farthest:Merigold, 327 miles
| States represented: Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, Missouri, and Nebraska
| "Hottest" plant: Two large Jack-in-the-Pulpits, Arisaema fargesii, from zonedenial's incredible garden
| Top five door prizes: Cherub concrete statue, gift certificates, hanging basket, bird gift basket, LarryR's hammered botanical prints (see table below for list of vendors and the prizes they donated)
Previous Roundup locations have included Chariton, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids. The meeting planners above are already making preparations for next year's roundup, which will be held at the lakeside home of twinlakeschef near Ft. Dodge on Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16.
Be sure to check out our photo album below as well as the list of nifty prizes generously donated for the event by local merchants.
Photo Album
At the potluck the night before
Clockwise from top left: In the dining room, in the garage, migrating from the dining room to the living room,Walker: "If I make a sad face, maybe someone will feed me!", Wandasflowers in her "best profile"
Checking out the treasure trove of plants and prizes before lunch
That coveted Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Bagging some plant treasures is City_Sylvia, who took them all back home to Dallas on an airplane!
Firing up the grill for lunch
Ladies enjoying lunch on the sunny patio
The guys talk plants after lunch.
Ticker makes a point.
Saphira says it all: Eating that great food and panting over all those plants and prizes just makes a body tired!
At Zazza's for the afterglow dinner on Saturday night
Heading home with the angels
Most of the attendees of the 2008 Iowa DG Roundup (some were unavailable for the photo)
A bouquet of roses goes to MRS_ED (MARNA), who provided notes,suggestions, and some of the photos for this article.
Photographers for the event included Bookerc1, buttbird, CountryGardens, daltri_z5, LarryR, llilyfan, MRS_ED, SteveFtWorth, TwinLakesChef For more RU photos click here Thumbnail graphic courtesy of MRS_ED __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Vendor
Address
Donation(s)
Bird's Eye View
1801 2nd St.Coralville, IA52241
Mini hummingbird feeder, food
Bird's Eye View
1801 2nd St.Coralville, IA52241
Booklet on hummingbirds
Blooming Acres
1170 1st Ave. NEMt.Vernon, IA52314
Gift certificate & 20% off coupons
Brennemans Seed and PetCenter
1500 South 1st Ave.Iowa City, IA52240
$15 gift certificate
Cedar RiverGardenCenter
2889 Palo Marsh Rd. Palo, IA52324
Large moss hanging basket filled with flowers
Chameleons Pub & Grug
119 1st Street EastMt.Vernon, IA52314
Two gift certificates
Culvers Landscaping
1682 Dubuque Rd.Marion, IA52302
Three $20 Gift Cards
DreamGardens
Badger Road Hazel Green, WI
Sleeping cherub in a basket statue
Earl May
1901 Lower Muscatine Rd.Iowa City, IA52240
Bag of wildflower mix seed
Earl May
1200 Edgewood Rd. SWCedar Rapids, IA52404
Scented candle and a small bird feeder
Earl May
5155 Northland Dr. NECedar Rapids, IA52402
Veg. seeds for the kids table flyers for either Earl May store
Earl May
5155 Northland Dr. NECedar Rapids, IA52402
Discount fliers for either Earl May store
Fairfax Ornamental
76 Williams Blvd.Fairfax, IA52228
Statue of a little girl angel playing in a pot of dirt
Forever Green Landscaping & Nursery
125 W. Forevergreen Rd. NorthLiberty, IA52317
$20 gift certificate
FrontierGardenCenter
1941 Blairs Ferry Rd. NECedar Rapids, IA52402
Fertilome Start-N-Grow
HyVee
5050 Edgewood Rd.NE Cedar Rapids, IA52402
Dappled willow
Kroul's
245 Highway 1 South Mt .Vernon, IA 52314
Hanging Basket
Menards
375 Highway 1 West Iowa City, IA 52246
Two coffee mugs
Paul's Discount
424 Highway 1 West Iowa City, IA 52240
Pink "Garden For The Cure" tools
Pecks
3990 Blairs Ferry Rd. NECedar Rapids, IA52402
3 watering cans, 3 rain wands
Pecks
3990 Blairs Ferry Rd. NECedar Rapids, IA52402
Gloves, ornaments, bulbs
Pecks
3990 Blairs Ferry Rd.NE Cedar Rapids, IA52402
Plants, fertilizer, discount fliers
Piersons Flower Shop & Greenhouses
1800 Ellis Blvd. NWCedar Rapids, IA52405
Tropical hibiscus and coupons for 1/2 off hibiscus
Pleasant Valley Nursery
4201 Nursery Lane SEIowa City, IA52240
Hanging basket
Prairie Creek Nursery
4100 Bowling Street SWCedar Rapids, IA52404
Basket of bird-related items
The Right Frame of Mind
100 1st Street EastMt.Vernon, IA52314
Garden stakes, wind chime
The Right Frame of Mind
100 1st Street EastMt.Vernon, IA52314
Wall decoration, garden kneeler
Wildlife Habitat
166 Collins Rd NECedar Rapids, IA52402
$25 gift certificate
About Larry Rettig
An enthusiastic gardener for over 50 years, my first plant was a potted Ponderosa Lemon tree ordered from a comic book ad at age 15. I still have it, and it’s still bearing lemons! My wife and I garden on 3/4 of an acre, both flowers and vegetables. Although our garden is private, it's listed with the Smithsonian Institution as a national heritage garden and is on the National Register of Historic Places. We garden organically and no-till. Our vegetable garden contains a seed bank of vegetables brought to this country from Germany in the mid-1800s. For more info: http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/m/LarryR/. Photos that appear in my articles without credit are my own.
