July 24, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Arachnidan Trap, blooming, daylilies, daylily, dividing, fertilize, garden, image, Iowa, open, overgrown, perennial, photo, September, water, when, Zora Ronan
Arachnidan Trap daylily (Photo/Zora Ronan)
I’ve been receiving calls and emails about Zora Ronan’s upcoming open gardens this weekend and hearing from people who plan to make the trip to see her daylilies. For those of you who cannot attend, Zora sent some tips on dividing daylilies and other general advice:
When or if to divide a daylily is a decision to be made based on the plant’s health. If it is not looking unhealthy, is still blooming freely and has not outgrown its space, there is no reason to disturb it. I only divide when one or more of those problems occurs. Daylilies vary greatly in how fast they become crowded. I have some that get divided every 4 years or so and some that have been fine for more than that time. The biggest problem in waiting to divide until the plant is very overgrown is that it can become very large and hard to handle. When I do divide, I replenish the soil with lots of compost and a bit of peat.
Daylilies are considered the perfect perennial because they survive and thrive with very little care. However, good nutrition and adequate water is always going to improve daylily performance. I do fertilize lightly every year with lawn fertilizer (no herbicide). Daylilies can use a bit more nitrogen than other perennials to keep the foliage a nice healthy green. I apply a 3-month time released fertilizer in the early spring–never any fertilizer after August 1. If you have a good supply of compost, top-dressing with that every year is also beneficial and can probably take the place of artificial fertilizer.
Any dividing is best done in spring or after bloom has ended. I would not divide any later than early to mid-September – daylilies need about 6 weeks to settle in before winter arrives. We never know when that is going to happen.
July 22, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged Claire Smith, downspout, fertilizer, gutter, hatch, how much, Iowa, July, Linn County, master gardener, mosquitoes, pH, rain barrels, runoff, water, wet
The following is by Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:
He was correct. A climatologist said July was going to be wetter and colder than normal. Did you imagine we’d be wearing jackets and sweatshirts on mid-summer mornings? A couple of my houseplants living on the deck for the summer got relocated under the eaves. They were experiencing a little too much of a good (rain water) thing. It has been nice not having to drag hoses or fill the water wagon as much this year. The soaker hose has been pretty much dormant, too.
It does bother me letting all this precious water run off, though. Rain barrels have become a popular efficient way to retain that wonderful commodity that Mother Nature provides. Rain barrels don’t need to be plugged in or powered up. They’re good for the environment and save money.
Rain water is preferably to municipal water for gardens because it provides a beneficial pH balance, thus creating less of a need for fertilizer.
Rain barrels situated at the base of a gutter or downspout, are typically modified recycled 55 gallon food grade drums, and include a filter, spigot and with an overflow pipe usually directed on to a flower or vegetable bed. Commercial rain barrels are available with costs varying. Rain chains, water-funneling devices, can be used in place of down spouts for an esthetic effect. Maybe you would want a decorative rain barrel situated on either side of your patio door.
Rain barrels may provide a good source of water should we have a water restriction order. While the primary use is plant associated, rain water can be used to wash a car, scrub patio furniture or even flush a toilet.
Rain barrels do require minimal maintenance. Leaves and other debris have to be removed from the filter and the gutter supplying the water. Also, users need to guard against mosquito breeding and algae. All in all helping the environment far outweighs a bit of inconvenience.
And, speaking of mosquitoes, just a reminder with all of the moisture we’re experiencing, the most common floodwater mosquito will be laying eggs in any source of stagnant or muddy water. Remember to regularly empty and clean the kids’ wading pools, the pet’s water dishes and the bird bath. Tall weeds and grasses harbor mosquitoes during the day. Reduce the incidence of the problem and reduce the population of the annoying and possible disease carrying critters.
July 20, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged dinner, fund-raiser, gardens, heirloom, Heritage, historic, Iowa City, Johnson County, Lucas House, Master Gardeners, Plum Grove, Taste
The Johnson County Master Gardeners will host their 14th annual Taste of the Heritage Gardens on Wednesday, July 22 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Plum Grove Historic Site, 1030 Carroll Street in Iowa City.
For a suggested donation of $5, attendees will receive a taste of 19th recipes for soups, salads, vegetable dishes, breads, drinks and desserts prepared by the Master Gardeners. In addition, the audience will be entertained by the Senior Center Horn band, and there will be guided tours of the gardens and 1844 Lucas house.
There will be a drawing for door prizes and recipe booklets will be available. Free parking is available on site.
The proceeds from this event go to garden maintenance and Kirkwood scholarships. In case of bad weather, the event will be held at Building C at the Johnson County Fair Grounds. Further information is available at 351-4903.
July 18, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged advice, Cedar Rapids, Central City, cold, daylily, experts, growing, Iowa, lillies, summer, Wanda Lunn, Zora Ronan
It seems too chilly to think this is prime summer and thus prime daylily season in Iowa. Might as well enjoy the cool while you can. Today (Saturday, July 18, 2009) Wanda Lunn of Cedar Rapids will have an open garden from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at her home at 526 Bezdek Dr. NW. Wanda said this will be the height of daylily blooms & the larger lilliums, as well as many other summer perennials. She will be available to answer questions about all of these flowers.
Next weekend (Sat. and Sun., July 25 and 26) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, Linn County Master Gardener Zora Ronan will open her gardens for viewing at 5031 North Marion Road, Central City.
Lillies, daylillies and other flowers at Zora Ronan's garden (photo/Cindy Hadish)
I had the opportunity to visit Zora’s gardens last week and more will be available in Sunday’s (7/19/09) Gazette. Zora said her gardens are about one week behind those in Cedar Rapids, so they should be in their prime next weekend. Even a week ago, the beds were beautiful. Zora has the right touch with daylillies, which come in hundreds of shapes, sizes and colors. Both Zora and Wanda are open to questions and I think this is one of the best ways to learn about gardening, with an up-close view to see what both looks and works great. It’s really inspiring to have people like this in our community who are so willing to share and generous of them to offer their time and expertise, as well as open up their gardens to the public.
The sign says it all (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Here are directions to the home of Zora and Paul Ronan: From I-380: Exit at Toddville. Travel east on County Home Road to Alburnett Road. Turn north on Alburnett Road. Turn east on Justins Road (gravel). Justins Road dead ends at North Marion. Turn north and the garden is on the right. From: Highway 13: Travel north on Highway 13 to Central City. Turn west on E-16 (Center Point-Central City Road). Turn north on North Marion Road (gravel) and travel 1.6 miles. Garden is on the right. From Marion: Travel north on North Tenth Street. Tenth Street changes name to North Marion and becomes gravel when it crosses County Home Road. Since North Marion is gravel for quite a long way, it is better to travel north on either North Alburnett Road or Highway 13.
When I went last week, one of the roads from I-380 was closed, but it was easy to get there by going to Central City and taking a left on E-16.
July 16, 2009
· Filed under ISU extension advice · Tagged bait, beer, damage, damp, dead, eat, holes, hosta, Iowa, ISU, kill, Laura Jesse, leaves, rocks, slugs, snails, trap
Laura Jesse, of Iowa State University Extension’s Plant & Insect Diagnostic Clinic, wrote the following about garden slugs:
Slug photo by Laura Jesse of ISU Extension
There seem to be plenty of slugs in my garden, but I hope not in yours. Slugs leave small, irregular holes all over the leaves of plants. They especially seem to like my hostas but they are not picky feeders. Slugs are difficult to detect because they feed only at night. Slugs look like snails without a shell. They vary in size from less than an inch up to 2 inches in length, grayish colored, and a bit slimy to the touch. In fact as they crawl along they leave a slime trail.
Slugs need moisture to survive and are found under mulch, rocks, logs, and other damp locations. My hostas tend to be eaten because they grow in a garden that is shaded and holds the moisture longer.
Reducing slug damage is not an easy task and nothing will fix holes already there, so your first question should be – how bad is this and can I live with the damage? If you do decide to try to reduce the slug population you should combine several tactics. First, remove mulch and reduce moisture from around the base of afflicted plants as much as possible. Remove slugs you find either by using a trap such as a board on the ground that slugs will gather under or pan traps with beer as a bait. I assume cheap beer works fine and would not waste expensive beer on this. Remove dead slugs daily or it will get pretty disgusting. Finally there are commercially available slug baits available containing a molluscicide, but they are best used in the spring or fall.
July 15, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged Claire Smith, fertilize, garden walk, gardening, goldfish, hosta, iris, July, Linn County, master gardener, pond
The following is by Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:
What a great idea, visiting other people’s gardens! Amazing! Awesome! (and, with planning) Affordable! If you were gadding around and missed the Master Gardeners’ Garden Walk or if you didn’t take the plunge for the Pond Society tour, do make a concerted effort to mark your 2010 calendar to attend both! One of the stops incorporated all manner of garden art, mostly primitive farm equipment and several unusual birdhouses. The other end of the spectrum was a beautiful English garden. Ponds fed by babbling brooks created mesmerizing atmospheres.
My neighbors have even planned a mini-garden walk involving just a few families. It’s an opportunity to get better acquainted with your neighbors and visit about something besides the weather. It’s too late for a vegetable garden this summer, but there’s still time to start a flower garden involving the whole family. My favorite daughter’s second garden is a family affair reaping benefits far out weighing the harvest of peas and pumpkins. Charlie has beans on his beanstalk (Two year old Charlie planted a good share of an envelope of beans in one hill.) Catie is planning on several jack-o-lanterns. Daddy grills home grown potatoes, tomatoes and onions.
