Events

Metzger Gardens, 1250 Tucker Hill Dr, Hinton, IA, 51024
The Metzger native gardens were started in Spring of 2020 by Danielle & James and are ever-expanding with each passing year. Each garden has a name and was designed by Danielle using plants mostly from Loess Hills Wild Ones native plant sales.
4
Most of the rock borders for the gardens were transported from Danielle’s father’s farm located in Buena Vista County. Danielle has a love for grasses and sedges. Her favorite wildflowers are the varied species of Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) and Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa). Her love of the Monarch Butterfly is what sparked and ignited her joy of native gardening.
Refreshments and restrooms will be available. Hosts: Danielle, James & Lilly Metzger

A Garden Smorgasbord
1088 Pachsama Ct., Sioux City, IA 51108
Welcome! Our gardens began in 2002, soon after moving into our new home. Vegetable beds were first, flower bed followed and continued to evolve.
I admit to being a plant collector - I like most everything! I have been incorporating native plants into my established beds and have just started a native garden in front of my she-shed (all are first year plantings). My efforts to get a few patches of natives started in the brome grass has been challenging. I keep sowing seeds each fall, hopefully some will take off. Enjoy!
Hosts: La Vone Sopher and Randy Bradley

Native plants are the foundation of habitat, but wildlife need more than food to thrive. Join ecologist and Certified Wildlife Biologist Shaun McCoshum, PhD, to explore how nesting sites, shelter, water, soil conditions, and other often-overlooked resources can transform a yard into a functioning ecosystem that supports biodiversity year-round.

3131 Norman Dr., Sioux City, IA 51104
Rex was raised in Sloan, Iowa, a Missouri River floodplain farming community. As a child, he was always interested in the hills visible across the valley.
The Rex & Maria’s home is situated in the Loess Hills on the “Northside” of Sioux City, where they moved in August 1993. The home is built on a hill with the front door at street level. There is a triple-terraced yard in the back, and the lowest level abuts a powerline easement (no alley). This area was full of volunteer trees, shrubs, and a big weed patch. Rex cleared that space in the first couple of years that they lived there.
Early attempts to reintroduce “prairie” to the yard began with tilling up the weeds and drilling some prairie grass seed (Little Bluestem, Side-oats Grama) in the lowest terrace. These seeds did not “take well,” due to inconsistent moisture. A few of the “side-oats” sprouted and remain, however.
Through the encouragement of the Loess Hills Chapter of Wild Ones, I obtained my first tray of native plants in May 2019 and got my first prairie garden started. There have been a lot of failures and a few successes in this process. But through it all I have learned year by year and have adjusted my methods.
I have four main gardens of prairie plants now, plus 3-4 mini-gardens. The top two gardens are easy to reach. The others in back have steps and steep slopes. Currently, I have no handrails there. I do not recommend these areas for people with balance issues or trouble climbing steep, uneven grassy areas. Enjoy the gardens and some refreshments at this stop. Hosts: Rex and Maria Rundquist

Dave Raymond’s Garden Walk
2701 41st St., Sioux City, IA 51104
My native plant journey began in fall 2022, three years after we moved into this house. I had become frustrated with trying to maintain a traditional grass lawn in compacted clay soil without an irrigation system. I realized that I was wasting my time and money trying to keep grass alive on life support (water and chemicals) and that the traditional lawn serves no purpose other than to impress the neighbors and alienate nature.
I wanted a yard that is not just a big green carpet, that attracts, feeds, and shelters birds, butterflies, and other creatures and that does not pollute or poison the land and animals. I needed plants which had evolved to live in this region, with this climate, soil, and animals.
I made my first garden bed in the back yard and added some perennial “nativars” from the big box garden centers. I saw a Facebook post about the Wild Ones Fall Plant Sale and picked out a couple of goldenrods, blazing stars, and little bluestem. I remember thinking that my parents would have thought I was crazy to buy “weeds” to plant in a flower bed.
I bought more plants at the 2023 Spring and Fall Wild Ones plant sales. In 2024 I became a Wild Ones member and received a grant of plants at the Spring Plant Sale. Native plants became my new hobby. I enjoy learning about them through books, videos, websites, and organizations like Wild Ones. My yard is on the map with Homegrown National Park and is certified with National Wildlife Federation.
Since adding native plants, we see larger numbers and varieties of birds, butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, beetles, flies, spiders, frogs, and toads. A few native plants have shown up in my yard on their own. Last winter I was able to supply many varieties of seeds for the seed library.
My yard is still very much a work in progress, but I hope that people will see some beauty in it and want to add at least some native plants to their own yards. I would love to see the City of Sioux City support native plantings. Host: Dave Raymond

