Pale purple coneflower, the bright yellow of oxeye sunflower and more muted yarrow bloom among native plants in a newly dedicated prairie at Squaw Creek Park in Marion. The 6.6-acre site was formally dedicated Tuesday, June 25, as the Orlan Love Prairie, named in honor of Love, a Gazette reporter and columnist for 24 years. […]
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Author: Cindy
Iowa’s record low winter temperatures no
(UPDATE: A short-lived reprieve; first two Japanese beetles of the season spotted on our raspberry bushes on June 26.) The first Japanese beetles of the season are typically spotted around this time in east-central Iowa, but so far there appear to be no signs of the voracious invaders, at least in our Cedar Rapids gardens. […]
Tours with a twist: upcoming garden walk...
Both the Linn County Master Gardeners and Project GREEN have garden walks scheduled for July, with significant changes this time. The 2019 Linn County Garden Walk, set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 13, will be free this year. Not only will there be no charge for admission, but tour-takers who visit all […]
Saving a Victorian mansion from fading i...
VINTON — Sharon Happel has long pondered the question: How do you encourage the community to take ownership of a community asset? Such has been the conundrum with the historic Ray House in Vinton, Iowa, one of three properties owned by the Benton County Historical Society, and the most expensive to maintain. Related: Couple leaves […]
Czech national tree makes fragrant scent...
Its flowering season is fleeting, but catch the scent of a linden tree in mid-June and the rewards are extraordinary. With fragrance akin to a lily, but not as overpowering as some, lindens embody the spirit of the dawning summer in Iowa. The tree — called lípa in Czech — is not only the national […]
Gardener’s cheap tricks yield rich resul
By Cindy Hadish/for Iowa Gardener CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Looks can be deceiving. Lisa Hinzman Howard’s landscaping appears lush and luxurious, but it didn’t cost a fortune. In fact, Lisa, a Linn County Master Gardener who moonlights as a gardening consultant, called Midwest Garden Gal, espouses “cheap tricks” to keep gardening costs down, while maintaining […]
St. Ludmila volunteers bake thousands of...
By Cindy Hadish CEDAR RAPIDS – Even as kolache sales kick off early this Friday for the St. Ludmila Kolach Festival, Karen Billick can be assured there will be customers waiting even earlier. Drive-up kolache sales run 6-9 a.m. that day, but, “they’ll be here in line at 5 a.m.,” said Billick, who oversees the […]
Search set in Iowa for endangered rusty ...
In 2017, the rusty patched bumblebee became the first bee species in the United States to be placed on the endangered species list. The bee is one of about 4,000 native bee species in the United States, and like the others, is at-risk due to factors such as loss of habitat, and use of neonicotinoids, […]
Feeding fireflies: what do these benefic...
As bothersome as Iowa’s humidity can be, it allows “nature’s fireworks” to thrive. Lightning bugs, also known as fireflies, need a certain amount of humidity or they would dry up in the hot summer sun. Given the abundance of rain that has been inundating the state, Iowa is well on its way to a humid […]
Iowa DNR: No need to rescue Bambi
As cute and helpless as they might seem, wildlife officials say fawns that appear to be abandoned are actually exhibiting normal deer behavior and should be left alone. “The worst thing someone can do is to ‘rescue’ the fawn,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife research biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Related: Shot […]