The long range forecast for July is cooler and wetter weather so get in sync with Mother Nature and go for it. New beds do need to be religiously watered this time of the year to establish root systems. It’s okay to fertilize from now through the end of August. Your new garden needn’t be huge. It can be containers on the porch. If the kids are still bugging about a pet, put in a pond and get some goldfish. The fish we saw at the walks were huge and survived there through the winter. Your water feature could be a whiskey barrel size container adjacent to the deck.
Now is a good time, too, to do some rearranging. We didn’t get the new strawberry bed organized quite soon enough this summer so I’m going to remove the weeds that have sprouted and cover the bed with mulch. I’ll soon be transplanting several Iris and a few Hosta over to the seeder wagon area. Some of the Tiger Lilies are moving from the ditch there to surround the mailbox in the newest zeroscape area. A horse ate the top off the sapling in that bed. I’ll need to install a taller barrier than the garden gate that I thought was such a nifty idea. Oh, well, the garden gate can become home to a climber in another location. That’s the great thing about plants and gardens. Nearly everything is portable and/or potable.
July 14, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged aphids, Asian, beetle, beetles, bug, control, copper, eat, grapes, hollyhocks, homes, image, indoors, Japanese beetle, lady beetle, ladybug, leaves, linden, multicolored, orange, photo, raspberries, red, roses, spots, tree
Asian lady beetle - a good bug (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Their names are similar and they’re from the same region of the world, so I can see why some people are still confused about Asian lady beetles and Japanese beetles. But when it comes down to it, there’s really no comparison. The bug pictured here – the reddish/orange lady beetle, is a beneficial insect. It feeds on aphids and other plant pests and doesn’t destroy anything, though I realize some people resent their intrusion in homes in the fall. On the other hand, the copper-colored Japanese beetle, a recent foreign invader in Iowa, is known to devour at least 300 plants, including hollyhocks, roses, raspberries, linden trees and grapes. If you see your leaves turning to lace, the likely culprit is the Japanese beetle. Japanese beetles have no known predators here, other than me. So feel free to get rid of as many as you can. As mentioned previously, the most environmentally friendly method is to knock them into a bucket of soapy water when they’re sluggish – early evening seems to be the best time. If you have other suggestions – maybe from our East Coast readers and others who have learned to cope with Japanese beetles – please add your comments below.
Japanese beetles - not a good bug, or just plain evil? (photo/Cindy Hadish)
July 13, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged Cedar Rapids, Cheryl Hoech, demonstration, flower beds, friends, garden, greenhouse, Iowa, Noelridge Park, party, weeding, weeds
Cheryl Hoech, volunteer coordinator for Friends of Noelridge Park Greenhouse and Botanical Center, sent the following:
We are having a party and you are invited.
What:Weeding in prep for the Open Garden on Wednesday
Who: 40 volunteer hours needed
When: Monday July 13, 8 to noon come and go as you please
Where: At the demonstration flower beds at Noelridge
RSVP: Please let me know if you can come on Monday so I can have enough treats for all of you. Noelridge Friends can be reached at: noelridge@gmail.com
You can find more about Wednesday’s open gardens by clicking on the events category at the right.
March 8, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Cedar Rapids, City Council, demolish, Ellis, flood, flooded, gardens, Gazette, green, homes, Iowa, Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance, Michael Richards, neighborhoods, Oakhill Jackson, preserve, rebuilding, Rod Scott, save, Squaw Creek, sustainability, Tom Podzimek
Michael Richards, president of the Oakhill/Jackson Neighborhood Association, has been working on a “Good Jobs/Green Garages” effort since the floods. Some of that is detailed in an article in the Sunday, March 8, 2009, issue of the Gazette:
http://tinyurl.com/bdn94m
Here is more from Michael about those efforts:
“We have added a very important layer of innovation and action to Good Jobs/Green Garages:
As Neighborhood Assn. President, I have been approached by flooded residents in their 70s and 80s that do not have the time, energy or financing to Rehab/Rebuild. We are pairing these elderly residents with former Metro High students that are now in their mid twenties, energetic, employed and ready to engage limited money with “sweat equity” to gain first time home ownership by rehab and retrofit of these flooded homes they are purchasing from the above noted elderly flood victims. We have one rehab/retrofit Next Generation Home Ownership project already underway in Oakhill Jackson. We have also paired an elderly resident/ and a young new homeowner in Time Check to work with this model of community recovery.
My goal is this: Create the working model. Then, if the City Government wants to get on board, fine, if not, well, we’ll keep working away to rebuild this city one step at a time from the ground up.”
From Cindy, again: Rod Scott, who is also featured in the Gazette article, realizes not every flooded home can be saved. But he questions why so many that could be rebuilt are being torn down. He asks if it’s because the city is encouraging demolition, especially of homes in modest-income neighborhoods. Rod, who is president of the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance, notes that many of the homes are structurally sound. “They’re just flooded buildings,” he said. “They can be cleaned up and rebuilt.”
Cedar Rapids City Council member Tom Podzimek added to the city’s discussion of sustainability when it comes to rebuilding from the floods in one area that hit home. For city gardeners, it might not be a popular idea, but a suggestion that has been proposed in the past would be to sell land that has city gardens – presumably the Squaw Creek gardens, as the Ellis area often floods – and allow developers to build private housing there. The tradeoff would be offering leased city gardens in the city’s new green zone, where flooded homes have been bought out and removed. “Why get in a car and drive five miles?” Podzimek asked, when the “greener” model would be having gardens located near the people who use them.
Other ideas for the green zone have included soccer and baseball fields and dog parks. Podzimek said some residents want those entities in areas not prone to flooding, but he said it makes more sense to have homes and structures built away from flood zones and use the 250 acres or so of new green space for those “flood resilient” projects, such as ball fields.
March 10, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged addiction, antidepressant, appetite, crave, craving, Elisa S. Na, grams, health, heart disease, high blood pressure, history, intake, Iowa City, kidneys, Kim Johnson, Michael J. Morris, mood, nature, processed food, Roman, salt, sodium chloride, soldiers, study, University of Iowa
Several people at last month’s Winter Gardening Fair mentioned they are trying to eat right by adding veggies to their diet and substituting herbs and other spices for salt. This study came today from University of Iowa researchers who try to answer why cutting back on salt might be difficult for some:
Most people consume far too much salt, and a University of Iowa researcher has discovered one potential reason we crave it: it might put us in a better mood.
UI psychologist Kim Johnson and colleagues found in their research that when rats are deficient in sodium chloride, common table salt, they shy away from activities they normally enjoy, like drinking a sugary substance or pressing a bar that stimulates a pleasant sensation in their brains.
“Things that normally would be pleasurable for rats didn’t elicit the same degree of relish, which leads us to believe that a salt deficit and the craving associated with it can induce one of the key symptoms associated with depression,” Johnson said.
The UI researchers can’t say it is full-blown depression because several criteria factor into such a diagnosis, but a loss of pleasure in normally pleasing activities is one of the most important features of psychological depression. And, the idea that salt is a natural mood-elevating substance could help explain why we’re so tempted to over-ingest it, even though it’s known to contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease and other health problems.
Past research has shown that the worldwide average for salt intake per individual is about 10 grams per day, which is greater than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended intake by about 4 grams, and may exceed what the body actually needs by more than 8 grams.
Johnson, who holds appointments in psychology and integrative physiology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and in pharmacology in the Carver College of Medicine, published a review of these findings in the July issue of the journal “Physiology & Behavior” with Michael J. Morris and Elisa S. Na, UI graduate students. In addition to reporting their own findings, the authors reviewed others’ research on the reasons behind salt appetite.
High levels of salt are contained in everything from pancakes to pasta these days, but once upon a time, it was hard to come by. Salt consumption and its price skyrocketed around 2000 B.C. when it was discovered as a food preservative. Roman soldiers were paid in salt; the word salary is derived from the Latin for salt. Even when mechanical refrigeration lessened the need for salt in the 19th century, consumption continued in excess because people liked the taste and it had become fairly inexpensive. Today, 77 percent of our salt intake comes from processed and restaurant foods, like frozen dinners and fast food.
Evolution might have played an important part in the human hankering for salt. Humans evolved from creatures that lived in salty ocean water. Once on land, the body continued to need sodium and chloride because minerals play key roles in allowing fluids to pass in and out of cells, and in helping nerve cells transfer information throughout the brain and body. But as man evolved in the hot climate of Africa, perspiration robbed the body of sodium. Salt was scarce because our early ancestors ate a veggie-rich diet and lived far from the ocean.
“Most of our biological systems require sodium to function properly, but as a species that didn’t have ready access to it, our kidneys evolved to become salt misers,” Johnson said.
Behavior also came to play a key role in making sure we have enough salt on board. Animals like us come equipped with a taste system designed to detect salt and a brain that remembers the location of salt sources — like salt licks in a pasture. A pleasure mechanism in the brain is activated when salt is consumed.
So the body needs salt and knows how to find it and how to conserve it. But today scientists are finding evidence that it’s an abused, addictive substance — almost like a drug.
One sign of addiction is using a substance even when it’s known to be harmful. Many people are told to reduce sodium due to health concerns, but they have trouble doing so because they like the taste and find low-sodium foods bland.
Another strong aspect of addiction is the development of intense cravings when drugs are withheld. Experiments by Johnson and colleagues indicate similar changes in brain activity whether rats are exposed to drugs or salt deficiency.
