AMES, Iowa - Since its inception in 1995, Reiman Gardens has blossomed from a small campus garden into a nationally known, 17-acre horticultural haven that's consistently rated one of Iowa's top attractions.
Remarkably, this growth has unfolded in just three decades - a short span in the life of a garden, according to Reiman Gardens Director Christine Prescott.
"Many public gardens have been around for hundreds of years, so at 30 years, we're actually in our infancy. It's an exciting time," she said.
In commemoration of this milestone anniversary, Reiman Gardens will host a 30th Anniversary Botanical Bash from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13. The anniversary connects with the gardens' 2025 theme, "Picture Perfect: Celebrating 30 Years of Beauty," which features stunning backdrops, games and installations inspired by past exhibits.
Reiman Gardens
30th Anniversary
Botanical Bash
5-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13
Learn more about the celebration here.
The event will feature live outdoor music, inflatable slides, food trucks and a drone show. Scattered throughout the gardens are 20 sculptural elements representing past themes and exhibits from 2004-24. Learn more about the scavenger hunt here.
View a complete list of events here.
"This year's focus on celebration has been the perfect lens to reflect on the legacy of the gardens while also looking ahead to what's next. This theme has become a joyful gathering point for guests of all ages - a place where memories are made," Prescott said.
Attracting a media buzz
From local news outlets to online publications around the world, Reiman Gardens is increasingly capturing media attention. The Ames Tribune named the gardens the "Best Wedding Venue of Story County," and Yahoo News called it a "Top 10 North American Gardens Worth Traveling For," to name a few.
But perhaps drawing the most attention in its 30-year history was a collaboration with Iowa State's Bessey Greenhouse last spring for the bloom of a rare, and rancid, plant known as the corpse flower.
More than 12,000 people experienced the 6-foot-tall plant emitting an intense odor that's been described as a stench similar to everything from dirty gym socks to rotting flesh.
Andrew Gogerty, manager of marketing and communications, playfully adopted Stink Floyd as a campaign theme for the rare occasion, a reference to the famous rock band Pink Floyd in honor of the pungent plant's legendary scent.
"The corpse flower became a viral star. With daily growth updates, diva-like behavior and unpredictable bloom timing, Floyd kept staff, students and an entire social media community on the edge of their noses," Gogerty said.
Social media posts with the rock-star parody drew over 4 million views in the span of two weeks and attracted local TV stations to stop by multiple times during the corpse plant's growth and bloom, Gogerty said. One guest even drove over eight hours from her vacation at the boundary waters of Canada.
"The response from the public was incredible. It created a lot of excitement, and we even had teachers and classrooms across the state who were monitoring it and wanting to learn more about the amorphophallus titanum," he said.
Collaboration blooms on campus
Serving the students and all members of the Iowa State community has been an integral part of Reiman Gardens' mission from the beginning. From a live, exotic butterfly exhibit to an award-winning rose garden, the landscape serves as a living laboratory for research, innovation and collaboration.
Annual events have become a tradition for students, who help install over 150,000 lights across all 17 acres for the Winter Wonderscape and carve over 1,000 jack-o'-lanterns for the Spirits in the Gardens event in October.
"It's a blast just to watch. There are pumpkin guts going everywhere all day long. There's music playing and students carving. It's a spectacle in itself," Gogerty said.
This year, computer science and marketing students worked with the garden's entomology staff to develop the Butterfly of the Day app for the nationally acclaimed Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing. The app showcases a different butterfly species every day and helps users locate nearby butterfly exhibits.
"Our partnership with Iowa State continues to be a source of inspiration. These collaborations turn ideas into impactful experiences," Prescott said. "They reflect how the gardens serve not only as a place of rest and reflection, but also as a real-world learning lab that supports the university's mission in action."
Events that grow connections
This year, an expanded lineup of events was designed to celebrate the gardens' 30th anniversary and to bring visitors closer to nature and each other.
The Songwriter Showcase, an outdoor summer concert series, brought regional musicians and guests to the gardens for an intimate and unique musical setting. In collaboration with Stephens Auditorium, the five evening concerts were held in the gardens' Bald Cypress Allée and welcomed people of all ages.
Also in celebration of the anniversary, director of entomology Nathan Brockman led a special summer series, Nature with Nathan, that invited guests to explore the wonders of the natural world.
"Our goal is to be indispensable to Iowa State. We believe strongly in what we can provide in terms of hands-on learning, student and staff wellness, and community wellness and livability. We want to help create a community that is attractive to anyone who might want to come here," said Sarah Rummery, director of horticulture and Iowa State horticulture alum.
Rummery has witnessed the expansion of landscape as well as the staffing over her nearly 20-year career with Reiman Gardens.
"When I started, I believe we were a permanent staff of 11 or 12, including everyone from director to custodian. Now, we have 24 permanent staff," she said.
Rummery has led several major projects that have expanded the gardens' outreach. From introducing a new tracking system for collecting data to adding over a mile of concrete sidewalks, she strives to share the joy of the gardens with as many people as possible.
"There would be a lot of joy missing from our lives if we didn't have connection to plants. From the food you eat to the fresh air you breathe to the shade that provides relief on a hot day or the smells that invoke a memory - they are the foundational building blocks of life," she said.
