Events

The first tour is at Hillview Recreation Area near Hinton from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. This area is managed by the Plymouth County Conservation Board. Meet at the Dennis L. Sohl Center for Outdoor Learning to stroll through the native wildflower gardens and rain garden. Hillview is located at 25601 C60, one mile west of Hinton, Iowa.

The second tour is from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. It is located at 1250 Tucker Hill Drive in Hinton, at the home of Danielle & James Metzger. Metzger native gardens were started in Spring of 2020 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.

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 and her favorite wildflowers are the different 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.

The garden tours are free, open to the public and are open house format. Refreshments and restrooms are available at both sites.

The Loess Hills chapter of Wild Ones is a non-profit organization that promotes planting native landscapes, both small and large, in Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Native plants attract native pollinators and wildlife, enhancing your home and the environment.