“This suggests that salt need and cravings may be linked to the same brain pathways as those related to drug addiction and abuse,” Johnson said.
March 11, 2009
· Filed under Your questions · Tagged answers, apple, flowering, fruit trees, gardening, homegrown, Iowa, pear, perennials, plant, potatoes, prune, questions, sprays, spring, tires
Every so often, I see comments posted that ask gardening questions that I’m sure many of our readers would be able to help answer. With that in mind, a new category, “Your questions” has been added, so readers can ask and answer gardening questions. I’ll also try to find expert answers if no one else can help.
Click on the arrow next to the categories box, at the right, to find this feature.
The first questions come from Pam who asks the following:
I have started a flower garden in the front of my home which is facing east but does get some south sun on part of the garden area. I love flowering plants but I have not done a good job with finding appropriate plants. Does anyone have ideas of various plants that are perennials to put here?
Pam (who lives in Marion, Iowa) also asked:
How soon should you start trimming the fruit trees: apple and pear? What other tips should I know to get the trees ready for spring? I have heard a lot about spraying the trees so what should I use?
Leora left the following question:
We have heard of growing potatoes in tires, but need to know the procedure. We have two big tractor tires to work with. Please help us.
Does anyone have advice for Pam or Leora? Please add your suggestions in a comment below.
If you have any questions of your own, you can post it in a comment here, or send an email to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
Please include your location – Northern Iowa, Central Iowa, etc., – as that will help tailor the responses.
March 12, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged Backyard Abundance, Case Study of Temperate Permaculture, Cedar Rapids, climate, Environmental Film Festival, farm, Farming with Nature, Fred Meyer, grow, Iowa City, library, permaculture, Sepp Holzer, sustainable
Fred Meyer, director of Backyard Abundance, sent information on the following event. Fred noted that the group’s activities are presented in the context of understanding how our well-being is directly affected by the health of the land and wildlife – that caring for our local environment is equivalent to caring for our family and community.
Here is more about this weekend’s event:
As part of the Iowa City Environmental Film Festival, “Farming with Nature: A Case Study of Temperate Permaculture,” will be shown at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 15, 2009, in Room A of the Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St. Host is Backyard Abundance, with speaker Fred Meyer.
The Iowa City Environmental Film Festival, modeled on the successful Cedar Rapids Film Festival, coordinates screenings of feature length and short movies on environmental topics for the public.
Film overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7mQZHfFVE
This film shows how Sepp Holzer uses permaculture techniques to grow everything from apricots to eucalyptus, figs to kiwi fruit, peaches to wheat at an altitude of over 3,300 feet, in average annual temperature of only 40 degrees. A pioneer in permaculture techniques, Holzer turned a fir tree dessert into a farm producing a healthy surplus of food for the community, water and energy for the farm and an environment that sustains animals, plants and soils.
After the film, ways these techniques can be used in our climate will be discussed. The event runs to 5 p.m.
March 13, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Barbara Eckstein, certificate, climate, conservation, course, Earth Day, emissions, energy, engineering, environment, environmental, EPA, flood, green, greenhouse gas, Hawkeyes, Iowa, Liz Christiansen, major, minor, oat hulls, offering, program, recycling, Sally Mason, sustainability, University of Iowa, wetlands
This just came out today – the University of Iowa will begin offering a new Certificate in Sustainability in Fall 2009:
Gone are the days when the environment was solely the purview of biologists, climatologists and engineers. If tomorrow’s world is truly going to be greener, teachers, dental assistants, grassroots advocates, government leaders and even artists must be prepared to contribute to sustainable systems and practices.
To help put students on a path toward becoming effective leaders and agents of change for sustainability in whatever professional setting they choose, the University of Iowa will begin offering a new Certificate in Sustainability in fall 2009. The program will allow students to augment their majors and minors with a certificate that promotes an integrated understanding of human and environmental systems and the complex interactions between them.
To meet the certificate’s requirements, students must complete 24 semester hours of course work that includes three introductory core courses, four electives from a designated list and one project course. Courses already required as part of a student’s major or minor fields of study may count toward the certificate. Students must also maintain at least a 2.00 grade point average.
“The need for sustainable practices, awareness and ingenuity is going to grow exponentially in the coming years as the world manages diminishing resources and humanity learns how to better live within its means,” UI President Sally Mason said. “Energy, society, culture, economics, construction and public policy all will be impacted. That’s why I’m thrilled that the University of Iowa has taken this important step toward providing our students with the tools and academic framework to couple sustainability with whatever fields of study they choose.”
The required courses include “Introduction to Sustainability,” “Introduction to Environmental Science” and “Contemporary Environmental Issues.” For their electives students may select from a wide array of courses offered across the disciplines, from “Glacial and Pleistocene Geology” and “Wetlands: Function, Geography and Management” to “History and Environment in Africa” and “Planning Livable Cities.”
The required projects will address advanced problems in design, sustainability and education, multimedia writing on the topic of a green economy and other relevant issues. One option, for example, is a course offered through the UI College of Engineering’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department that provides students the opportunity to work in interdisciplinary teams to propose solutions to problems faced by people in the developing world. Students study and develop the appropriate technologies required to improve water and sanitation, energy, housing, and health.
Barbara Eckstein, an associate provost and professor of English in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, chaired a task force of faculty and staff from eight colleges that developed the certificate, which she said is accessible to any undergraduate student.
“Whatever students’ career goals, understanding the ties that bind economic development, environmental protection, and equity is key to their future,” Eckstein said.
An interdisciplinary advisory board will oversee the certificate’s implementation. The board members are Jim Throgmorton, a professor in Urban and Regional Planning; Laura Rigal, an associate professor in the Department of English with a joint appointment in American Studies; Mark Reagan, a professor of igneous petrology and geochemistry in the CLAS Department of Geoscience; Christy Moroye, an assistant professor in the College of Education’s Department of Teaching and Learning; and Craig Just, adjunct assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, associate research scientist at IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering and coordinator of sustainability programs in the UI College of Engineering.
The certificate is just one of many ways in which the university is strengthening its commitment to sustainability as outlined by Mason in an Earth Day address last year. Despite the flood of 2008 and the ongoing recovery, as well as the significant budget challenges presented by the downturn in the national economy, the university has made important strides toward developing a greener campus and curriculum.
Soon after her address, Mason established a Sustainability Steering Committee and in November appointed Liz Christiansen the university’s first director of sustainability. Already, the UI diverts about 30 percent of its general waste stream through recycling practices. And the UI is ahead of schedule in its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent by 2010, as required by its membership in the Chicago Climate Exchange, of which the UI was an early member.
In January, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lauded the UI for reducing carbon emissions at its power plant by using one system to generate both heat and energy, saving the equivalent amount of carbon stored by 11,232 acres of pine forests for one year or the emissions from 8,046 passenger vehicles. The plant burns oat hulls to reduce its reliance on coal by 20 percent and may serve as a model for a new power plant under consideration that could eventually provide 100 percent renewable energy at the Oakdale campus.
UI faculty and students are getting in on the act, too. In February, student leaders and the UI Environmental Coalition presented a series of sustainability panels as part of the National Teach-In on Global Warming 2009. And student members of the UI College of Engineering’s chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World, working with faculty advisor Craig Just, recently won a first-place award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for designing a $5, hand-held device to sanitize water and potentially save lives in developing countries.
Greg Carmichael, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering in the UI College of Engineering, is using a $750,000 NASA grant to examine the atmosphere above the Arctic — a natural receptor of smoke and forest fire pollution from northern Europe, Asia and North America that creates a visible arctic haze. And Larry Weber, director of the UI’s world renowned IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering research unit, is using the flood of 2008 as an opportunity to develop better ways to predict future flooding, and help communities live more sustainably near volatile waterways.
Even economic development should benefit from the UI’s commitment to sustainability. The UI College of Engineering is involved with the newly launched Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development (IAWIND), a partnership among the regents universities, community colleges, industry, and the Iowa Department of Economic Development, designed to support the state’s efforts to attract and nurture wind energy and related industries in order to become the nation’s leader in alternate energy technologies.
For more information on the plan and other UI energy conservation efforts visit http://energy.uiowa.edu/
March 14, 2009
· Filed under ISU extension advice · Tagged advice, April, berries, black, blueberries, buds, canes, crop, currants, damage, disease, extension, fall-bearing, fruit, gooseberries, grapes, hints, horticulturist, how to, Iowa State University, March, plants, pruning, purple, raspberries, Richard Jauron, shoots, shrubs, spacing, spring, suckers, summer-bearing, tips, trim, winter
Richard Jauron, extension horticulturist at Iowa State University, offers the following on spring pruning of berries and other small fruits:
Small fruits that are commonly grown in home gardens include raspberries, grapes, gooseberries, currants and blueberries. For maximum production, small fruit crops need to be pruned in late winter/early spring (March/early April). Proper pruning procedures for raspberries, grapes, gooseberries, currants and blueberries are outlined below.
Raspberries
The pruning procedures for raspberries are based on the growth and fruiting characteristics of the plants.
Summer-Bearing Red Raspberries
Remove all weak, diseased and damaged canes at ground level in March or early April. Leave the most vigorous canes, those approximately 1/4 inch in diameter when measured 30 inches from the ground. After thinning, remaining canes should be spaced about 6 inches apart.
