Reiman Gardens Director Ed Lyon to retire May 31, 2024

AMES, Iowa—After nearly ten years as director of Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University and a lifelong career in the garden industry, Ed Lyon is retiring. An open house retirement party was held in his honor on Friday, April 12, 2024, with hundreds of friends, coworkers, and colleagues in attendance.

Lyon took a few moments to reflect on his career at the open house, mentioning the many challenges of leading the Gardens through COVID and multiple construction projects, and the successes of helping put Reiman Gardens on the map.

“In this span of time, we added dramatic new garden spaces,” said Lyon. “We ran a traveling exhibit that was one of the most successful in public garden history. Our participation in many areas of the American Public Garden Association has made us visibly recognized by our peers. We’ve won awards, including a recent international award. We have quickly moved out of the category of a small, unknown public garden hidden away in central Iowa. The goal was to move away from ‘hidden treasure’ to simply ‘treasure.’ People know who we are now.”

Lyon thanked his staff, supervisors, volunteers, and donors who helped raise just over 60% of the funds needed to operate the Gardens.

“That’s no small chunk of change,” said Lyon. “I have sincerely appreciated each and every one of you for recognizing the value of a public garden in this community. And we always need to thank the Reiman family who were instrumental in providing the resources to start the Gardens and support them through some lean times as well.”

Lyon’s last day as director of Reiman Gardens will be May 31, 2024. A search for his replacement is underway through a committee at Iowa State University. Interested and qualified candidates can apply through the careers tab on the Iowa State University website.