By Cindy Hadish/Homegrown Iowan UPDATED Aug. 31, 2016, with new Market After Dark attendance estimates Crowds filled the streets of downtown Cedar Rapids on Aug. 27, for the second annual Market After Dark, while gardeners flocked to the Brucemore Garden & Art Show earlier in the day. Market After Dark, the nighttime version of the […]
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Market After Dark and Brucemore Garden &
Two exceptional events are happening this weekend in Cedar Rapids, and fortunately, you won’t have to choose between them. The annual Brucemore Garden & Art Show returns from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016, followed by Market After Dark, the nighttime version of the Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market, from 6:30 […]
Surprise lilies make summertime appearan...
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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Heeding the Three Kings frost warning
With temperatures expected to hit the 80s in Iowa today, it might seem that the risk of frost is far behind for this season. But it’s often prudent to heed the Three Kings frost warning, regardless. According to the Czech legend, the three kings or saints – Pankrac on May 12, Servac on May 13 […]
Milkweed plants at Noelridge Mother’s Da
UPDATE (May 2, 2016): The city sent out a corrected press release to note that visitors don’t need to make a purchase to take home a free milkweed plant and also changes the schedule of events. Original post: Mother’s Day this year falls on Sunday, May 8, the earliest date possible for the celebration, which […]