Volunteering Schedule and Typical Volunteer Duties 2026

Volunteer Hours: M-F 10 AM - 12 PM, 1 PM - 3 PM

Come join our friendly group of volunteers anytime of the year. We’d love to see you! Simply stop by the greenhouse during open hours or fill out the volunteer page on this site and we will be in touch with you. You do not need to be a Master Gardener or even have a green thumb - you only need to have a love of plants and be ready to have fun and socialize with like-minded people. Guidance and training is provided. No need to register, sign up, or commit to certain days. Join us as your schedule permits!

If you are interested in learning about our volunteer program, please contact 319-286-5762 or use this link.

JANUARY

14th - FoN Volunteer Kickoff Potluck 11 AM

15th - First day of volunteer work for the season

19th - Greenhouse closed for MLK Day

Work on tropical plants, repotting, cutting back and potting extras for sale, taking new cuttings for spring planting, repotting amaryllis

FEBRUARY

Transplanting, cuttings, clipping, potting basket plants, cutting back and repotting grasses

MARCH

Open Greenhouse #2 for cutting, potting, transplanting, cleaning and putting cannas into sand

Open Greenhouse #1 when needed at the end of March

Start cleaning and preparing for the Easter Showcase, cleaning sale plants

Preparing Fairy Gardens

APRIL

3rd - Greenhouse closed for Good Friday

4th - 5th Easter Showcase, 11 AM - 5 PM, free and open to the public

Transplanting, making soil, potting large pots and baskets, potting plants for sale

Tours

MAY

2nd - Cedar Rapids Parks Open

10th - Mother’s Day Showcase, 10 AM -5 PM, free and open to the public

25th - Greenhouse Closed for Memorial Day

Prepping for Easter Showcase, labeling sale plants, taking down showcase decorations and putting things back in order, pulling plant orders for outlying areas and labeling on benches, transplanting

Plan and plant AAS bed, gather ideas for Landscape Design Contest

Tours and weeding outside

JUNE

Weeding, planting, mulching, tours

JULY

3rd - Greenhouse closed for Independence Day holiday

AUGUST

Weeding, deadheading, edging

Vegetative cuttings start in late August

SEPTEMBER

7th - Greenhouse closed for Labor Day

17th, 24th - Public allowed to take cuttings at 9 AM

Weeding, cuttings, grass division, seed collection and cleaning

27th - Cedar Rapids Parks officially close

OCTOBER

1st - Public allowed to take cuttings at 9 AM

Cuttings, grass divisions, seed collection, pulling labels and plants, dumping pots, potting bulbs

NOVEMBER

11th - Greenhouse closed for Veteran’s Day

26th - 27th - Greenhouse closed for Thanksgiving

Make artificial and real arrangements to sell at Lights & Bloom show, prepare for Lights & Blooms, clipping, cutting, cleaning

DECEMBER

3rd - 4th - Lights & Blooms Showcase, 5 PM - 8 PM, free entry and open to the public

24th - 25th - Greenhouse closed for Christmas