Also, prune out the tips of the canes that have died due to winter injury. Cut back to live tissue. If the canes sustained little winter dieback, remove the top 1/4 of the canes. Cane-tip removal or “heading-back” prevents the canes from becoming top heavy and bending over under the weight of the crop.
Red raspberries sucker profusely from their roots. Plants should be maintained in a one- to two-foot-wide hedgerow using a rototiller or spade. Remove or destroy those shoots that emerge outside the one- to two-foot-wide hedgerow.
Fall-Bearing Red Raspberries (Two Crop System)
Follow the same pruning procedures as described for the summer-bearing red raspberries. This pruning option provides both a summer and fall crop.
Fall-Bearing Red Raspberries (One Crop System)
Prune all canes back to ground level in March or early April. While the plants won’t produce a summer crop, the late summer/early fall crop should mature one to two weeks earlier. Also, total crop yield is typically larger using the one-crop system versus the two-crop system.
Maintain the plants in a one- to two-foot-wide hedgerow.
Black and Purple Raspberries
Remove the small, weak canes, leaving only four or five of the largest, most vigorous canes per clump or plant. Cut back the lateral (side) branches to 12 inches in length for black raspberries and 18 inches for purple raspberries.
Grapes
Grapevines produce fruit clusters on the previous season’s growth. Before pruning, a grapevine may have 200 to 300 buds capable of producing fruit. If the vine is not pruned, the number of grape clusters would be excessive and the grapevine would be unable to ripen the large crop or produce adequate vegetative growth.
To maximize crop yields, grapevines are trained to a specific system. The most common training system used by home gardeners is the four-cane Kniffin system. The four-cane Kniffin system is popular because of its simplicity. In the four-cane Kniffin system, the canes of the grapevine grow on two wires, one located three feet above the ground and the second six feet high.
If using the four-cane Kniffin system, select four canes on the upper wire, two going in each direction. Also, select four canes on the lower wire. To aid identification, some gardeners tie brightly colored ribbons or strips of cloth on those canes they wish to retain. All remaining one-year-old canes should be completely removed.
Going back to the upper wire, select two of the remaining four canes (one going in each direction). Prune these canes back to one or two buds. These short one or two bud canes are referred to as renewal spurs. The renewal spurs provide the shoots or canes that will produce next year’s crop. Prune the remaining two canes on the upper wire back to eight to 13 buds. The number of buds left on the fruiting canes is determined by plant vigor. If the grapevine is vigorous, leave 13 buds per cane. Leave only eight buds per cane if the grapevine possesses poor vigor.
Prune the four canes on the lower wire the same as those on the upper wire. When pruning is complete, no more than 60 buds should remain on the grapevine. When counting the number of buds on the grapevine, include both the buds on the fruiting canes and those on the renewal spurs.
Gooseberries and Currants
Gooseberries and currants produce the majority of their fruit on 2- and 3-year-old shoots. Shoots that are 4 years old and older produce very little fruit. After the first growing season, remove all but six to eight vigorous, healthy shoots. The following year, leave four or five 1-year-old shoots and three or four 2-year-old canes. After the third growing season, keep three or four shoots each of 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old growth. A properly pruned, established plant should consist of nine to 12 shoots. Pruning of mature plants consists of pruning out all 4-year-old shoots and thinning out some of the new growth.
Blueberries
Blueberry plants are shrubs like currants and gooseberries. Blueberry yields and fruit quality decline when blueberry shoots (stems) reach 5 years of age. In late winter/early spring, prune out any dead or diseased stems. Also, prune out stems that are 5 years old and older. Allow one to two new shoots to develop each year.
The pruning of small fruits really isn’t difficult. It requires a basic understanding of plant growth and pruning techniques, proper pruning equipment and (sometimes) a little bit of courage.
March 16, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged air, Cedar Rapids, Clipper, Department of Natural Resources, DNR, eco, energy, Environmental Protection Commission, green, grid, homegrown, Iowa, Linn County, Marty Stimson, power, Rich Leopold, Shearon Elderkin, Sierra Club, St. Patrick's Day, Suzanne Morrow, Turbine Works, turbines, water quality, wind
Going green used to be reserved for St. Patrick’s Day.
Not anymore.
In the past few years, “green” has taken on a different meaning – a movement that embraces an environmentally friendly way of living. The Homegrown blog has always shared in that philosophy and now it’s expanding. Gardening will remain an integral part of the blog, but it will also include the “home” side of Homegrown, as well, with tips and ideas for maintaining an eco-friendly lifestyle, both indoors and out.
With the state’s Environmental Protection Commission in Cedar Rapids for a meeting and tour of Clipper Turbine Works, I thought this would be a good time to launch the Homegrown eco-blog.
The Environmental Protection Commission is a panel of nine Iowans who provide policy oversight for Iowa’s environmental protection efforts. Members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by a vote of the senate for four-year terms. Air and water quality surrounding Iowa’s confined animal feeding operations, requirements regarding underground storage tanks and climate change are some of the issues the commission addresses.
Two local members are Marty Stimson, a top manager at Clipper Turbine Works in Cedar Rapids, and Shearon Elderkin of Cedar Rapids.
Shearon has served on the Friends of the Linn County Conservation Board, Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Cedar Rapids Garden Club, and the 1000 Friends of Iowa Board. She also has served on the Linn County Conservation Board and the Linn County Integrated Roadside Management Committee.
On Monday, March 16, the commission toured Clipper Turbine Works’ plant at 4601 Bowling St. SW. I wasn’t allowed to take photos inside, but Marty let me take a shot of him outdoors, next to the 150-foot-long blade in front of the plant. The blades aren’t actually manufactured in Cedar Rapids. The Liberty turbines that are made here include the machine base, gearbox and huge hubs, which look like a deep-sea diving helmet out of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”
Commission member Suzanne Morrow of Storm Lake said the group takes tours a few times a year to get a better understanding of some of the issues they consider. Marty offered background on Clipper and led the commission members through the plant, along with visitors, two members of the Department of Natural Resources and Rich Leopold, director of the DNR.
The plant itself is “recycled,” formerly serving as FMC Corp. and the former Goss plant. It has 330,000-square-feet for manufacturing and 30,000 for office space. Earlier this year, Clipper laid off about 80 employees, going from a workforce of 350 to 270 in Cedar Rapids. Marty said no orders had been cancelled, but some had been deferred until the economy recovers. In fact, the plant has been increasing the number of turbines produced from eight in 2006, to 137 in 2007 to 300 last year. It will eventually reach a maximum productivity of 500 to 550 turbines produced per year, Marty predicted.
Each 2.5-megawatt Liberty wind turbine costs about $3 million, or just over $3.5 million with installation. Iowa has risen to second in the nation in wind power, with 2,790 megawatts installed, surpassing California, which has 2,517 mw, in third. Texas is the leader in wind power.
Every 1,000 megawatts provides enough electricity to power 300,000 homes and enough to offset 3.4 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels.
One impediment in providing a steady supply is the nation’s power grid, but Rich Leopold sees hope in President Obama’s stimulus package, which is directing $50 to $60 million to Iowa for energy efficiency, with an additional amount attached to the development of a “smart grid” that can allow wind farms to connect into the grid, a need especially in rural areas.
Marty Stimson at Clipper Turbine Works
March 17, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events, Master Gardeners · Tagged Bud LeFevre, Cedar Rapids, creative gardening series, Distinctive Gardens, Dixon, green, horticulturist, Illinois, Iowa, Kay McWhinney, kirkwood, Linn County, local food, master gardener, peppers, plant, tomatoes, vegetable gardening
Linn County Master Gardener, Kay McWhinney, sent the following on the 2009 Creative Gardening Series:
Each year since 2003, the ISU Linn County Master Gardeners bring well-known speakers in the horticultural realm to the people of Cedar Rapids and surrounding area free of charge. This year, the presentations will be at Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Hall, in room 234. The first of the three presentations will be 6:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 31, and will feature Bud LeFevre, a horticulturist and part owner of Distinctive Gardens, Inc. in Dixon IL. The title of Bud’s talk is “Plant It and It Will Grow-Basic Vegetable Gardening.”
Bud will rouse us out of the winter doldrums and get us almost tasting luscious ripe tomatoes, fat green peppers, and other tasty veggies as he prepares us for the 2009 gardening season with knowledge and enthusiasm on his favorite topic. Bud will speak to the beginner as well as the experienced gardener. Being in the same growing zone as Cedar Rapids, he understands our difficulties and triumphs in growing vegetables. Companion gardening and succession gardening as well as some organic practices will be discussed.
With the evolution of the “Green” movement, advice from economists and nutritionists to eat food produced locally, what better way is there to feed our families with great, fresh vegetables than planting that vegetable patch in the back yard.
Come to this first of three presentations. The second program will be Tuesday, April 7, the third on April 14, same time and place. There will be more information forthcoming on these programs. Come, see how to start a vegetable garden or improve your garden skills as we get fired up about planting those veggies.
March 18, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Brucemore, Cedar Rapids, children's garden, chores, Deb Engmark, deciduous, estate, gardener, grape vines, historic, hours, Iowa, lawns, nature study, pruning, rake, spring, trees, winter
Several warm and sunny days this week might make us forget that winter is still with us, officially, at least, until Friday. Deb Engmark, head gardener at the historic Brucemore estate in Cedar Rapids, sent the following about this time of year:
Brucemore estate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
From the Brucemore Gardens
The lengthening of the days and the warmer temperatures make me want to go outside and get back to gardening along with the rest of the grounds crew here at Brucemore. We have pruned all the deciduous trees and grape vines. The lawns and garden beds have been raked and the orchard will be pruned this week. While failing to pull the greenery used for holiday decorating out of a still frozen container, a somber realization dawned on me: it is still winter and there is a good month left before the real gardening can begin, and before we know it, the whole growing season will have passed by in a blur of continuous activity.
