Project GREEN Iowa City

10/14/2026

09/26/2026

New idea for your landscape!

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09/26/2026

Fall is here (the fall equinox arrived Sept. 22). Now gardeners are wondering what this winter will bring. El Niño predictions are here:

The polar vortex is taking shape over the North Pole, and it is starting the season stronger than normal, based on the latest sub-seasonal forecasts from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

09/04/2026

When was the last time you visited our marvelous Project GREEN Gardens? It's hot, but not for long. Make your plan to visit soon.

There are 2 Ways to Measure the Start of Fall:
• Meteorological Fall: Begins on September 1 every year and lasts for 91 days through November 30. This fixed three-month block is used by the Met Office and other weather agencies to easily track and compare temperature and climate records.
• Astronomical Fall: Begins on the autumnal equinox, which falls on September 22, 2026 (at 7:05 p.m. Central Time) in the Northern Hemisphere. This date shifts each year slightly based on the Earth's tilt and position relative to the Sun.

08/20/2026

Iowa needs native prairie plants to provide habitat for pollinators. Visit this website hosted by the University of Iowa Press and the UI Libraries, for information about plants indigenous to Iowa.

08/18/2026

School starts next week. Visit the gardens this fall to see what our volunteers have been doing.

07/24/2026

Please join us and help collect information about what's living in Project GREEN Gardens.

07/15/2026

Volunteers dedicated a new sculpture, "Lunar Horizon," in Project GREEN Gardens, created by artist Nick Goergen.

The 8-foot patinated steel moon gate symbolizes a passage between the natural and spiritual worlds. Traditional in Chinese and Japanese architecture, moon gates create a circular opening between terrestrial and celestial realms.

"The moon gate, measuring eight feet in diameter, forms a perfect circle to frame nature, the gardens, and the historic Ashton House," Goergen said. Positioned between the gardens and the Iowa River Trail, the sculpture creates a visual connection from both directions. Looking through the gate from the gardens frames the trail and surrounding landscape, while the view from the trail highlights both the gardens and the historic mid-century Ashton House.

The limestone that accents and anchors the sculpture matches the Ashton House.

The dedication also marked the conclusion of Goergen's three years as a Project GREEN Gardens volunteer while pursuing graduate studies at the University of Iowa. The Arizona native earned his Master of Fine Arts degree this spring after receiving his M.A. in Art in 2025. During his time at the university, he also taught metal sculpture.

After fabricating and welding the sculpture in the university's art studios, Goergen and three student colleagues installed it on a concrete foundation set one foot into the ground. A protective metal sealer was applied, and the finished patina complements the bird blind installed earlier this spring.

Throughout his volunteer service, Goergen quietly integrated his artistic practice with the rhythms of the natural landscape. Many of the plant materials he collected at Project GREEN Gardens became part of his MFA exhibition, "A Lived Naturism."

The installation was made possible through a $4,000 matching grant awarded to Project GREEN by the City of Iowa City.

As Nick Goergen begins the next chapter of his career in Oregon, he leaves behind more than a sculpture. He leaves a lasting reminder of the three years he spent volunteering in Project GREEN Gardens and of the connection between art, nature, and community. Lunar Horizon will continue to frame the gardens, the Iowa River Trail, and the memories created there for years to come.

07/10/2026

Project GREEN is hosting a public reception to celebrate the new sculpture “Lunar Horizon” by artist Nick Goergen. The reception will be held on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm at the Project GREEN Gardens, on the back patio of the Ashton House, 820 Park Road, Iowa City. There will be brief remarks and refreshments. Parking is available at the 820 Park Rd location as well as along Normandy Drive.

The 8-foot patinated-steel moon gate reflects a passage between the natural and spiritual worlds. Moon gates are traditional elements of Chinese and Japanese architecture, where the circular opening symbolizes the full moon, completeness, eternity, and the heavens.The sculpture’s placement creates a visual connection between the gardens and the Iowa River. Looking through the moon gate from the gardens frames the River, the trail and surrounding landscape, while the reverse view from the trail highlights both the gardens and the historic mid-century Ashton House.

An Arizona native with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Arizona State, Goergen taught metal sculpture for three years at the University of Iowa while working on his Master of Fine Arts degree, which he completed this spring. After fabricating and welding the sculpture in the University’s art school studio, he worked with three student colleagues to install it on a concrete base set one foot into the ground. The patina as well as the limestone elements of the sculpture complement the limestone of the Ashton House and the newly installed bird blind at the southwest corner of the Project GREEN Gardens.

The installation was made possible through a $4,000 Public Art Matching Grant awarded to Project GREEN by the City of Iowa City.

The artist, Nick Goergen, with his sculpture “Lunar Horizon” is shown below. The artist has been a volunteer at the Project GREEN Gardens for the past three years.

07/09/2026

Get growing! Project GREEN loves Iowa City Lawn Love and the Northside Neighborhood Plant Group.

What happens when neighbors, native plants, and a little community ...