By Cindy Hadish/for Iowa Gardener Dreams of an acreage were put on hold when Doug and Gale Koch moved to a home in a core neighborhood of Cedar Rapids, but that didn’t stop the couple from growing their own inner-city haven. The two have lived in their 1920’s house for more than 22 years and […]
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Category: gardening
Rain garden giveaway offered in Cedar Ra...
Cedar Rapids residents can apply for free design and installation of a rain garden, a landscaping feature that captures rain water runoff on your property and can help improve water quality downstream. Rain gardens not only provide a functional value, but can add beauty to your yard, as well. AmeriCorps is partnering with the city […]
Historic stagecoach stop part of rustic ...
By Cindy Hadish/for Iowa Gardener FRANKLIN, Iowa – A pre-Civil War limestone house, historic stagecoach stop and various outbuildings provide a rustic backdrop for perennials, reseeding annuals and other plants tended by Lori Jarvis. An artist, Lori adds creative touches throughout the acreage where she and husband Mike Jarvis live in the tiny town of […]
Visiting a secret shade garden
By Cindy Hadish/for Iowa Gardener Patti and Rich Hannan turned a problem area of their backyard into a plus. “This really wasn’t a garden seven years ago,” Patti said of the landscaped shade garden, ascending behind the couple’s home in a historic Council Bluffs neighborhood. “Since it’s so shady, we couldn’t get the grass to […]
Prepare for first frost of fall this wee...
If your Iowa garden hasn’t already been hit by frost this season, it more than likely will this week. Late October is already past the average first frost date for fall in most parts of Iowa, so it should come as no surprise. The National Weather Service is forecasting much colder temperatures this Tuesday, Oct. […]
Longtime garden center closing in Cedar ...
By Cindy Hadish CEDAR RAPIDS – A garden shop and nursery that marked 60 years in business last year will close its doors near the end of this month. Related: Read about the store’s history While the landscaping side of the business will continue elsewhere, Peck’s Green Thumb Nursery, 3990 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, will […]
Daylily gardens in Central City, Iowa, b...
By Cindy Hadish/for Iowa Gardener As their name suggests, each blossom of a daylily lasts only one day, but Zora Ronan’s daylily gardens provide a kaleidoscope of color from early June through frost. Zora and her husband, Paul, moved to 32 acres of farmland in rural Central City about 20 years ago, where they quickly […]
Longtime Brucemore garden tradition come...
CEDAR RAPIDS – Earlier this year, Brucemore ended its annual plant sales and now, the long tradition of the Brucemore Garden and Art Show has ended, as well. Typically held in late August, the event featured presentations by Master Gardeners and other guest speakers, food demonstrations using in-season produce, guided tours of the historic Brucemore […]
Watch for Naked Ladies begins in Iowa
If you haven’t seen them already, be on the lookout in the next several days for Naked Ladies, also known as surprise lilies. They’re a bit ahead of last year in our neck of the woods in Cedar Rapids, but generally make their annual appearance in late July or early August. The “surprise” comes, as […]
Return of the Japanese beetles and how t...
It’s like clockwork: my raspberries finally ripen and the Japanese beetles return. The beetles are known to devour hundreds of varieties of plants, turning leaves into skeletal “lace,” and raspberries – including the actual berries – appear to be among their favorites. Related: Japanese beetle watch begins I’ve tried picking the beetles off individually and […]