Iowa’s roller-coaster weather continues this spring, after record high temperatures in February followed by winterlike winds and frost just this weekend in late April. Read about the Three Frozen Kings frost warning legend Generally, perennials, such as hosta, daylilies and native plants, can tolerate frost, though some annual flowers and vegetables are tender and prefer […]
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Category: gardening
Bunnies, bonnets and more from the Noelr...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Visitors flocked to the Noelridge Greenhouse for a touch of spring during the annual Easter Showcase. Tropical plants, cacti, seedlings and other plants that grow inside were on display March 30 and 31, 2024, intermingled with stuffed bunnies and other Easter décor. House plants, native and perennial plants, birdhouses and pressed […]
A devilish theory on Good Friday potato ...
Gardeners who follow Good Friday potato planting lore face an extra consideration this year, as Good Friday falls relatively early in 2024, happening on March 29, followed by Easter on Sunday, March 31. While horticulture experts point to soil temperatures and general planting advice based on zones in Iowa, some gardeners prefer to stick to […]
Noelridge Greenhouse Easter Showcase set...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A popular event makes a return to the Noelridge Greenhouse with the annual Easter Showcase. The showcase will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, 2024, at the Noelridge Greenhouse, 4900 Council St. NE. Admission is free. The first 500 children, ages 12 years […]
What’s coming up: identifying early flow
As temperatures soar into the 70s in early March, and spring bulbs already made an appearance in February — unusual for an Iowa winter — a friend of Homegrown Iowan asked how to identify the variety of plants that have already pushed through the ground. Some crocus are already in bloom, but for the most […]
Midwest Garden Gal to kick off Project G...
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Lisa Hinzman Howard, known as the Midwest Garden Gal, will kick off the Project GREEN Second Sunday Garden Forum on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2023. Howard will discuss GIY (Grow It Yourself): Veggies 101 during the forum from 2-4 p.m. at the Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St. Related: Midwest […]
Photos: Noelridge Greenhouse Lights and ...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Hundreds of visitors, young and young at heart, stepped into tropical warmth to enjoy the spirit of the holidays inside the Noelridge Greenhouse. Volunteer Wanda Lunn said Friends of Noelridge hosted the Noelridge Lights & Blooms event one night last year and decided to extend it to two nights in 2023. […]
Lilies blossom with delayed surprise
Recent rains could boost the late appearance of a popular flower in Iowa. Like clockwork, magic lilies, also known as surprise lilies or naked ladies, bloom in Iowa in late summer in synchronicity. If you see them popping up in one part of town, you’ll generally see them in another, but 2023 was an anomaly. […]
Johnson County Master Gardeners to host ...
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Gardeners and history lovers can combine their passions during the Taste of the Heritage Garden, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. The event, hosted by the Johnson County Master Gardeners, is held at historic Plum Grove, 1030 Carroll Street in Iowa City, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. A $6 donation offsets the […]
Open gardens weekend set in Iowa City
IOWA CITY — Both private and public gardens will be on display as Open Gardens Weekend returns to Iowa City on Saturday, July 8, and Sunday, July 9, 2023. Hosted by Project GREEN, Open Gardens Weekend debuted in 2019 and returned in 2021 following a hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Read on for […]