See heirloom plants at these Iowa City locations

Thank you, Ms. Russo, and the Solon Heritage Flower Society, for highlighting the beauty and significance of Iowa’s heirloom plants in your "Consider Iowa’s heirloom flowers in your next planting" letter written on Aug 21. These treasures, along with their rich histories passed down through generations, enhance our gardens and support vital habitats for pollinators and wildlife.

At Backyard Abundance, we are proud to partner with Iowa City Parks and Recreation to oversee three public gardens that showcase these heirlooms. Located at Wetherby Park (2400 Taylor Drive), the Edible Classroom at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center (220 S. Gilbert Street), and the McPherson Edible Forest (1858 7th Ave Court), these gardens are open to everyone. They offer a unique opportunity to see heirloom plants thriving alongside food that is free to harvest.

We encourage you to visit these gardens and gather ideas for your own space. Whether you’re excited about vibrant coneflowers or the pollinator-friendly butterfly weed, you’ll find a wealth of inspiration to take home.

For those interested in learning more, Backyard Abundance offers classes, publications, and landscape design services to help create abundant, eco-friendly environments. Detailed information about our gardens and services is available on our website: www.BackyardAbundance.org.

We look forward to welcoming you and all garden enthusiasts to our public gardens.

Fred Meyer

Director, Backyard Abundance

Iowa City