In my haste to hurry up and get busy, I realized that I had almost missed it again—the experience, the wondrous process of late winter merging into spring. With every rain drop and ray of sunshine, change is taking place. We all know this but rarely take the time to observe and enjoy. This year I vow to observe and enjoy with total presence, and I will stay conscious and aware during every season and transition of the year. Through Cindy’s blog, (thank you Cindy) I will share my experiences and offer tips and ideas for you to use in your own gardens.
I encourage you and yours to participate wholeheartedly also. Come visit the Brucemore gardens and grounds to experience the seasons this year. Our gates are open during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and often from dawn to dusk. Stroll the grounds, formal gardens, pond, timber, and orchard. Stop by the children’s garden to pick up a monthly activity sheet, which offers suggestions for additional nature study opportunities.
I would love to hear what you are doing also! Please feel free to send me any suggestions, ideas, or tips from your own gardens and explorations.
Deb Engmark
Brucemore Head Gardener
2160 Linden Dr. SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403
deb@brucemore.org
www.brucemore.org
March 19, 2009
· Filed under Your photos · Tagged bleeding heart, Cedar Rapids, columbine, flowers, image, Iowa, Jack in the pulpit, Jay McWherter, Le Sacre du Printemps, Linn County, master composter, master gardener, photos, Rite of Spring, spring, tulips
For Stravinsky fans, Le Sacre du Printemps…
Spring officially begins Friday, March 20, and Jay McWherter, a master gardener and master composter from Cedar Rapids, sent these flower photos to get everyone in the springtime spirit. If you have plant photos or others you’d like to share, attach them in an email and send to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
Please include where they were shot and a little bit about what the pictures show. I’ll post as many as I can to “Your Photos.”
Blue columbine
Bleeding heart
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Tulips
March 21, 2009
· Filed under Your questions · Tagged answers, apple, bags, barrels, Bev Lillie, cans, Cedar Rapids, containers, Ed Hume Seeds, flower garden, fruit trees, garbage, gardening, grow, Iowa, Japanese iris, lamium, Linn County, lungwort, Master Gardeners, orchard, pear, perennials, plants, plastic, potato, prune, pulmonaria, questions, rain, shade, spray, straw, tires, tubers, turtlehead, water, when
Tom from Cedar Rapids left a question that hopefully someone in this area can answer. He asked the following:
I’m looking at harvesting some of the water that comes off my roof, but I haven’t found a good source for rain barrels in the greater CR, IA area. Where’s a good place to get one?
Thanks!
If you have an answer for Tom, leave your comment below.
Pam and Leora last week asked the following:
I have started a flower garden in the front of my home which is facing east but does get some south sun on part of the garden area. I love flowering plants but I have not done a good job with finding appropriate plants. Does anyone have ideas of various plants that are perennials to put here?
How soon should you start trimming the fruit trees: apple and pear? What other tips should I know to get the trees ready for spring? I have heard a lot about spraying the trees so what should I use?
We have heard of growing potatoes in tires, but need to know the procedure. We have two big tractor tires to work with. Please help us.
Gardeners can be a shy bunch, but Bev Lillie, Master Gardener coordinator for Linn County, was able to get answers from some of the Linn County Master Gardeners.
Here’s what they said about the pear and apple trees: prune fruit trees in late winter/early spring. Apply a fungicide/insecticide, e.g., home orchard spray biweekly after the blossoms drop.
As for what perennials to plant, if the site is in partial sun or shade, you can find suggestions at the Iowa State Extension Web site by searching on partial shade plants: www.extension.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/
Some of my favorites include Japanese iris, which flower in early to midsummer; turtlehead, which grows 2-3 feet tall and has pretty pink or white flowers in the fall, and for foliage plants lungwort or pulmonaria and the groundcover lamium, which stays green almost year-round and flowers during the spring, summer and fall.
For the potato question, Ed Hume Seed’s Web site: http://www.humeseeds.com/index.htm offered some possibilities. My mom has had success with the first method, which uses straw and might work in large tires, as well.
Straw: For centuries, Scandinavians have grown potatoes in stacks of straw or other mulching material. Potatoes are planted above ground in the straw, and as the vines begin to grow, additional straw` or mulch is mounded up around the base of the plants. This results in a yield of very clean potatoes. New potatoes can be harvested easily even before the potato vines mature completely.
Under plastic or in plastic garbage bags: Garden soil or a commercial potting soil can be used to grow the potatoes in the bags, Fold over the top half of the bag, fill with soil, and plant a certified seed potato that has been cut in half. The plastic bag can be set above ground wherever it’s convenient. Punch holes in the bottom of the bag for drainage.
You also can plant potatoes under black plastic. Cut open a piece of the black plastic, and plant a potato piece. The potato tubers will develop as they would in the open ground. However, the tubers that develop close to the surface of the soil are shaded by the black plastic and should not develop the green inedible portions that often are found on other tubers. The black plastic also will aid in controlling weeds.
Garbage cans or containers: Old garbage cans, or wooden or fiberboard-type containers are suitable for growing potatoes, if they have adequate drainage. You can conserve space by growing them in this manner. A word of caution, though: The plants tend to dry out more rapidly when grown in containers, so additional watering will be needed. Otherwise, you’re likely to end up with misshapen tubers.
Pulmonaria, or lungwort, in bloom
March 23, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged conservation, farms, Gwen's Restaurant, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, landowners, Laura Krouse, Linn, Lisbon, Mount Vernon, NRCS, tour, USDA, women, Women Caring for the Land
Women who own or manage farmland in three eastern Iowa counties – Johnson, Jones and Linn – are invited to participate in a free conservation tour on Wednesday, March 25, 2009. The tour is for women who are farm partners, sole owner-operators, or inheritors of any size farm.
The tour is a part of a conservation education program called “Women Caring for the Land,” which began with informational meetings in February in each of the three counties. All interested women are welcome to attend the tour, whether or not they attended the meetings. They will visit several farms in the three-county area that have implemented good conservation and resource management techniques on their land.
The group will meet at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Catholic Church, 212 7th St. SE, Mt. Vernon. Women may drive their own vehicles (carpooling is encouraged) or for those who prefer not to drive, a van will be provided. The tour will take several hours, with a lunch stop around noon at Gwen’s Restaurant, 119 W. Main St., Lisbon. Participants should bring money for lunch, and wear shoes that can get muddy.
For more information, contact project coordinator Laura Krouse of Mt. Vernon at 319-895-6924. This project is sponsored by Women, Food and Agriculture Network in partnership with USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), with funding from the McKnight Foundation. A final informational meeting will be held April 15; call Laura for more details.
March 24, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Chuck Porto, drying flowers, gardening club, Gracie Mayer, Iowa City, Johnson County, KXIC, Lois Lee, Marilou Gay, Mary Stigers, master gardener, pressing, senior center, University of Iowa
Seniors in the Iowa City area are invited to check out the Senior Center Garden Club. The club meets on the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month in room 202 at the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center. Start at 9:30 am for conversation, coffee and refreshments, followed by the program at 10 am. The club has a variety of programs including speakers, video presentations, field trips, and conversations related to a shared interest in the growing of plants or the care of the environment.
Senior Center membership is required for on-going participation in the Garden Club. However, you can try it out for free during the month of March. (Membership is $25/year for Iowa City residents, a bit more for those who live outside the Iowa City limits.)
Already this month, the members heard from Mary Stigers, groundskeeper at the University of Iowa, who described and showed photos of seasonal plantings on the University grounds and at the president’s Home. They were also audience guests at Chuck Porto’s KXIC radio garden show broadcast.
This Friday, March 27, will be Johnson County Master Gardener Marilou Gay’s program “Collecting Flowers for Drying and Pressing.”
For questions, call Gracie Mayer at (319) 338-1775 or Lois Lee at (319) 354-0699.
March 25, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged asiatic, Becki Lynch, bulbs, care, Claire Smith, Deb Walser, drainage, Easter lily, flower bed, grasses, hosta, houseplants, lawn and garden show, lawn mower, Linn County, master gardener, oriental, perennials, roots, shredder, soil amendments, vegetable, white lillies, yard work
The following is from Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith, who wrote this on a more pleasant day than today:
Yes, Mr. Rogers, it is a beautiful day in the neighborhood. And presentations by Master Gardeners Deb Walser on New Perennials and Becki Lynch on Grasses at the Lawn and Garden Show last weekend got me really, really motivated to work in the yard. As I moaned about achy muscles, my favorite Granddaughter Catie, chided me for not stretching before grabbing the rake and nippers. Now is a great time to commence waking your flower and vegetable beds. If you have heavy concentrations of leaves and debris in the beds packed down by snow and ice, rake them out and fire up the lawn mower or shredder. Fluff the mulch and add the shredded leaves to the top of it. Air, water and nutrients need to reach dormant roots and bulbs. Encourage drainage. Poorly drained soil or standing water will cause roots and bulbs to rot. Think soil amendments. Add compost to your beds. If you’re thinking of having the soil tested, now is a good time and you can pick up the test from the Extension Office. I got about half my beds trimmed and raked out today before I ran out of energy. During a break I enjoyed cold tea instead of hot coffee, and planned further for the new bed I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. I know where the old seeder wagon and garden gate can stand. I know approximately how much mulch and grass cloth to purchase. And, I know about how many Hostas to buy at the Master Gardeners’ Spring Plant Sale. I’ll broach the subject of the stone erosion control area to my favorite son at a later date.
