Gardening in Des Moines – What you Need to Know (PLUS: How to Score FREE Seeds)
Des Moines is located in Zone 5.
What does that mean?
Mild summers and cold winters. We have a shorter growing season that lasts from late spring to mid-fall. Some things may not grow well here because they take a long time to come to full maturity (Think 120 days), and with Iowa’s temperamental, random drops in temperatures, many don’t survive.
What if I don’t have garden space?
The answer is community gardens. You can rent out small plots of land for a small fee, typically available between sometime in April and November. I’ve put all the ones I could find in one place for you. My recommendation is to choose one closest to where you live because when it gets really hot, and you need to water frequently, the drive to the garden can feel like a burden.
- Des Moines Community Gardens: Choose from 3 options, $35/plot
- Grimes Giving Garden: $25/plot (some places say $15 but it’s $25)
- Pleasant Hill: $35/plot
- Norwalk: $25/plot (not sure if it’s still available)
- West Des Moines: Â Jordan Creek Park has plots available. Residents can reserve 10′ x 10′ spaces for $30.. To inquire about availability, call 515-222-3435. I don’t see a sign up site.
Interested but don’t see a city near you? Check out this resource from United Way (I haven’t vetted these).
Or Try to Google Community Garden “Your City” and see if anything comes up. Link any others you know of in the comments so that I can add it to the list.
Note: If you use a community garden, I don’t recommend trying to grow things that take multiple seasons to grow (like a raspberry bush).
When should I start?
It really depends what you’re growing, but March/April is a great time to start seedlings indoors. You’re giving yourself a head start if you get some seeds sprouting before you can officially transfer your plants outdoors. You can transplant into your garden when you’re confident the temperature won’t dip into below 32°F. Some plants can tolerate the cold (think lettuces, carrots, beats, cauliflower, brocolli) but you’ll want to avoid transplanting warm-weather crops (tomato, cucumber, peppers, melons) until you’re confident there will not be a frost.
How do I decide what to grow?
If you’re a beginner, go with tomatoes. They rarely fail, and they usually give a lot of fruit.
If you’re an ambitious beginner, just choose 3-5 things you’d actually consume. That’s where I think a lot of new gardeners go wrong. You want to grow as much as you can and tell yourself you’re going to start eating XYZ vegetables because you grew them yourself. But really…are you?
Intermediate growers (some experience, looking to expand), you might want to choose a few low-maintenance options mixed in with some harder ones. Gardening is that hard if you’ve got the patience and time to do the research and care for your plants. But if you’ve got a full-time job and don’t want to start digging deep into fertilizers, pest control, or soil ph testing, choose a combination of items that will challenge you but not be super time-consuming.
Perennials vs Annuals
It doesn’t matter how many times I learn this; I always forget which one is the one that comes back year after year.Â
Key Differences Between Perennials and Annuals:
| Factor | Perennials | Annuals |
|---|---|---|
| Life Span | Live for multiple years (often 3+ years) | Live for one season (start from seed or plant each year) |
| Winter Care | Die back in winter; some need protection | Completely die in winter, need replanting each year |
| Maintenance | Minimal after establishment (occasional watering, dividing) | High (watering, fertilizing, deadheading) |
| Flowering | Flower for a set time, usually once a year | Flower continuously throughout the growing season |
| Planting | Plant once, come back every year (may divide occasionally) | Replant every year (spring/summer planting) |
Desire low maintenance =Â Go for annuals.
Prefer a little more maintenance for plants that keep coming back (no need to buy new ones each year) = Go for perennials.
Next Steps:
- Choose what you want to grow: This might be affected by your garden size, the effort you want to put in, how quickly you want a yield, and what you would actually use
- Start seeds indoors: Tomatoes, peppers, and herbs can be started indoors in March or April to be ready for transplanting in May. You can skip this if you choose plants with shorter maturity lengths
- Prepare the outdoor soil: Clear debris, pull weeds, add some fertilizer (On a budget? Try coffee grounds and banana peel water)
- Before planting, read the seed packets: Some seeds need to be planted deeper, some need light. To increase your chances of growth, carefully review the planting notes.
