Like clockwork, surprise lilies, also known as “naked ladies” are making their annual appearance. The perennial flowers sport lovely foliage early in the season, which disappears with the summer’s heat. By late July or early August, pink flowers tinged in blue simultaneously pop up, seemingly out of nowhere. Other names, including magic lily and resurrection […]
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Year: 2016
Cedar Rapids sends message to Donald Tru...
Carrying signs reading “Dump Trump” and “Stop Racism & Hate,” dozens of protesters gathered outside the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Cedar Rapids, where Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke July 28. The crowd grew in numbers along First Avenue SE, as rush hour was underway. Motorists honked their support, leading to cheers from the […]
“Staggering surprise” Cedar Rapids woman
Wanda Lunn spent last week in Chicago at the North American Lily Society Show & Convention, where more than 200 of the best lily stems in the United States and Canada competed. Several of the lilies she brought to the show from her Cedar Rapids garden won ribbons, but one, she said, brought “a staggering […]
What is that blue flower on Iowa’s roads
If you drive on nearly any Iowa county road and many main highways, too, you’ve undoubtedly seen light blue flowers brightening the roadside. Although not native to North America, chicory (Cichorium intybus) has become ubiquitous in the state, and many others, as well. According to Polk County Conservation, Chicory was introduced to North America from […]
Pond tours, garden walks blooming in Eas...
With abundant rain this season, gardens in Eastern Iowa are particularly lush this year and opportunities to enjoy the area’s beauty are coming up this month. The Linn County Master Gardeners 2016 Garden Walk will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 9, followed by the Eastern Iowa Pond Society’s Pond and Garden Tour […]
Tree removals planned to make way for tr...
By Cindy Hadish/Homegrown Iowan CEDAR RAPIDS – More than a dozen trees will be removed in Daniels Park, as plans move ahead for the CEMAR Trail project. The 24-acre park, bordered by Oakland Road, J Avenue, H Avenue and Maplewood Drive NE, is known for towering oaks and other trees that provide abundant shade for […]
Iowa “Corn Bear” believed to be killed i
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported today that a black bear, believed to be the “corn bear” seen recently on social media, was killed in a traffic collision. Learn about bear sightings in Iowa and read on for more about the traffic accident from the DNR: A young black bear was struck and killed […]
Japanese beetle watch begins
UPDATE (June 25, 2016) One day after posting this, I’ve seen the first Japanese beetles of the season. And of course, they’re after my raspberries! June 24, 2016 – It seems to be an especially bountiful season for raspberries, perhaps because of plentiful and timely rains in Iowa. But for the past decade or so, […]
Iowa couple grow “hosta heaven”
By Cindy Hadish/for Iowa Gardener Starting with one plant division from a friend, the gardens of Nancy and Jay McWherter have grown to include an impressive collection of more than 1,000 varieties of hosta, along with tropical plants and more. Variegated hosta, such as ‘Sagae,’ blues like ‘Blue Mammoth,’ and large-leaf cultivars including ‘Sum and […]
Plans set for open gardens in Cedar Rapi...
If you’re in the Cedar Rapids or Iowa City areas on Sunday, June 26, you have great opportunities during two free events to see lovely gardens and learn more about the project at the historic Johnson County Poor Farm. In Cedar Rapids, Wanda Lunn, 526 Bezdek Drive NW, is opening her gardens to the public […]