Fans of the Old Farmer’s Almanac are aware of the practice of planting by phases of the moon. According to this gardening tradition, flowers and vegetables that bear crops above ground should be planted during the light, or waxing, of the moon, from the day the moon is new to the day it is full. […]
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Month: April 2014
Seed giveaways, composting, recycling an...
So much is happening in the coming days in Iowa City, beginning this Saturday, April 19, 2014 and running through Earth Week. Johnson County hosts two Earth Week events next week that are free and open to the public and The Salvage Barn, operated by Friends of Historic Preservation, hosts a daylong event this Saturday […]
Noelridge Greenhouse ready to open for E...
CEDAR RAPIDS – The annual Easter showcase inside the balmy greenhouses at Noelridge Park will offer a tropical getaway for Iowans weary from an especially cold spring. Admission is free to the event on Saturday, April 19, 2014 and Sunday, April 20 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The park is at 4900 Council Street […]
Grandma’s miracle flower
Our challenges in saving the family farm continue and it looks like, despite all of our efforts, it probably won’t remain intact. I found one message of hope, however, in all of the despair that surrounds losing something you love. A little background: our uncle was living on the family farm in rural Chelsea, Iowa, […]
DNR reports first case of chronic wastin...
Bad news for Iowa’s deer. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported today that chronic wasting disease was detected for the first time in a deer in the wild. The deer was killed in Allamakee County in December, but the announcement was not made until today. Previously, the disease – which is always fatal – […]
How to bring native pollinators back to ...
Just love this new statewide program coming from the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. The zoo is teaming up with 10 organizations to introduce Plant.Grow.Fly., a conservation effort to bring back native pollinators. Through Plant.Grow.Fly., Iowans are encouraged to plant pollinator habitat in yards, schools and businesses.
Finding mushrooms in Iowa and news about...
It’s still on the cool side to see morels popping up, at least in Eastern Iowa, but I am thrilled to find that Mushroom Mills is selling both oyster and lion’s mane mushrooms through the Iowa Valley Food Co-op. Based in rural Columbus Junction, Todd Mills has already been selling the delectable fungi he grows […]
Iowa City Earth Month event teaches home...
IOWA CITY – Homeowners with older windows can learn restoration techniques during a workshop this Saturday in Iowa City hosted by Friends of Historic Preservation. The event is one of many scheduled in Iowa City during Earth Month. Another event that had been set for this Saturday at the East Side Recycling Center, the Repair […]
Mike Nowak preaches the gospel of organi...
The circle of feeding, growing and maintaining a lawn is mind-boggling. Ingest the ground with chemicals and spend even more time running through it with a gas-guzzling mower. Yet, I know many homeowners want that pristine sea of green. Mike Nowak might be able to insert some common sense into our love of lawns. His […]