A new Woodland Wildflower Report offers a weekly look at spring ephemerals from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Similar to the DNR’s fall foliage report, the weekly update is categorized by regions of Iowa. Read more from the Iowa DNR: Experience the best of Iowa’s spring season with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources […]
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Tag: spring
Spring forward this weekend for Daylight...
With the snow finally melted in Iowa, the past week has felt more like spring, so this weekend will be a timely switch as we “spring ahead” with our clocks to Daylight Saving Time. The change happens at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 14, 2021, the second Sunday of March. While we lose an hour of […]
Spring plant sales popping up in Eastern...
(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 […]
Gardening during Iowa’s endless winter
As winter drags on in Iowa, some gardeners might be concerned about plants that already have foliage up out of the ground. Tulips, daffodils and other bulb plants that typically bloom in the spring should be OK, even with the unseasonably cold April temperatures we’ve been experiencing. Unless they have blossoms on them already, which […]
Time for changing of the clocks
You know that spring is on the way when it’s time to “spring forward” with your clocks to mark the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. The switch happens at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 13, 2016; the second Sunday of March. Already this month, Iowa has experienced above-normal temperatures, making it feel like spring has arrived. […]
Spring plant sales bloom in Eastern Iowa
This spring, it seemed like it might have been safe to plant earlier than usual, and then we get hit with a few nights of frost warnings. So, at least I don’t feel too far behind. If you’re eager to get your hands in the dirt, you’re in luck. Plant sales are kicking off this […]
Spring is (almost) here: a look at the w...
Temperatures – finally reaching highs the state hasn’t seen since November – are one indication that spring is on its way. Another is the number of gardening and eco-events cropping up in Eastern Iowa. A look at the Homegrown calendar shows something happening every day this week, with some offering more than one option. If […]
Iowa sets record with rainfall; most pre...
Just a month ago, we worried about another drought in Iowa. Now the concern is too much water. Earlier today, I traveled to Tama County and saw the flooding up close, a reminder of what we experienced in Cedar Rapids in 2008. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources noted in its water summary of May […]
Happy Spring?
I’m not complaining. Really. But by now, on March 20, the first day of spring, I would have hoped Iowa would look and feel a bit more springlike. Instead, snow covers the ground, temperatures are in the teens and we do have a “nice” March breeze, or more accurately, frigid gusty winds. I think many […]
Iowa apple losses detailed in new USDA r...
Remember last spring’s wacky weather? Iowa apple growers would probably rather not. Warm weather early in the spring that prompted trees to bud was followed by frost and a summer drought that devastated many orchards. Proof of the losses came in this report just issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The statistics show the […]