Volunteers helping Noelridge bloom this weekend

This Saturday and Sunday, the Easter Showcase at Noelridge Greenhouse will attract approximately 1,500 visitors to the two-day annual Easter weekend open house at 4900 Council Street NE. The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, and the first 500 children, ages 12 and under, receive a free plant. Attendees can purchase tropical plants, houseplants, some herbs, and succulents/cacti. The proceeds benefit greenhouse operations.

Visitors who step inside the balmy plant house will be greeted by volunteers ready to answer questions about the blooming spring bulbs scattered throughout the conservatory. Exhibits by the Eastern Iowa Aquarium Association, the Harshbarger Hosta Society, and local beekeepers will be displayed in the large workroom. A variety of items - in addition to houseplants-will be on sale, including honey, handmade jewelry, and greeting cards made using pressed flowers. Young at Harp will perform at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, and Pet's Playhouse will sponsor a drawing to benefit the Cedar Rapids Police Department's K-9 Unit.

This annual event continues to thrive, thanks to a dedicated staff of two supported by a dynamic group of volunteers who take vegetative cuttings, pot, repot, and label plants viewed and sold at this event. Volunteers have worked closely with Noelridge Gardens' greenhouse lead Kristie Benzine and horticulture specialist Lori Farmer for the past four years.

“One of the volunteers, Ron Bergeson, helped to pot the bulbs and bed them down outdoors. They were forced outdoors,” Benzine explains. She works with volunteers throughout much of the year. They help with “transplanting, potting, making hundreds of labels, perennial garden cleaning, and actual planting outdoors,” Benzine says.

Volunteers began getting heavily involved with greenhouse efforts in 2007, when a flurry of budget cuts and a major reorganization jeopardized the viability of this local landmark. According to Jim Venneman, 74, founder and president of the Friends of Noelridge Greenhouses and Gardens, he asked the parks superintendent at the time, Dave Smith, for the go-ahead to form a volunteer network. “He was my mentor and gave me so much encouragement,” Venneman says of Smith. “I'm thankful for his help in starting The Friends of Noelridge.”

The volunteer group now provides the manpower necessary to assist Benzine and Farmer in preparing seedlings before seasonal workers get involved, around mid-March. Volunteers also help Benzine and Farmer plant and tend the expansive gardens at Noelridge Park. They give public tours of the greenhouse and gardens as well.

Most weekdays, from 10 a.m. to noon, and 1 – 3 p.m., a rotating roster of 35 volunteers works with Benzine and Farmer to start and transplant 60,000 plants for 24 park and city spaces throughout Cedar Rapids. In 2010, the volunteer work was valued at $23,400.

Area garden groups have joined the efforts to support Noelridge Gardens by supplementing the budget with donated funds. The Good Earth Garden Club helped with greenhouse operations last year and provided money for an outdoor banner to be displayed along Collins Road. In addition, the Harshbarger Hosta Society donated $1,000 to build a shade structure for the hosta garden to be planted east of the driveway circle by the greenhouse.

“Hostas are the number one perennial,” explains volunteer Judi Pohorsky. The hosta garden at Noelridge is meant to be an educational resource for the many residents in Cedar Rapids whose yards and gardens experience shady conditions. The garden will demonstrate which plants thrive in shady conditions.

The Friends of Noelridge Greenhouses and Gardens' volunteer board stresses the importance of the gardens as a community gathering place, where wedding parties stop for photo opportunities, residents enjoy the peace and quiet during lunch breaks, and families with children stop to run along pathways near the flowers. The group continually works to increase their volunteer base and generate interest in new projects. “It's just a pleasure to bring so many people together. I'd like to publically thank the board members and all the volunteers for their smiles and help and upbeat attitudes,” Venneman says.

To volunteer at Noelridge Gardens, call volunteer coordinators William and Jean Snyder at 378-3141 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.