Draw a diagram of your deck and create an interesting focal point using your houseplants grouped with potted annuals. Several years ago another Master Gardener suggested moving house plants outside for the summer. It’s amazing how they thrive. Just remember to keep them out of the direct, hot sunlight. Get them ready now by repotting, if necessary. Begin watering and fertilizing lightly and gradually increase exposure to sunlight.
Achy muscles aside, the fresh air and sunshine were so welcome. I’m anxious to get back out and clean up the remainder of the gardens.
P.S. Many of you will be receiving or purchasing Hardy Oriental, Asiatic or traditional white lilies soon. Keep them healthy by placing them in a cool, bright location in your home. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Perforate or remove the decorative foil so the water doesn’t collect in the decorative pot or basket. Remember to place the pot on a saucer to prevent spills. Continue to care for the lily after the flowers fade because they can be planted outdoors. The planting site should be in full sun with well drained soil. Lilies create beautiful backdrops or vertical accents.
March 25, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged acres, conservation, environment, HR 146, law, monument, Nancy Pelosi, national parks, Obama, President, public lands, rivers, Senate, speaker, trails, wilderness
I’ll have more Thursday on Cedar Rapids farmers markets. For now, this just came in from Nancy Pelosi’s office on protecting public lands for future generations:
Washington, D. C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement following passage of H.R. 146, the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009, by a vote of 285 to 140. The bill was passed by the Senate last week and now goes to President Obama for his signature into law:
“Today, the House passed a landmark bill to conserve public lands for future generations of Americans. This bipartisan legislation creates more than 2 million new acres of wilderness, and provides the greatest expansion of wilderness areas in 15 years, including more than 700,000 acres in my own state of California.
“The public lands bill protects a thousand miles of rivers—a 50 percent increase in the wild and scenic river system. It establishes new national trails, national parks, national conservation areas, and a new national monument. It provides the protection of law to the National Landscape Conservation System, which was created administratively in 2000 to manage the ‘crown jewels’ of the Bureau of Land Management, containing some of the most spectacular landscapes in the West.
“In this challenging time of drought in the West, the lands act also includes numerous water-related provisions that will help manage the drought, improve aging infrastructure, recharge groundwater supplies, and promote the reuse and recycling of water. The bill also contains a historic settlement to restore the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley of California.
“The provisions in this bill were developed in communities across America by local supporters, working together with their elected representatives. As a result, the bill enjoys broad support from wildlife, conservation, hunting and fishing, and outdoor business groups across the country. This is a day of celebration for all who treasure and enjoy our natural and cultural heritage.”
March 26, 2009
· Filed under Farmers Markets · Tagged April, Cedar Rapids, downtown, farmers market, flooding, floods, Greene Square Park, Hiawatha, Iowa, Iowa City, May, Noelridge Park, roundhouse, schedule, Teresa White, vendors, when
Iowa City officials are handling a potential move of its farmers markets from a covered parking ramp – on an occasional basis to a busier site a few blocks away - by talking to market vendors. Cedar Rapids has a different way of changing its farmers market sites and doesn’t have to jump through the same hoops as Iowa City. A couple years ago, some vendors and customers were upset over the move from the covered Riverside Roundhouse in Cedar Rapids to an open air market at the city parking lot at Eighth Avenue and Second Street SE. Market officials say the new site is no longer an issue for customers or vendors. Nevertheless, Teresa White, the city’s farmers market supervisor, decided to move the Thursday markets from Eighth Avenue to Greene Square Park. “I just want to be different,” she said. Teresa also hopes the market will be a boost for workers in downtown Cedar Rapids, which is still recovering from last June’s flood.
Greene Square is quite a convenience for those of us who work in The Gazette, as the park is just outside our office. What do you think? Will that move be a good one? And what should become of the roundhouse? Is it just a relic that should be demolished with other flood-damaged buildings?
I will be updating the farmers market schedule for as many in Eastern Iowa as I can find and will post it here later this spring. Most markets don’t start until May, although the Hiawatha one usually gets a head start in April.
If you are a market master, have information on a farmers market or know of a new one, you can send the info to me at: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com or leave a message below. Please include a contact name and phone number.
Here is the Cedar Rapids farmers market schedule for this season:
Eighth Avenue and Second Street SE parking lot will be May 2 through Oct. 24; Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon, except when the Downtown Farmers Markets are held. Thursday markets will be 4-6 p.m. in Greene Square Park, from June 11 through Aug. 27.
Noelridge Park farmers markets, from May 1 through Oct. 23, are 4-6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The larger Downtown Farmers Markets – with a record 160 vendors this year – are 7:30 a.m. to noon on June 6 and 20; July 18; Aug. 1 and 15; Sept. 5 and Oct. 3.
March 27, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Earth Day, Earth Hour, global, hour, Iowa, lights, March 28, when, WWF
Earth Day isn’t until April 22, but you can get a head start with Earth Hour this weekend.
At 8.30 pm Saturday, March 28, 2009, 2,848 cities in 83 countries will switch off their lights for Earth Hour in a moment of global solidarity.
According to Earth Hour’s Web site (an initiative of World Wildlife Fund) millions of people from all walks of life and corners of the world will participate in Earth Hour from small island nations of the South Pacific to the densely populated cities of the Americas, casting their vote in the world’s first global election between Earth and global warming. See: www.earthhour.org/home
Will anyone here be participating?
March 28, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged All-Iowa Horticulture, April, Becki Lynch, birdhouse, Blue Gold, Brucemore, care, Cedar Rapids, chickens, curb appeal, Earth Day, Easter, economy, eggs, Elvin McDonald, Environmental Film Festival, events, fields, flocks, food, fruit, gardening, gourd, green, greenhouse, grow, habitat, Hiawatha, hike, hoophouse, Indian Creek Nature Center, Iowa, Iowa City, ISU, Judy Kash, kirkwood, landscape, landscaping, Laura Krouse, Linn County, March, Marion, Master Gardeners, Matt Nachtrieb, moon walk, Mount Vernon, native grass, no-till, noelridge, O.C. Simonds, organic, Ottumwa, perennials, planter, plants, prairie, Rich Patterson, Sarah Hinzman, seeds, Shirley Remes, society, toad house, Trees Forever, twig art, vegetable gardens, water, Wha'la, Wickiup Hill, wildflowers, wine, worms, yard
Area events for late March/April 2009. If you know of others in the coming weeks, add a comment below or send an email to cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
Sat. March 28 – 1-3 p.m., Grant Wood Elementary School gym, 1930 Lakeside Dr., Iowa City – Building your home’s curb appeal: free landscaping seminar shows what it takes. Now that spring has arrived, you may have noticed that the nicer the weather gets, the worse your lawn starts to look. A little yard work may help spruce things up. If you’re interested in learning more about how to improve the appearance of your property and the curb appeal of your home, plan to attend a series of informational presentations. There is no charge to attend, and door prizes will be given away each hour. Presentations will include Curb Appeal, Easy-to-Care-For Landscaping, and information on the Iowa City Area Association of Realtors (ICAAR) Tool Shed, a garden tool-loaning program. This event is sponsored by ICAAR Fair Housing Ambassadors, Iowa City Landscaping, Grant Wood Neighborhood Association and the City of Iowa City Neighborhood Services Division. It was funded in part by a City of Iowa City PIN grant (Program for Improving Neighborhoods) awarded to the Grant Wood Neighborhood Association.
For more information, contact Marcia Bollinger, Neighborhood Services Coordinator, at 356-5237 or e-mail Marcia-bollinger@iowa-city.org.
Tues., March 31 – 1-3 p.m., Converting a traditional planter to adapt to no-tilled fields isn’t as costly and difficult as some might think. The Iowa Learning Farm is hosting a planter clinic at Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, to demonstrate how to convert to a no-till planter. The clinic will include a presentation by local NRCS staff about the benefits of no-till and residue management, a demonstration by Mark Hanna, Iowa State University Extension Agricultural Engineer, on how to convert to a conventional planter to a no-till planter and a panel discussion with farmers who practice no-till. The clinic will be held at 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW at the Tippie Beef Education Center arena, located on the southeast side of campus. The planter is the key for no-tillage as it is likely the only machinery that moves the soil for seed placement. Seed depth and seed-to-soil contact are keys to emergence when planting through residue, says Hanna. The benefits of no-till are numerous. Equipment needs are minimal, labor costs are reduced, and there is less soil compaction when field passes are eliminated. Also organic matter builds in the soil over time. The farmer panel at this clinic may address some of these issues and how they overcame the barriers to no-till. The planter clinic is open to the public and there is no charge for the event. Registration begins at 12:30. To RSVP or for more information about the clinic, contact Farm Conservation Liaison Erin Harpenau, 515/509-4768, email: erinharp@iastate.edu
Wed. April 1 - 6 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W. Willman St., Starting Garden Transplants. Linn County Master Gardener Zora Ronan discusses growing vegetable and flower transplants successfully at home. Call (319) 393-1414.
