The potato-planting tradition on Good Friday could be premature for 2023. What has been a particularly cold spring might not bode well for getting potatoes in the ground this Friday, April 7, with temperatures dipping around the freezing mark just the week before. While some parts of Iowa are experiencing soil temperatures above 45 degrees […]
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Category: gardening
Find out what’s new in the garden in 202
IOWA CITY — Project GREEN and the Iowa City Public Library’s Second Sunday Garden Forum begins on Jan. 8, 2023. The first featured speaker will be Dawn Bouslog, owner of Dawn’s Pleasant Valley Greenhouses, who will identify what’s new in the garden in 2023. Second Sunday Garden Forums are free and presentations also stream live […]
How to prepare for an early frost
UPDATE, Oct. 7, 2022: If you’ve escaped the frost so far, take heed tonight, as a freeze warning has been issued in Iowa, with temperatures predicted to dip into the 20s from Friday into Saturday. One week ago, parts of Iowa sustained record heat on Sept. 20, 2022, with temperatures in the upper 90s. Tonight, […]
Getting buzzed in the garden: hummingbir...
Iowans who get “buzzed” while outdoors at this time of year might have had a close encounter with a whitelined sphinx moth, commonly known as a hummingbird moth. The moths, also known as hawk moths, are often mistaken for hummingbirds, with the rapid pulse of the moth’s wings resembling that of its namesake. Whitelined sphinx […]
Magic lilies make synchronized appearanc...
As perennial flowers start their fall blooms of yellow and orange, one reliable plant blooms pretty in pink. Magic lilies, also known as surprise lilies or naked ladies, tend to bloom in Iowa in late summer in a synchronized manner. If you see them popping up in one part of town, you’ll see them in […]
Taste of the Heritage Garden celebrates ...
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The 25th anniversary of Taste of the Heritage Garden will take place Wednesday, July 13, at Plum Grove, the historic home of Iowa’s Territorial Governor Robert Lucas and his wife, Friendly. Johnson County Master Gardeners, who host the event, also will commemorate the late Betty Kelly, who researched and helped create […]
Monarch Fest in Cedar Rapids and Open Ga...
Nature lovers and gardeners will find plenty to do this weekend, as Monarch Fest returns to the Indian Creek Nature Center, and the Open Gardens Weekend welcomes visitors to the Iowa City area. Monarch Fest will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 9, at the nature center, 5300 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids. […]
Midsummer Garden Arts Fair planned at hi...
“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.”― William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A free event will spotlight a hidden gem in Cedar Rapids, as supporters plan to revitalize the historic Shakespeare Garden in […]
Why lilacs in Iowa turned a whiter shade...
Numerous Iowa gardeners have noticed a change in the color of their lilacs this spring. Normally purple lilacs, to quote Procol Harum, turned a whiter shade of pale. The perfumed blossoms, a springtime favorite, still carried their fragrant scent, but didn’t look as colorful as in previous years. Linn County Master Gardeners covering the “hortline” […]
Plant sale has connection to history
A plant sale in Iowa City, set for this Friday, May 20, has a connection to the past. P.E.O. Chapter HI will offer a variety of plants at its Second Annual Sale from 1-4 p.m. at 500 St. Thomas Ct., just off Rochester Avenue in Iowa City. The P.E.O. recently received plants with a special […]