April showers will soon bring May flowers to the Reiman Gardens.

Beginning May 13, volunteers will be needed to help plant 35,000 bedding plants in the gardens, said Vaughn Speer, volunteer chairman for the Gardens.

There are three greenhouses full of bedding plants ready to be added to the garden including geraniums, petunias, marigolds and New Guinea impatiens. Speer estimated the project to take a couple of weeks.

In its second spring, the garden will add a salad bowl area of edible berries, fruits and vegetables, said Sandy Latta, assistant manager of Reiman Gardens.

A border of perennials including sedums and other ground covers will also be added.

The south gardens will be raised with more mulch and soil.

Latta said the special summer project includes concentrating on the wetland area near the creek. Foliage and swamp plants will be added.

The garden’s overall budget has not been determined, but Latta said the general seed for the green house bedding plants cost $500.

Speer said Patty Jischke started the Co-Horts group to work with the Reiman Gardens. There are several committees within the 200 member group: volunteers, hosts/hostesses, tour groups, membership, special events, education and fund raising. Speer said about 60 members of the volunteer committee will assist with the plantings.

“You can’t help but be impressed with the gardens,” Speer said.

“It has potential to be the most beautiful garden in the country,” he said.

Last year Speer estimated at least a hundred volunteers provided one third of the 10,000 total labor hours for the gardens throughout the year. Speer said he hopes for the same turnout of volunteers again this year to help with the weeding, hoeing and dead heading of plants this summer.

“A lot of people just showed up and helped for an hour or more,” Speer said. “People have an inherent love for flowers and to sit back and watch them become beautiful.”

Many activities will take place in the gardens this summer. The Brown Bag Lunch and Education Program on home garden demonstrations take place on Thursdays at noon through September.

People do not have to preregister and are encouraged to walk in.

A children’s summer day camp will be administered through ISU Extension. Children aged 7-12 will have the opportunity to learn about gardens.

Tours of the gardens are available upon request. The multi-education building is also available for the public to rent.