Thurs., April 2 – 7 p.m., Tiny Gardens, Lots of Food. Are you interested in less expensive food that is also fresher and safer? Join Judy Kash at the Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids, for suggestions and encouragement for growing some of your own food—even with limited garden space, time, money, and experience. Explore ideas for combining production and beauty in your new edible landscape. For questions or to register, call 362-0664. Member fee for this program is $5, nonmembers are $8.
Fri., April 3- Sat., April 4, The largest All-Iowa horticulture exposition in 100 years will be held in Ottumwa, Iowa at the Bridge View Conference Center. The exposition, billed as the state fair of horticulture, is sponsored and coordinated by the Iowa State Horticultural Society, and supported by over 20 in-state horticulture associations and Iowa State University Extension. Nearly 100 vendors are expected to exhibit plants, art, garden supplies, and lawn equipment. A wine village featuring Iowa wineries is also planned. Additionally, the Expo will feature three concurrent educational seminar tracks featuring experts from around the state and region. Topics will cover the gamut of horticultural specialties including honey production, growing herbaceous perennials, panel sessions of wine and arboriculture experts, rain gardens, organic lawn care, sustainability in the home garden, children’s gardening, and much more. The Expo will offer anyone, novice to professional to engage in Iowa’s diverse and vibrant horticulture industry. Elvin McDonald, renowned horticultural author and former editor-at-large for Better Homes & Gardens® will be the keynote speaker for the inaugural All-Iowa Horticulture Exposition on April 3. His lecture “Why I Love to Garden” will begin at 10:00 AM. Twenty-four breakout sessions on Friday and Saturday will offer attendees a wide variety of topical information that showcases the diversity of Iowa horticulture and gardening. Top speakers for these sessions include Susan Appleget Hurst, senior associate editor at Better Homes & Gardens® and Kathleen Ziemer, known throughout the area as “the butterfly lady”. A number of ISU Extension personnel will also be present including Dr. Jeff Iles, Dr. Eldon Everhart, Dr. Cindy Haynes, Dr. Patrick O’Malley, Dr. Nick Christians, Dr. Kathleen Delate, Andy Larson, and Dennis Portz. Please visit www.iowahort.org for more information about speakers, topics, and times. Single and two-day registration packages are available. Visit www.iowahort.org for registration forms or contact your local ISU Extension Office. For more information call 641-683-6260.
Sun., April 5 – 2 p.m., Chickens in the Yard. Before the advent of industrial agriculture and long distance food shipping, many families kept small flocks of chickens in backyards… even in the city. Join Indian Creek Nature Center Director Rich Patterson to learn how you can do the same. “In this day and age when incomes are stretched thin and costs are high the Nature Center is hosting a series of programs that may help people become more self sufficient in food,” said Patterson. Discover how to convert table scraps and garden weeds into delicious eggs. Learn the ins and outs of keeping a few chickens for fun and food. The member fee for this program is $5, nonmember fee is $8. Please call 362-0664 with any questions or to register for the program.
Tues., April 7 – 6:30-8:30 p.m., Using Prairie Wildflowers and Native Grasses in Iowa Landscapes, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Hall Room 234, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids. Neil Diboll will present the process of establishing prairie gardens and meadows using either plants or seeds, in both small and large venues. He will highlight the top prairie wildflower and grasses for landscape use, along with specific step by step procedures for achieving success. Diboll is a Prairie Ecologist for Prairie Nursery and produces native plants and seeds and designs native landscapes. Since he began in 1982, he as devoted his efforts to championing the use of prairie plants, as well as native trees, shrubs and wetland plants, in contemporary American landscapes. The session is free. See web site: www.extension.iastate.edu/linn
Wed. April 8 – 6 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library, Garden Lighting. Why only enjoy the beauty during the day? You don’t have to be an electrician to be able to enhance your garden in the evening! Linn County Master Gardener Deb Walser will discuss placement, types of lighting, and transformer options – let there be lite!
Wed. April 8- 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and Thurs. April 9, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Mount Vernon. Come get dirty down on the farm while learning from an expert how to construct a hoophouse. Practical Farmers of Iowa is hosting a two day hoophouse training build workshop at Laura Krouse’s Abbe Hills Farm near Mount Vernon. Adam Montri will lead the workshop. Hoophouses are structures that extend the season on fruit and vegetable farms by providing a protected environment. This training build will address hoophouse construction through an actual build of a 35 foot by 96 foot double poly hoophouse. Participants will learn techniques and tips to efficiently and effectively build a hoophouse, and will have opportunities to ask questions related to design and construction of the hoophouse as well as how to grow vegetables 12 months out of the year without supplemental light or heating. Wednesday will start with a light breakfast at 8:00 a.m., and the workshop will begin at 8:30. Participants will break at noon for lunch. Meals and refreshments will be provided, including dinner at 7:00 p.m. when work is done for the day. Thursday will commence at 8:00 a.m. with a light breakfast. The workshop begins at 8:30. Lunch will be served at noon, and the field day will end at 4:30. Adam Montri is the Outreach Coordinator for the Michigan State University Student Organic Farm. He works with farmers around the state on year-round vegetable production in hoophouses through on-farm economic research projects, one-on-one production consultations, and hoophouse training builds in rural and urban sites. He and his wife Dru and daughter Lydia own and operate Ten Hens Farm, a year-round farm, in Bath, MI. Laura Krouse and her summer workers on Abbe Hills Farm produce vegetables for a 200-family CSA from June through October. She hopes the addition of the hoophouse will extend the garden season until Christmas. Laura also grows seed for an open pollinated variety of corn that has been selected on the 72-acre farm since 1903. A number of soil conservation and water quality practices have been established, including a restored upland wetland surrounded by native prairie. Primarily chemical-free practices are used to manage soil fertility and pests. Directions to Abbe Hills Farm: 825 Abbe Hills Road, Mount Vernon. From Highway 30 and Highway 1 south of Mt. Vernon: Go north at the 4-way stop of Highways 30 and 1. Go uptown to the stoplight. Turn left and go west to 8th Ave/ X20. You will be in front of Cornell College. Turn right and go north a little more than 1 mile out of town. Turn left and go west on Abbe Hills Road a little more than 1 mile. There are two red sheds on the north side of the road (and soon to be a big HOOPHOUSE). The address is 825 Abbe Hills Road. From Highway 1 north of Mt. Vernon: At the stoplight in downtown Mt. Vernon, turn right and go west to 8th Ave/ X20. You will be in front of Cornell College. Turn right and go north a little more than 1 mile out of town. Turn left and go west on Abbe Hills Road a little more than 1 mile. There are two red sheds on the north side of the road (and soon to be a big HOOPHOUSE). The address is 825 Abbe Hills Road. This field day is free, and everybody is welcome. RSVP is required by April 3 to Sally Worley, sally@practicalfarmers.org, (515)232-5661.
Fri., April 10 – 8:30 p.m., Spring Moon Walk, Indian Creek Nature Center. Enjoy the smells, sounds, and sights of a springtime evening on the trails. Walk to a high point of the Nature Center to view the moonlit landscape below. Adults: M: $3, NM: $5. Children: $1.
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Sat., April 11 – 1:30 p.m., Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center, 10260 Morris Hills Rd., Toddville, Iowa. Earth Month Wildflower Walk. Enjoy a leisurely woodland walk, celebrate spring and learn ways to have less impact on our planet. Cost: $2.50/adult, $1/child 16 and under or $5/family.
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319.892.6485
Sat., April 11 and Sun., April 12 – 11 a.m., to 5 p.m., Easter Open House, Noelridge Greenhouse, Cedar Rapids. Features aquarium display by the Eastern Iowa Aquarium Association and Indian Creek Nature Center displays, along with a beekeeper. Free plant for first 500 children under age 12.
Tues., April 14 – 6:30-8:30 p.m., Don’t Fence Me In – Creating Garden Rooms Without Walls, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Hall Room 234, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids. With colorful slides that Shirley Remes has taken of garden rooms in historic public gardens as well as delightful homeowner gardens, she will demonstrate how to create easy and affordable garden rooms in your own yard, large or small. Dividing a landscape into garden rooms not only creates more enjoyable living space but solves practical space problems. Photographer, journalist, lecturer and treasurer of the national Garden Writers Association, Remes is field editor for Better Homes and Gardens magazine and writes for Cottage Living, Organic Gardening and Victoria magazines. The session is free. See web site: www.extension.iastate.edu/linn
Tues., April 14 – 5:30-6:30 p.m., Culver’s Garden Center & Greenhouse, 1682 Dubuque Road (Highway 151 East), Marion. Veggies and Herbs in Pots and Containers. The free seminar will focus on growing vegetables, herbs and more in containers in order to enjoy the benefits of homegrown produce, even in limited space. Participants are asked to RSVP by calling (319) 377-4195.
Wed. April 15 – 6 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library, Revitalizing Your Garden. For the novice or experienced gardener, this class covers beginning or re-working the soil prep, planting, transplanting, and pruning for your beds. Linn County Master Gardener Lori Klopfenstein will also cover tools, design principals, and “go to” resources for all your garden needs.
Sat., April 18 – 9:30 a.m., Earth Day Tree Planting, Indian Creek Nature Center. Help diversify the woods as part of a wetland restoration. Bring a shovel, wear old clothes, and be prepared to get dirty. Participate in a tree planting ceremony “on behalf of Sacred Mother Earth,” facilitated by Wha’la, a Cree man from Squamish Territory. The ceremony is a Chanupa or Pipe ceremony. He will offer songs and direction to us from his traditional way of life. Trees Forever Field Coordinator Matt Nachtrieb will demonstrate the best way to plant a tree. Free.
