As bothersome as Iowa’s humidity can be, it allows “nature’s fireworks” to thrive. Lightning bugs, also known as fireflies, need a certain amount of humidity or they would dry up in the hot summer sun. Given the abundance of rain that has been inundating the state, Iowa is well on its way to a humid […]
Iowa DNR: No need to rescue Bambi
As cute and helpless as they might seem, wildlife officials say fawns that appear to be abandoned are actually exhibiting normal deer behavior and should be left alone. “The worst thing someone can do is to ‘rescue’ the fawn,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife research biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Related: Shot […]
A lost Memorial Day without iconic bloom...
Typically, the lush blossoms of peonies grace gardens throughout Iowa around Memorial Day. Peonies are known for their longevity, with some living for a century or more, and passed down through generations. The showy flowers are synonymous with Memorial Day. Everything seems to be lagging this year, with many peonies still in bud stage. The […]
Photos: Downtown Farmers Market opening ...
CEDAR RAPIDS — Market-goers dodged a few drizzles of rain on opening day and an odd gap in the usual footprint of the Downtown Farmers Market. Cloudy skies occasionally broke into sun for the kickoff of the large-scale market, with mild temperatures, compared to the sweltering heat on opening day last year. See photos of […]
Czech Village Houby Days photos: mushroo...
CEDAR RAPIDS – Occasional downpours put a damper on the 42nd Annual Houby Days in Czech Village, but intrepid Czechs and friends-of-Czechs made the best of the weekend’s weather. Saturday’s Houby Days Parade, sponsored by the Czech Heritage Foundation, battled through early morning showers that led to sunshine and warm temperatures later that day. Learn […]
Ideal morel conditions lead up to Czech ...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Rain and cool temperatures have given Iowans nearly a month of ideal morel mushroom weather, just in time for the Houby Days festival, from May 17-19, 2019. The annual event, in its 42nd year, celebrates all things houby — the Czech word for mushroom — along 16th Avenue SW in Czech […]
City kids sample taste of farm life at s...
CEDAR RAPIDS – Alyssa Aronson asks third graders at Kenwood Leadership Academy how many have been on a farm. A few raise their hands. Previous generations of Iowans often had relatives who farmed, but many children who spend their lives in the city, even in the Heartland, no longer have that connection to rural life. […]
Photos: plant extravaganza at Indian Cre...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The annual Spring Plant and Art Sale at the Indian Creek Nature Center grows every year. This year, more than 20 partners and vendors participated in the event, on Saturday, May 4, at the Nature Center at 5300 Otis Rd. SE. Hundreds of visitors found flowering annuals, perennials, vegetable seedlings, herbs, […]
Morel mushroom reports picking up in Iow...
Nearly a week of rainy days and below-normal temperatures have stunted the growth of many things in Iowa, but reports of morel mushroom finds are on the rise. Starting during more pleasant days in mid-April, soil temperatures in some parts of the state were warm enough for the sponge-like mushrooms to pop. Related: Czech legend […]
What survives a hard freeze?
With temperatures dipping into the 20s last night, parts of Iowa were under a hard freeze warning between April 27 and 28. Hopefully, gardeners heeded the Czech “Three Kings” warning and hadn’t yet planted peppers, tomatoes and other tender crops, but in case you missed it, keep it in mind for next year. A hard […]