Gardening in a Warmer World

• 1:00-2:00 PM Panel Discussion at the Urbandale Public Library 
• 2:00-3:30 PM “Ask the Experts” Reception at Iowa Outdoor Products (3200 86th St, Urbandale, IA 50322 - next door to the library) 

Can your garden or landscape take the heat? Join us for a panel discussion featuring David McKinney, the curator of the 160-acre Iowa Arboretum & Gardens in Madrid, and Michael Porter, a representative from Kankakee Nursery, one of the Midwest’s largest wholesale tree and shrub nurseries. Learn about how smart tree, shrub, and plant selection can make your gardens more resilient amid rising temperatures and drought conditions. 

 

Though Central Iowa is still a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5, plants rated for Zones 6 and 7 are currently being evaluated for hardiness in Iowa at the Iowa Arboretum. Get expert recommendations for trees, shrubs, and plants that can withstand what are expected to be mid-century temperature norms. 

 

• Key elements of the Iowa Arboretum’s own climate change plans 
• How growers are adapting new practices to ensure that plants thrive in your gardens 
• Key aspects of savvy plant selection (wood strength, root structure, disease resistance, drought tolerance, drainage/ area topography, etc) 
• Expert recommendations for trees, shrubs, and plants that will thrive amid rising temperatures 
• How much longer will conifers be viable in Iowa 
• What plants are in field trials at the Iowa Arboretum for Zones 6 and 7 
• It’s a whole new world (plant choices in an eventual Iowa USDA Planting Zone 6 or 7) 
• Why it is important to do fall and winter watering 

 

An “Ask the Experts” reception will be hosted by Iowa Outdoor Products immediately following the panel discussion and attendees can ask their questions of speakers one-on-one while enjoying light refreshments, and some educational displays showcasing tree, shrub, and plant varieties well-suited for a warmer Iowa.