Inspiration Garden receives $1,000 donation – Newton Daily News

Master Gardeners received a $1,000 donation from an anonymous donor on May 6. This donation will be used to create a community education project for all interested gardeners – The Inspiration Garden – located on the campus of Des Moines Area Community College in Newton.

The garden is the latest project by Jasper County Master Gardeners in collaboration with DMACC. Group chairman Mark Monroe said: “Our inspiration garden is intended to inspire area residents with a variety of garden design ideas and will demonstrate the use of an assortment of plants at home. shade or sun. The garden will provide a space for gardening education and will appeal to visitors of different ages, backgrounds, interests and abilities.

The Jasper County group has already completed several other projects in recent years, including a vegetable donation garden, with help from a USDA-funded grant from Growing Together Iowa. Over the past six years, gardeners have harvested and donated 12,000 pounds of fresh produce to the Jasper County Food Pantry to provide healthy fruits and vegetables to those experiencing food insecurity.

The Pollinator Habitat is a raised garden of native Iowa prairie plants that was created to educate communities about the beauty and importance of conservation and the environment. The garden was made possible by a grant from Plant Iowa Beautiful.

More recently, the group added a 14-by-24-foot greenhouse, donated by local couple Tim and Janet Onnen. The greenhouse is used for training master gardeners, extending the growing season and improving community food security.

The Jasper County group has grown 500 percent over the past five years. Carol Camp, Master Gardener Program Coordinator, believes, “All of our projects are community-based and have such an impact that people are drawn to them and want to join our group. »

Plans are underway for the next phase of the Inspiration Garden project, which includes a large educational space for community-facing educational programs.

If you too would like to support the project, donations can be sent to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Jasper County, 550 N. Second Ave. W., Newton, Iowa 50208.

Jasper County Master Gardeners is an extension and outreach program of ISU. Volunteers receive initial training in general horticulture, ongoing support, resources and education from their county coordinator and state staff. Master Gardeners share their time and expertise as volunteers in community gardens, city beautification projects and farmers markets, to name a few examples.