If you’d prefer native plants over your turfgrass lawn, but weren’t sure how to go about it, Backyard Abundance offers a perfect opportunity to tour a spectacular example of one of these yards, for free. Fred Meyer, director of the Iowa City non-profit, passed along the following about this upcoming event: IOWA CITY, IA – […]
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Category: Environment
Rain garden installation in need of volu...
This is coming up soon – the Linn County Conservation Board is looking for volunteers for this worthwhile project! Rain Garden to Take Root September 7th, 8:00 am – 11:00 am The Linn County Conservation Board invites volunteers to help plant a rain garden this Saturday, September 7th, at Morgan Creek Park in Palo (7517 […]
Diatomaceous earth vs. the ants
Fellow journalist, Dave DeWitte, who brought you his review of reel lawnmowers and awesome mushroom photos, now shares his battle strategy with ants, using non-toxic diatomaceous earth. By Dave DeWitte A long time ago when I bought my first house, I was in for a surprise.
Iowa City homeowner gives up battle over...
IOWA CITY – The Iowa City homeowner whose front-yard garden led to a dispute with the city said he will comply with removing all of his plantings. Dr. Timothy Volm said he was given a July 31 deadline or the city would bulldoze the roses, native wildflowers and other plants that adorn his front yard.
Iowa City engages homeowner in a “right
IOWA CITY – Roses, hollyhocks, bee balm and numerous other plants grow harmoniously in Timothy Volm’s front yard, but the lush vegetation is creating dissonance with the city. Volm has been ordered to remove all of the plants by Tuesday, July 9, 2013, or city staff will clear the site and charge the costs to […]
Iowa: From drought to flooding to normal...
After our drought worries earlier this spring and flooding concerns the past few weeks, could Iowa be on track for a “normal” summer? (And really, what is normal in Iowa, anyway?) Here is the most recent water summary update from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources:
A flood of memories: looking back at Iow...
Maybe people are tired of looking back and even I have been cringing whenever I hear the words “flood anniversary.” Still, it’s remarkable to think five years have passed since my hometown of Cedar Rapids, and much of Eastern Iowa, were inundated with unprecedented flooding. I keep a
Keys to drought, flooding and climate ch...
CEDAR RAPIDS – Ray Archuleta and David Brandt could hold the keys to solving both drought and flooding issues and even climate change. Their sessions during the June 6 soil seminar at Coe College in Cedar Rapids were nothing short of jaw-dropping. It’s probably not often that ‘soil seminar’ and ‘jaw-dropping’ are used in the […]
Parallels seen between flooding in Iowa ...
I remember interviewing Petr Kolar, the Czech Republic’s ambassador to the United States, just a few months after floods devastated Cedar Rapids and other parts of Eastern Iowa in 2008. It was remarkable, I thought, that Kolar noted that good could somehow come out of something as tragic as the epic flood that inundated 10 […]
Find out on June 6 why Iowa soils are “n
CEDAR RAPIDS – You might think that unless you’re a farmer, this seminar does not pertain to you, but I’m told gardeners and anyone who could be affected by flooding or drought and basically everybody who eats would benefit from the information that will be presented June 6 at Coe College in Cedar Rapids.