Here’s a helpful table of fruits and veggies that grow well in Iowa:
| Fruit/Vegetable | Difficulty | Reaping Time Frame | Space Needed | Pot or Garden | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettuce | Easy | 30-50 days | Small | Both | Can be planted early spring |
| Carrots | Easy | 50-75 days | Small | Garden | Needs loose, well-drained soil |
| Spinach | Easy | 30-50 days | Small | Both | Grows well in early spring |
| Basil | Easy | 40-60 days | Small | Both | Great for companion planting |
| Onions | Easy | 80-120 days | Small | Both | Can be grown from sets or seeds |
| Green Beans | Easy | 50-65 days | Medium | Garden | Bush or pole varieties available |
| Peas | Easy | 50-65 days | Medium | Garden | Cold-hardy, plant early spring |
| Tomatoes | Medium | 60-90 days | Medium | Both | Needs staking for support |
| Peppers | Medium | 70-90 days | Medium | Both | Prefers warm temperatures |
| Potatoes | Medium | 80-100 days | Large | Garden | Prefers deep soil, can grow in bags |
| Cucumbers | Medium | 50-70 days | Large | Garden | Needs trellis support |
| Zucchini | Easy | 40-55 days | Large | Garden | High yield, space-consuming |
| Strawberries | Medium | 1st year limited, full by 2nd year | Medium | Both | Perennial, requires winter care |
| Broccoli | Medium | 80-100 days | Medium | Garden | Prefers cooler temps |
| Raspberries | Medium | 1-2 years | Large | Garden | Perennial, needs pruning |
| CORN (Obviously) | Easy | 90-120 days | Medium | Garden | More about corn |
These flowers grow well in Zone 5.
| Flower | Difficulty | Reaping Time Frame | Space Needed | Pot or Garden | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pansies | Easy | 60-90 days | Small | Both | Cool-season annuals, great for containers and hanging baskets |
| Marigolds | Easy | 50-70 days | Small | Both | Drought-tolerant, deters pests, perfect for borders or containers |
| Zinnias | Easy | 60-90 days | Small | Both | Thrives in full sun, attracts pollinators, perfect for cutting gardens |
| Petunias | Easy | 70-90 days | Small | Both | Great for hanging baskets and containers, full sun lover |
| Snapdragons | Medium | 80-120 days | Medium | Both | Great for cool weather, attracts pollinators |
| Sunflowers | Medium | 70-100 days | Medium | Garden | Tall, needs full sun, good for cutting gardens and attracting birds |
| Geraniums | Medium | 80-120 days | Medium | Both | Great for containers, needs regular deadheading for continued blooms |
| Cosmos | Medium | 70-90 days | Medium | Both | Tolerates drought, attracts pollinators, great for cut flowers |
| Daffodils | Easy | Early Spring (perennial) | Medium | Garden | Perennial, needs full sun, naturalizes and multiplies yearly |
| Daylilies | Easy | 60-100 days | Medium | Garden | Perennial, easy to care for, grows well in sun or partial shade |
| Lavender | Medium | 90-120 days | Medium | Both | Perennial, fragrant, needs well-drained soil, great for attracting bees |
| Coneflowers | Medium | 70-100 days | Medium | Garden | Perennial, attracts butterflies and bees, drought-tolerant |
| Shasta Daisy | Medium | 70-100 days | Medium | Garden | Perennial, hardy, great for cutting and attracts pollinators |
| Black-eyed Susan | Medium | 70-100 days | Large | Garden | Perennial, attracts pollinators, needs full sun |
| Peonies | Hard | 1-2 years (perennial) | Large | Garden | Perennial, low maintenance once established, prefers full sun |
| Roses | Hard | 80-150 days | Large | Garden | Requires pruning, sun-loving, great for hedges or cut flowers |
| Hollyhocks | Hard | 120-150 days | Large | Garden | Tall, perennial, grows well in full sun, great for the back of garden beds |
Bonus Tip (FREEBIE):
Before you run off to the store to buy a bunch of seeds, consider visiting a seed library. It’s a really cool resource that libraries have made available through generous donations so that we all have access to seeds. Many limit the number of seeds you can take, but it’s extremely helpful to get you started.
Call your local library to check if they have one available.Â
Here are the ones I’ve been to and love:
Final Thoughts:
Start small. Work with what you have (solo cups, strawberry cartons, toilet paper rolls). Get ready for the highs and lows of gardening and enjoy the learning process.
For beginners, my best recommendation is that you buy one seed packet today and work on that this week. Then, go for the next one once you’ve planted these. I think it can get really overwhelming when you buy 20 seed packets and try to do it all at once.
Either way, you got this.
Happy Gardening Des Moines!
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