(UPDATED May 21, 2019, with Native Plant Sale) You know gardening season has arrived when local plant sales begin. Local sales offer a great way to jump-start your gardening efforts, with plants grown by master gardeners and others with expertise for Iowa’s conditions. Vegetable seedlings, fruits, herbs, perennials and more are sold for just a […]
Czech Three Kings legend warns against e...
When temperatures reach the 70s in April, it can be tempting to start a gardening frenzy, but in Iowa, it’s best to heed a warning brought here by immigrants. Known under various names, including the Three Frozen Kings, the three icemen – tři ledovi muži – or Three Ice Saints, Three Frozen Men or Three […]
Old and new: Photographer creates unique...
CEDAR RAPIDS — Slovak photographer Monika Klučiarová has long been passionate about taking photos of newborns, and had always held a fascination with Slovakian folk costumes, called kroje. Combining the two created a unique art form “that merges the innocent beauty of newborns with the treasured works of our ancestors,” Klučiarová said during the opening […]
Easter Showcase continues beloved tradit...
CEDAR RAPIDS — Generations of families have made a tradition of visiting the Noelridge Greenhouse for an annual open house. This year’s Easter Showcase is set for Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the greenhouse at 4900 Council Street NE. Admission is free. The first 500 children […]
One of last original NewBo City Market v...
CEDAR RAPIDS — One of the original vendors at NewBo City Market plans to move to Czech Village in June. Then called Bark & Bloom, the plant boutique opened when the market launched at 1100 Third St. SE in 2012. Related: Popular eatery leaves NewBo City Market Now known as Moss, with a second site […]
Is this Friday good (enough) for potato ...
Gardening folklore calls for planting potatoes on Good Friday, but that date can fluctuate from the wintry throes of March to somewhat balmy days in late April. In 2019, Easter falls on the latest date in nearly a decade, April 21, placing Good Friday on April 19, weeks later than last year’s Good Friday on […]
Not haunted; couple leaves behind their ...
Randy Pittman wonders if he might garner more interest in the brick Victorian mansion he and his wife are selling in Bonaparte, Iowa, if they could claim it was haunted. As it stands, though – fortunately or not – “it’s the most comfortable house I’ve ever lived in,” Pittman said. “It’s absolutely not haunted.” He […]
Photos: Remembering Feed Iowa First foun...
CEDAR RAPIDS – Friends of Sonia Kendrick, volunteers of the organization she founded and even people who never met the food activist paid tribute Wednesday, March 20, during a remembrance celebration. Seeds were planted and messages written in memory of Kendrick, who died one year ago at the age of 40. “They tried to bury […]
Cedar Rapids confronts flooding, again
Preparations by the city of Cedar Rapids lessened the likelihood of major damage this week, even as the Cedar River rose to a major flood stage. The National Weather Service predicted the river to crest Tuesday, March 19, at 18.3 feet – more than 2 feet above the level considered “major” flooding. That number is […]
Customers protest Alliant Energy rate hi...
Holding signs reading “Don’t feed Alliant’s Greed” and “Family of 5 trying 2 survive,” several dozen people took to the streets of downtown Cedar Rapids to protest Alliant Energy’s rate increases. The company has filed applications proposing to increase retail electric and natural gas rates for customers in seven classes, including an increase of 24.45 […]