This is the “after” photo of the rain garden at the Panorama West golf course after several members of the Panora Garden Club removed leaves and dead foliage. In the process, they uncovered new growth of native plants in the rain garden.
Annual pontoon tour fundraiser will be replaced by cinnamon rolls freewill donations during RAGBRAI.
By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
The 40-member Panora Garden Club held its first meeting of 2026 on April 13 at the Panorama West golf course clubhouse. Before the meeting, about 15 club members met that morning to clean around the outside of the clubhouse.
They cleared leaves and dead foliage from the rain garden along the southeast corner of the clubhouse parking lot. Leaves and other winter debris was removed from around the clubhouse and the outdoor kiosk. Evergreen trees, shrubs and roses were trimmed.
About 15 members of the Panora Garden Club gathered April 13 to do a spring cleaning of landscaped areas at the Panorama West golf course. Here three club members start at the north side of the clubhouse and work their way out, clearing fallen leaves and other winter debris.
Tom Schmidt, husband of club member Linda Schmidt, provided a vehicle and trailer for the cleanup effort. He made several trips to the LPA brush and compost facilities with the winter debris club members gathered.
After the cleanup work was done, club members held their 2026 kickoff meeting and lunch in the clubhouse community room.
CELEBRATING RAGBRAI
During the April 13 business meeting, the group decided not to hold its annual pontoon tour of Lake Panorama this year. Instead, funds will be raised by handing out cinnamon rolls in exchange for freewill donations on Tuesday, July 21, as RAGBRAI bike riders roll through Panora.
Guthrie Center is the overnight town July 20. The next morning, riders will head east on Highway 44 to Panora. The garden club will have a stand near their petunia trees in front of the gazebo. As riders stop for cinnamon rolls, club members will offer to take photos of them with the colorful petunia trees.
The popular Lake Panorama pontoon rides will return in 2027 as the group’s major fundraiser.
On April 14, Panora Garden Club members gathered at Panorama Gardens to plant petunias in the 42 pots used to create petunia trees near the gazebo on Panora’s town square. Shown are club members Lori Hammer in the front, and Linda Schmidt to the back.
The Panora Garden Club is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit charity, so donations are tax deductible, and welcomed.
PETUNIAS, PETUNIAS
On April 14, club members gathered at Panorama Gardens to plant petunias in the 42 pots that are used to create petunia trees near the gazebo on Panora’s town square. On April 28, the pots were loaded into the metal tree stands.
“We did something new this year to make the planting easier and more consistent,” JoAnn Johnson, who co-chairs the garden club with Paulette Chambers, said. “We had circular boards the same size as the pots made, with holes cut out for each of the three varieties of petunias we are using this year. These were pressed into the soil already in the pot, and club members planted into the cutout areas.”
The three varieties of petunias used this year are Vista Bubblegum Pink, Sumo Plum and Mini Vista White. In early May, 41 large blue street pots were planted with the same mix of petunias.
TOWN SQUARE CLEANUP, SEED LIBRARY
On April 21, a dozen Panora Garden Club members gathered in downtown Panora to clean winter debris from around the Panora Public Library and the Panora Community Center.
It takes 42 pots of petunias to create the two petunia trees in front of the gazebo in Panora. The pots were put in place April 28. The three varieties of petunias used this year are Vista Bubblegum Pink, Sumo Plum and Mini Vista White.
Near the northeast corner of the Panora Library is the club’s seed library, which was built by volunteer Steve Brannan and installed last spring. The seed library is based on the Little Free Library concept, which involves installing a wooden box in a public area so people can take a book or leave a book.
The library was stocked in mid-April with 450 packets of seed, split evenly between flowers and vegetables. Users are asked to take only what they will plant, and no more than four packets of flower seeds and four packets of vegetable seeds.
There is a notebook in the library where patrons are asked to write their name and what seeds they took. This helps club members as they restock and also shows what types of seeds are most popular. The notebook also can be used for general comments or suggestions of seeds users would like added to the library.
“We also encourage people to donate seeds, whether homegrown or purchased,” Johnson said. “We ask donors to label their seeds with variety and any other pertinent information.”
While the seed library is established on the honor system, there is a camera aimed at the box for security purposes.
NEW MEMBERS WELCOME
Shanell Wagler pauses for a photo while volunteering with the Panora Garden Club to clean landscaped areas around the Panora Library and Community Center on April 21.