Reiman Gardens has a new addition in store for Ames youth — part of the original master plan — a children’s garden which will be completed by next summer.

“Reiman Gardens is a teaching facility, and we want to begin teaching at a young age,” said Nick Howell, superintendent of Reiman Gardens.

The garden will allow elementary schools programming on a yearly basis, he said.

The project is being funded by an anonymous $1 million donation given two years ago. The only request was that half of the money be used for maintenance and the other half for construction.

Officials at Reiman Gardens decided to use the money to build the children’s garden. The cost of the new garden is estimated at $475,000, according to a press release.

The new garden will become the sixth permanent garden in Reiman Gardens. Upon completion, 10,000 additional people are expected to visit the academic facility, Howell said.

Reiman Gardens is part of ISU’s horticulture department. Mike Chaplin, director of Reiman Gardens and head of the horticulture department, said he is anxiously awaiting the completion of the project.

“The Children’s Garden will open up a lot of new avenues to those interested in early childhood development,” he said.

The garden also will feature new attractions to entertain the younger ages.

“It’s a children’s garden with an agronomic theme,” Howell said.

Highlights of the new garden include a corncrib pavilion, an amphitheater, an artificial stream, a stock tank where children can play in the water, a waterfall, a 20-foot scarecrow, a grass maze and a tunnel.

Elementary students from Nevada are scheduled to help decorate the plaza, the cement space around the pavilion, by putting imprints of their hands, leaves, nuts or berries in the cement.

“This will give kids ownership in their garden,” Howell said.

The grand opening of the children’s garden will take place in June or July of 1999.

Weather permitting, the landscape is expected to be completed by Nov., and the planting this spring.

After a late start this summer due to weather delays, Country Landscapes of Ames is now at work, with the help of landscape architect Rodney Robinson.

Howell said he is enjoying watching the progress of the construction.

“I enjoy seeing plans on paper being constructed in the landscape,” Howell said. “It’s better than I expected.”