Learn on Saturdays
Grow Your Gardening Knowledge this Winter
   
Winter Learning Series—Learn on Saturdays & DIG Symposium
Winter is the perfect time to dream, plan, and grow your gardening knowledge!
Join us for Learn on Saturdays!
Growing the Gardener in You is an eight-week series featuring gardening experts from across the Midwest. Whether you’re just getting started or have years of experience, you’ll discover practical ideas and new perspectives to help your garden thrive.
Explore everything from:
- Creating welcoming habitats for birds and pollinators
- Growing vegetables
- Selecting trees
- Managing rainwater
- Embracing sustainable gardening practices
Each session offers inspiration and useful knowledge you can put to work in your own garden.
Attend in person at the Botanical Garden, participate virtually, or watch recorded presentations at your convenience. All tickets include admission to the Garden.
Make the most of the series with a Season Pass
This includes all eight sessions, a complimentary notebook and pen, and discounted registration for the DIG Symposium on March 13. Â
Keep Growing at the DIG Symposium!
Continue your gardening journey at the DIG Symposium on Saturday, March 13. Explore new topics, connect with fellow gardeners, and learn from experts during a half-day event featuring a keynote presentation, breakout sessions, and an expert panel. Learn on Saturdays Season Pass holders receive discounted in-person registration for just $55.
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Learn on Saturdays Details
Saturdays, January 9 – February 27, 2027 l 10:30-12:30 PM
10:30-Noon presentation, Noon-12:30 pm Q&A
Tickets
Single day Saturdays, Jan 9-Feb. 20: $14 member | $20 nonmember
Keynote single day Feb 27: $35 member | $45 nonmember
Season Pass includes all 8 weeks: $100 member | $150 nonmember
Season Pass benefits: Admission to all eight sessions, a complimentary pocket notebook and pen, and discounted registration for the DIG Symposium.
All ticket options include: Botanical Garden admission and access to in-person, live virtual, and recorded viewing options that are available for 7 days after the program has concluded.
Flora Cafe will be open at 10 am for coffee and pastries available for purchaseÂ
Speaker Lineup
| Jan. 9 | Kayla Lamb | Garden Maintenance 101 |
| Jan. 16 | Tyler Harms | Backyards for Birds |
| Jan. 23 | Shaila Claiborn | Top Trees for Your Landscape |
| Jan. 30 | Sarah Wood | Creating a Cut Flower Garden |
| Feb. 6 | Matt & Lexi Young | Urban Rainscaping |
| Feb. 13 | Katie Bennet Byerly | Exploring the Iowa Prairie |
| Feb. 20 | Chloe Jansky | Choosing the Right Veggies for Your Garden |
| Feb. 27 | Heather Holms – Featured Keynote | From Canopy to Groundlayer: Building Soft Landings with Keystone Plants for Pollinators |
Thank you to our sponsors & supporters
  | Mary Oothout
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We are grateful to the volunteers whose time and talents help make this series possible.
DIG Details
Saturdays, March 13 l 8 AM-12:30 PM
Get inspired, expand your gardening knowledge, and connect with fellow garden enthusiasts.
Met up at the fourth annual Dig Into Gardening (DIG) Symposium!
This half-day event brings together gardening experts, Iowa State University specialists, educators, and Polk County Master Gardener volunteers to share research-based knowledge and practical ideas you can put to work in your own garden or landscape.
Explore a variety of topics through an engaging keynote presentation, breakout sessions, and an expert panel discussion.
From pollinator conservation and native plants to vegetable gardening, sustainable landscapes, and houseplant propagation, DIG offers something for gardeners of all experience levels.
The 2027 symposium features keynote speaker Sarah Nizzi of the Xerces Society, presenting Pollinators and People: Everyone Can Play a Role in Pollinator Conservation.
Presented in partnership with:
- Polk County Master Gardeners
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Polk County
- Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
Join us in person or participate virtually through a selection of featured sessions.
Tickets
DIG Symposium Detailed Schedule
In-person
- $65 Member | $75 Nonmembers
- $55 for LOS season passholders
- All in-person tickets include admission to the Garden, assorted snacks and beverages, and recorded viewing.
Virtual
- Keynote: Sarah Nizzi
- Cassie Druhl — Pocket Prairie or Rain Garden: Which Is Right for You?
- Red Fern Farm — A Different Kind of Agroforestry
- Zach Schumm — IPM and Beneficial Insects in Home Gardens
- Expert Q&A Panel
- $50 member | $60 nonmembers (Virtual live & recorded viewing)
- Can’t join us in person? Participate virtually and enjoy a selection of featured symposium presentations, including the keynote, three breakout sessions, and the expert Q&A panel.
DIG Presented by the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Zanfel, Polk County Master Gardeners, and Iowa State University (ISU) Extension & Outreach in Polk County.
Speaker Lineup
Keynote
Sarah Nizzi, Xerces Society
Pollinators and People: Everyone Can Play a Role in Pollinator Conservation
Breakout Session 1
- Eric Foley – The Land Down Under
- Cassie Druhl – Pocket Prairie or Rain Garden – Which is Right for You?
- Sara O’Connell – Introduction to Sustainable Wildcrafting and Growing Medicinal Herbs
Breakout Session 2
- Heidi Anderson – Spring Woodland Wildflowers
- Stephanie Harrington – Matrix Gardening
- Red Fern Farm – A Different Kind of Agroforestry
Breakout Session 3
- Zach Schumm – IPM and Beneficial Insects in Home Gardens
- Aaron Steil – The Vegetable Garden Blueprint: A Practical Guide to Planning, Planting, and Maintaining a Successful Home Garden
- Stephanie Witte – Prop it Like it’s Hot: Mastering Houseplant Multiplication
Expert Q&A panel
Sarah Nizzi, Aaron Steil, Zach Schumm, Stephanie Witte
The symposium also supports an important cause. Proceeds benefit Polk County Master Gardeners, helping fund educational programs and the care of gardens throughout Polk County.
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