Naturelady’s Garden Walk
4007 Glen Oaks Blvd., Sioux City, IA 51104
Having worked in conservation for more than four decades, it is only natural that I try to bring a little nature to my own yard. I grew up on a farm in northeast Iowa, and my mother was my mentor and role model. She initiated the Master Gardener program in my home county and was integral in establishing a local herb club. My official native gardens began in 2021, when I planted the narrow strip on south side of my house, just adjacent to my neighbor. I was tired of mowing that small area and dodging the air conditioning unit. The dozen small wild strawberry plants quickly took root, as did the sedges and wild onions. I am happy to say I have not mowed that area for five years!

I expanded my native beds to surround my back deck. Each year I add new species from the LHWO plant sales. The steep slope that was difficult to mow is now covered with sun-loving native plants. I retain my non-native favorites like iris, bleeding heart, daisies, and peonies to remind me of my grandma and mom, but I strive to have 75-80% native plants. My yard is on the map with Homegrown National Park, and I keep expanding my beds so that I have more pollinator habitat and less lawn. I do not use any herbicides or pesticide—diversity is key in my mind—but I will hand dig dandelions to keep my neighbors happy.
My front yard includes a magnolia tree with a native shade garden underneath to create a soft landing for insect larvae and wildlife. In 2025 Glen Oaks Boulevard was torn up and resurfaced. I took that opportunity to plant native buffalo grass in the hell strip between the sidewalk and the curb. The buffalo grass takes time to establish, so I must be patient (and so do my neighbors)!
I enjoy being part of Loess Hills Wild Ones and the Sioux City Garden Club and advocate for native plants and pollinator gardens as much as possible. The Sioux City Garden Club celebrated its 100th anniversary this year and I proudly have one of their bur oak trees planted in my front yard.
I am happy to host this garden walk, and I hope members from both clubs and any interested people will get some ideas and inspiration from my yard while enjoying some camaraderie and refreshments.
This garden walk is co-sponsored by the Sioux City Garden Club. Host: Dawn Snyder

Sioux City Railroad Museum Garden Walk
Sioux City Railroad Museum, 3400 Sioux River Rd, Sioux City, IA, 51109
La Vone and Dotty welcome you to the native plantings at the Sioux City Railroad Museum. We are in our sixth year, so we still have some sleeping, creeping & leaping going on!
This 31-acre site was previously an industrial area of the Milwaukee Road "Shops" where steam and later diesel engines, and train cars were maintained and repaired from 1920-1965.
The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association attained the site in 1995 (which had been a junkyard for 15-20 years) and began the lengthy process of restoring historic buildings and developing educational displays. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places, earning the honor in 2016.
Our seven gardens are named for buildings on site such as Engineer's Tool Shed or Car Shops Garden, or a feature of significance such as the Wig Wag Garden or the Grand Scale Train Platform. They each contain a large variety of native plants for partial shade, shade, partial sun, full sun.
Hosts La Vone Sopher & Dotty Zales, who designed and installed the gardens, will be available to answer your questions. Light refreshments will be served.

Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center Garden Walk
Saturday, August 29, 2026, 10:00 am to Noon (Central Time) 4500 Sioux River Rd., Sioux City, IA 51109
The Nature Center turned 30 in 2025, and the gardens have undergone many changes over the years. New native plants were added in 2021 with the help of Loess Hills Wild Ones (LHWO) and Sioux City Garden Club grants and many volunteers. It has been exciting to see the transformation of our three-tiered gardens over time. The nature center and LHWO volunteers assisted with the planning, planting, and maintenance of our garden beds.
The rear of the Nature Center houses a water feature and native plants. This area has been under repair for a few years, and the staff will share future plans for the renovation of this popular area. Take time to stroll our trails and visit our indoor exhibits while you are here!
Host: Kari Sandage, Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center

Board Members and any other member interested in helping to plan events for LHWO.  Meet for our annual planning session.

What does it really take to turn a conventional lawn into a thriving native meadow? Join Owner & Principal, New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), Sara Weaner Cooper for a candid look at her family's ongoing lawn-to-meadow transformation featured in The New York Times and BBC. Drawing from three years of hands-on experience, Sara will share the methods, lessons learned, successes, and challenges of converting turfgrass into a dynamic native plant community. Participants will gain practical insights into site preparation, planting, management, and the ecological principles that guide successful meadow establishment, along with realistic expectations for how these landscapes evolve over time.

Registration link coming soon.

Members Only Plant Sale Preview Event.  Members get reduced pricing and first choice of plants today only. 

If you're not a member, Join Us (Click Here)

Fall Grant Awards will be announced at 5:30 p.m.

Proceeds from the sale are used for numerous native plant gardens and projects in the region, including individual and community grants to assist with native plantings.

Tour the beautiful Hilltop Gardens and shop for native wildflowers and grasses at the Fall Public Native Plant Sale.

Proceeds from the sale are used for numerous native plant gardens and projects in the region, including individual and community grants to assist with native plantings.

Join us to clean-up a section of Lincoln Way along Sioux City's South Ravine Park.  We'll meet at the gravel parking lot at S. Ravine Park which is just East of the intersection of Lincoln Way and S.  Lewis Boulevard in Sioux City, IA.  

Hi-visibility vests and large orange plastic bags for collecting trash will be provided.  Bring your own drinking water, trash picker, garden gloves, and wear sturdy walking shoes.   

And then afterwards, join us for refreshments at the Stewart's Hilltop Gardens. 

This is always a very worthwhile event.  We hope you will join us for a little productive outdoor recreation and refreshment rewards afterwards.

Bats are among the most important and misunderstood wildlife in our communities. Join experts from Bat Conservation International to explore how native plants, healthy insect populations, and thoughtful landscape design can help support bats. Learn about the ecological role of bats and discover practical ways to create habitat for North America's night flyers right in your own backyard.

Join us for our Annual Meeting with a recap of our 2026 Events, 2027 Elections, and a Potluck.   We'll also talk about our wildly successful Seed Share Library.

 LHWO will provide Sneaky's Chicken, beverages, and table service! 

Bring a side dish to share!

Zoe Evans, rewilding coach and VP of Partnerships & Programs at Wildr shares a practical, science-informed framework for evaluating a home landscape, identifying its greatest habitat opportunities, and choosing actions that support more plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife.

Registration link coming soon.

No yard required. Learn how native plants can turn patios, balconies, containers, and other small spaces into meaningful habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. This practical panel will cover plant selection, container design, seasonal care, and realistic ways to support biodiversity in limited spaces.

Registration link coming soon.

Birds depend on healthy, connected habitats for food, shelter, nesting, and migration support. Join experts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to explore how native plants and thoughtful landscape choices can support birdlife at home. Learn how gardens, yards, and community spaces can provide the insects, seeds, berries, cover, and habitat structure birds need throughout the year.

Registration link coming soon. 

Monarch butterflies depend on a network of habitats stretching across North America, and home landscapes can play an important role in their survival. Join experts from Monarch Joint Venture to explore the science behind monarch conservation, including the importance of milkweed, nectar resources, and regionally appropriate habitat. Learn practical ways to support monarchs through native landscaping and help sustain one of the world's most remarkable migrations.
 

Registration link coming soon.