Recent rains could boost the late appearance of a popular flower in Iowa. Like clockwork, magic lilies, also known as surprise lilies or naked ladies, bloom in Iowa in late summer in synchronicity. If you see them popping up in one part of town, you’ll generally see them in another, but 2023 was an anomaly. […]
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Category: gardening
Johnson County Master Gardeners to host ...
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Gardeners and history lovers can combine their passions during the Taste of the Heritage Garden, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. The event, hosted by the Johnson County Master Gardeners, is held at historic Plum Grove, 1030 Carroll Street in Iowa City, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. A $6 donation offsets the […]
Open gardens weekend set in Iowa City
IOWA CITY — Both private and public gardens will be on display as Open Gardens Weekend returns to Iowa City on Saturday, July 8, and Sunday, July 9, 2023. Hosted by Project GREEN, Open Gardens Weekend debuted in 2019 and returned in 2021 following a hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Read on for […]
Spring plant sales blossom in Eastern Io...
Just in time for planting season, a variety of plant sales are blossoming in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas. Related: Three Frozen Kings planting lore Find a list here, and if you know of others, add it in the comments at the end. Curbside Plant Sale to benefit Backyard Abundance Shop for locally-grown, […]
Wacky weather attests to Three Frozen Ki...
Gardeners who gave into temptation after multiple days of summerlike weather in mid-April would have done well to heed a Czech gardening legend. Known under various names, including the Three Frozen Kings, the three icemen – tři ledovi muži – or Three Ice Saints, Three Frozen Men or Three Iron Men, the Czech legend warns […]
Good Friday potato planting confronts ga...
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 […]
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 […]