Getting Your Hands Dirty

Published on May 06, 2025

By Alice S.

The weather is finally warming up and color is beginning to paint the outdoors again.  When I recently went on a walk near Falls Park and the Steel District, I had so much joy when I saw green grass, red-orange tulips, purple hyacinths, and yellow daffodils.  Seeing the flowers and plants alive again made me giddy to start planning my garden and flowerpots around the patio. 

While you can just go to your local greenhouse or retailer and grab what looks healthy, sometimes it’s fun to orchestrate something new and intentional. The library has items to help plan a garden area, create a new patio space, build a raised bed, or learn new methods like square foot gardening. Get ideas for landscaping and design, or even look at switching to a no-grass yard.   

Siouxland Libraries has books for beginners or more advanced gardeners. It may be fun to involve the kids, too!  

Some may want gorgeous flowers or bust, while others prefer less work each year and just want the perennial plants to come back. 😊 That’s my kind of gardening.

For me, flipping through different pictures is the best way to spark new ideas. When I do this, I typically go to Libby and check out the digital gardening magazines. There are hundreds of gardening magazines – for both vegetables and flowers. Sometimes I look to simply dream of what that’d be like in my yard. Want to dream, too? Check out Libby and search for gardening magazines.

Whether you are a Master Gardener or a beginner, a veggie junkie or a flower fanatic, Siouxland Libraries has resources for you to plan this year’s garden. And, hopefully, by the time you have a plan, the chance of frost in the mornings has dissipated significantly. Enjoy getting your hands dirty this spring!