Linn County Master Gardeners are continuing their theme of the “Year of the Pollinator” with three sessions this April in the Creative Gardening Series at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. The year began with an event at Kirkwood Community College, featuring Chip Taylor, founder and director of Monarch Watch and professor of ecology and evolutionary […]
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Month: March 2016
Iowa’s Glacial Trail offers local foods
(Editor’s note: Check with the establishments on updated hours/closures when planning your trip.) By Cindy Hadish/for Edible Iowa River Valley The Glacial Trail Scenic Byway’s setting, off the beaten path, contributes to its enchanting appeal. Visitors seek out the Glacial Trail’s rolling hills and picturesque landscapes for its scenic beauty and recreational opportunities, as well […]
Easter Showcase happening at Noelridge G...
CEDAR RAPIDS – The warmth of the Noelridge Greenhouse can dispel the gray skies that sometimes tend to accompany this time of year. That’s particularly true during the annual Easter Showcase, held this Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27, 2016, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Noelridge Greenhouse, 4900 Council Street NE. See […]
New planting zones and crop options in I...
By Cindy Hadish/Homegrown Iowan Iowa farmers could grow almonds as a new crop and other less-hardy plants should be able to thrive in the state under a climate study’s projections. University of Idaho researchers used climate models to assess how the coldest temperature recorded each winter in the United States may change over the next […]
Last Maple Syrup Festival in Indian Cree...
CEDAR RAPIDS – It’s another milestone moment for the barn at the Indian Creek Nature Center. The Maple Syrup Festival, which has been held in the iconic dairy barn since the event’s inception 33 years ago, will take place in the building for the last time this weekend. Related: Photos from 2015 Maple Syrup Festival […]
March of the morel mushroom season
Early March is generally too soon to find morels in Iowa, though this weekend’s mild temperatures have stirred that longing in mushroom hunters. The season can vary, but already, mushroom hunters in Missouri are finding the sponge-like delicacies, and the soil is getting close to needed temperatures in Iowa. That perfect soil temperature can vary, […]
Time for changing of the clocks
You know that spring is on the way when it’s time to “spring forward” with your clocks to mark the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. The switch happens at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 13, 2016; the second Sunday of March. Already this month, Iowa has experienced above-normal temperatures, making it feel like spring has arrived. […]
Iowa goes all-in on oil pipeline
The promise of jobs won out over the rights of property owners, as both the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa Utilities Board today gave the go-ahead to use Iowa farmland to run an oil pipeline through the state, despite an outcry from the landowners and environmentalists. Eminent domain will be allowed to be […]
Chelsea, Iowa, watermelon seeds travel t...
Iowa’s Seed Savers Exchange has deposited many varieties of its heirloom seeds at the international Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, and this year, Chelsea Melon seeds made the trip. My late grandmother, Elsie Musel, provided the seeds from the watermelon to her neighbor, Marvin Kucera, who donated them to Decorah-based Seed Savers Exchange, a […]
Photo gallery: Winter Gardening Fair 201...
CEDAR RAPIDS – Knowing that warmer days are near made the timing perfect for today’s Winter Gardening Fair at Coe College. Monarch butterfly expert and author, Susie Vanderlip, gave a spirited keynote presentation about her work in California with monarch butterflies, and many master gardeners and other horticulture experts led workshops throughout the day. Related: […]