Gardening with Native Plants: Introduction to Pollinators and Native Plants

The Council Bluffs Public Library and Pottawattamie Conservation have teamed up to offer a FREE 3-class series focused on giving you the confidence and background knowledge you need to grow a beautiful native garden that supports wildlife and provides benefits to you and your community. Each class builds upon the previous class, but participation in individual sessions is welcome.

February 20th: Introduction to Pollinators & Native Plants  From pollinating the plants that grow the fruits and vegetables we eat to providing food for birds and wildlife, insects fuel the food web and the best way to fuel our native insects is with native plants. In this class we will discuss all the ways native plants benefit us and our environment as well as things we can do to support our native insects. Register HERE.

March 20th: How to Plant a Native Garden  This class will teach you how to choose a site for your garden, things to consider when choosing plants, and provide information about working with city ordinance and HOAs. We’ll also discuss basic gardening skills, share resources for successful gardening, and start planning your native garden! Register HERE.

April 17th: Garden Design with Lucky Toad Resorative Gardens  Getting the right plant in the right location is the key to a successful native garden. This session will meet at the Council Bluffs Convention and Visitors Bureau, where we’ll tour their native plantings with Nick Bonham from Lucky Toad Restorative Gardens, who built the garden from the sod up. Nick will discuss the design elements he considered when planning the garden, how he prepared the site, how he selected species for the site conditions, and native garden maintenance. Register HERE.