The Directory
Kid friendly businesses, organizations and services in the Des Moines area.
Whether you live in Ankeny, Altoona, Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Indianola, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee, Windsor Heights, West Des Moines or beyond, find the local resources your family needs in in the dsm4kids Directory!
While all submissions are considered, inclusion in the Directory is based on relevance. Businesses or organizations outside of Central Iowa or primarily geared toward adults may not be listed.
If you are a business or organization and would like to submit a directory listing, please click on Submit Business Listing.
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One of the world’s largest collections of flowering crabapple trees can be found at Water Works Park. The collection is properly named after its developer, horticulturist and author, Arie Den Boer; he was the collector and originator of the arboretum in 1930. He established a collection of 300 varieties of trees in his time, which Des Moines Water Works staff now maintains through pruning and propagation.
Arie Den Boer was perhaps the first successful nurseryman to popularize the crabapple tree with his bookOrnamental Crabapples, published in 1959. His book gave a nurseryman a different take on the crabapple, warts and all, and explaining the tremendous diversity of this plant in the landscape.
Today, the arboretum includes approximately 1,200 trees in the collection, with the youngest trees being planted through a donor tree program. At this time, we are no longer accepting donations for new trees in the arboretum; however, a donation can be made to the maintenance and care for the existing trees in the arboretum by contacting Des Moines Water Works at 515.283.8702.
The annual crabapple blossom usually blooms the last week of April and the first week of May, attracting thousands of visitors to Water Works Park.
Located next to the headquarters of Better Homes and Gardens' parent company, Meredith Corporation, our Test Garden serves as a display garden, a testing ground for plants, and a photography studio for our company's publications and Web sites.
The Test Garden is open to the public on Fridays from noon to 2 p.m., from May through September. Large groups may schedule tours during these hours.
For more information, contact the Test Garden Manager, at Better Homes and Gardens, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309. The phone number is 515-284-3994.
The Brenton Arboretum 141 acres is an arboretum, outdoor museum of trees a and public garden.
The Arboretum features 4 miles of walking trails that beckon visitors to an adventure over streams, through prairie grasses, and to the edge of Homestead Lake and Overlook Pond. Visitors can also enjoy a Nature Explore Classroom.
The Arboretum provides many family friendly learning oppotunities throughout the year.
Buxton Park Arboretum 5.4 acres is an arboretum and botanical garden located at the intersection of North Buxton Street and West Girard Avenue, Indianola, Iowa. It is open to the public without charge.
This historic garden has been a favorite spot for gardeners, strollers, and wedding parties since the 1930s. It is an All-American Rose Selection Public Display Garden. The Original Garden Planning was initiated in 1929 by the Des Moines Garden Club and the Club’s Founders Group. Landscape architect Harlan Bartholomew prepared the general plans and Des Moines architect Amos Emery designed the limestone pillars, benches, tea houses, and flagstone walks. In 1932, noted landscape architect Harold Pharnham completed the central garden’s detailed planting plans for more than 200 varieties of roses. It also included background plantings of shrub roses, climbing roses, lilacs, and evergreens. With both private and public support, the garden was completed in May of 1933.
The Enabling Garden in Altoona (the newest of the Polk County Master Gardener gardens) is a work in progress. Started in 2002, the garden is a cooperative effort between the Polk County Extension District Master Gardeners and the City of Altoona.
The Enabling Garden is located at the Vern Willey II Trail Park.
The purpose of the Master Gardener Enabling Garden project is to provide an area that illustrates gardening for physically impaired individuals
The garden will demonstrate state-of-the-art designs for barrier-free gardening.
The 378 acre Iowa Arboretum is a “Library of Living Plants”. It includes forest, prairie, and meadow areas and offers three self-guided woodland trails where you’ll discover hundreds of species of trees and shrubs, plus herbs, roses, ornamental grasses, Siberian irises, daylilies, and hostas.
Every spring for about two weeks, the Lilac Arboretum in Ewing Park located at 5300 Indianola Road, comes alive with color. The park has hundreds of lilac trees and many other types of beautiful trees as well. It is a spring tradition for most, to walk through the arboretum taking in the fragrant smell of the lilacs and enjoying the spectacular beauty.