Sat., April 18 – 8:30 a.m., Herbert Hoover National Historic Site will kick off National Park Week with a spring restoration project in the 81-acre tallgrass prairie. Volunteers are needed to help remove weeds from a recent planting of native prairie grasses and flowers. Volunteers interested in helping at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site should contact Adam Prato at (319) 643-7855 by Friday, April 17. Dress for the weather and wear comfortable work clothes. Water, sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats are recommended. Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:30 a.m. for an orientation and to get signed up. Work in the prairie will be from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80.
Sat., April 18, Habitat for Humanity Restore Go Green expo., 725 N. Center Point Rd., Hiawatha.
Sat., April 18 – Creative Gardening Hands ON Workshops, Linn County Extension, 3279 7th Avenue, Suite 140, Marion, Iowa. Register and pre-pay materials fee by April 10th, call: 319-377-9839
9:00am–10:30am • Twig Art
Have fun using garden prunings to create a pot trellis. The project will include the pot, soil and plants. The participant will supply a hand pruner, wire cutter, needle nose pliers (optional) and scissors. Shelby Foley, Linn County Master Gardener, leads this class. Materials fee: $10 (due at time of registration) Class is limited to 20 participants.
11:00am–12:30pm • Build a Toad House
Parents, delight your child with this fun filled morning. Accompany your child as they enjoy the hands-on experience of making a mosaic toad house with Linn County Master Gardener, Karla McGrail. Materials fee: $10 (due at time of registration) Class is limited to 25 participants, age 7 and up.
1:00pm–3:00pm • Building A Gourd Birdhouse
Members of the Iowa Gourd Society will share their expertise and provide sturdy gourds for this fun project. All materials will be furnished to construct and decorate a unique, functional birdhouse. Won’t it be fun to watch the birds flock to their new home this spring? Materials fee: $30 (due at time of registration) Class is limited to 25 participants.
Sat., April 18 – 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency – 1954 County Home Rd. Marion, Earth Day Dumpster Dive
Bring a load of waste to the agency and let the staff show you what can be recycled. All loads chosen as recycled, will be recycled and disposed of free of charge. No appointment necessary and Linn County Residents can bring their items from 10am to 2pm.
Sun., April 19 – 3-5 p.m.,
Iowa City Environmental Film Festival, Iowa City Public Library, Room A, 123 South Linn Street, Iowa City. Blue Gold: World Water Wars Host: FAIR! Film Overview: www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com In today’s world, corporate giants force developing countries to allow privitization of their public water supply. As water enters the global market place, corporate giants, private investors and corrupt governments vie for control of our fresh water supply. A line is crossed when water becomes a commodity. So the stage is set for world water wars, with a new geo-political map and power structure, and the possibility of military involvement. The film shows numerous worldwide examples of people fighting for their basic right to water. As Maude Barlow proclaims, “This is our revolution, this is our war.” Will we survive? Based on the groundbreaking book, “Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World’s Water” by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke. Winner of the Vancouver International Film Festival Film Audience Award.
Wed. April 22 – 6 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library, Container Gardens. Container gardens do not have to be three geranium, asparagus fern and vinca vines. Come see what can be done with the newest annuals for your containers. Linn County Master Gardener Deb Walser’s own containers will be featured along with planting instructions. You will never have a plain container again.
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Wed., April 22 – noon-4 p.m., Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center, Earth Day Guided Hikes. AmeriCorps Naturalist Sarah Hinzman will lead a 45 minute spring-themed hike every hour on the hour beginning at noon. The last hike of the day is at 4:00 p.m. Meet her at the kiosk area on the lower end of the long sidewalk. Donations accepted.
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Wed., April 22 – 4 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library: Kids and Worms: Composting. First-Fourth graders, get you hands dirty and learn how composting with worms can help our Earth. Space is limited to thirty kids 150 West Willman St., Hiawatha, Iowa 319.393.1414
Thurs., April 23 – 6 p.m., Welcome the changing of the seasons by joining the Brucemore gardeners for the Spring Landscape Hike. Brucemore, Iowa’s only National Trust Historic Site, is located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The 90-minute hike will emphasize the renewal of spring through the sights and sounds found on the Brucemore estate. Experience a sea of budding bluebells, wildflowers sprouting, and the pond awakening after winter’s slumber. Brucemore gardeners take participants off the beaten path into the natural areas of the 26-acre estate. The tour will explore current issues of preservation and public use as well as the seasonal chores spring requires. Hear stories of the spring activities of the Brucemore families, like picking wildflowers for May Day baskets, and much more. Participants will have ample opportunity to ask questions and seek advice about their own gardens. Admission is $10.00 per person and $7.00 per Brucemore member. Space is limited, call (319) 362-7375 to reserve your spot or register online at www.brucemore.org
Sat., April 25 – 6-8 p.m., Mid American AeroSpace – 280 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, Recycle in Style. Join area resale shops for a fashion show like no other. All models will be sporting clothing from consignment, thrift and resale shops. Get some great money saving ideas at this one of a kind event. Ticket information available by calling 319-377-5290.
Tues., April 28 – 6 p.m., Natives: Planting, Caring, and Options Workshop. Spring has arrived! Learn easy and effective ways to “go green” in your gardens and landscapes this year by utilizing native Iowa plants. Planting indigenous flora is the most effective way to create sustainable and healthy gardens and landscapes. Join Master Gardener Becki Lynch for a native Iowa plants and prairie history workshop, in the Brucemore Visitor Center. Brucemore’s own gardens and grounds were originally designed in the 1900s by O.C. Simonds, a founder of the Prairie School landscape movement, who advocated a strong conservation ethic in landscape design. Simonds planted local forbs and grasses to develop the Brucemore grounds into “outdoor rooms.” Using indigenous flora exemplifies environmental stewardship and helps to curb natural resource depletion. Planting with natives is also a great way to preserve Iowa’s unique prairie history. Lynch shares how to identify and incorporate indigenous plants in your own gardens and landscapes. Join the many Iowa gardeners who are preserving our beautiful Iowa heritage. $15 per person and $10 per Brucemore member. Space is limited call (319) 362-7375 or register online now.
Wed. April 29 – 6 p.m., Hiawatha Public Library, Lawns Green With Envy. Linn County Master Gardener Jerry Schmidt will give you advice on how to turn your grass into a lawn. Find out the best ways to rid your lawn of weeds, mushrooms, bare spots, and all those digging critters.
March 29, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged April, blooming, cold, daffodils, flowers, garden, insulation, Iowa, kill, lawn, March, March madness, onions, plants, potatoes, season, snow, tulips, weather
Sunday’s Homegrown Highlights column in the Gazette shows that a) the only thing predictable about March weather is that it’s unpredictable and b) our columns for Sunday’s newspaper are written in advance. Hopefully, no one dug under several inches of snow to begin “waking the garden.”
In fact, the snow acts as insulation for plants from the cold. Ones that have already bloomed might be done for the season after being buried under snow, but those that were just emerging – tulips, daffodils (at least those here in Cedar Rapids that have not blossomed yet) and others should be fine.
I’ve been able to resist the temptation to begin yard work even on those beautiful, sunny and 70-degree days of March, and I will at least for the first couple weeks in April. Until the ground is fairly dry – much less soggy than what it’s been recently – it’s really best to stay off the lawns and out of flower beds. I know a few vegetable gardeners who already planted potatoes and onions before this weekend’s snow. Some vegetables are more tolerant of the cold and can survive even in weather like this. Just remember, there’s no reason to jump the gun on yard work. Enjoy each season as it unfolds. There will be plenty of time for outdoor work in the months to come.
March 30, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged cookies, Girl Scouts, newspaper, plastic, pots, recycle, recycling, seedlings, seeds, start, Thanks-A-Lot, Thin Mints, video
I don’t have the calorie count on the cookies, but the empty containers from Girl Scouts’ “Thanks-A-Lot” cookies are the perfect size to hold three seedling pots. (Don’t try to cheat with Thin Mints, which are packaged in foil.) Go ahead and share your Thanks-A-Lot cookies with someone or take them to work, then reuse the plastic container for plants that you start indoors and know that you’re doing your part to help the environment. And, if you’re using newspaper for the seed-starting pots, that’s doubly good!
seed-starting pots
If you’d like to try making the newspaper pots, you can click on the link below for a short video:
http://www.youtube.com/v/Yh_Szm79VQw
March 31, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged air, Cedar Rapids, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Iowa, Jim Hodina, Johnson Elementary, Linn County Public Health, manganese, outdoor, pollution, schools, toxic, USA Today
Johnson Elementary in Cedar Rapids was not included in a list the Environmental Protection Agency released today of schools that will be monitored for outdoor air pollution.
The EPA, state and local agencies will work together to monitor air toxics around 62 schools in 22 states that are located near large industrial facilities or in urban areas. EPA identified the schools based on information – from a newspaper analysis – that raised questions about air quality.
Roland-Story High School in Story City, north of Ames, was the only Iowa school included on the EPA monitoring list.
Johnson Elementary ranked among schools nationwide with the worst outdoor air quality, according to a report in December by USA Today.
Linn County Public Health officials disputed the report, and held a meeting in February at Johnson Elementary, 355 18th St. SE.
Jim Hodina, supervisor of the air quality division at Linn County Public Health, discussed air quality issues with about 15 parents at the school.
The USA Today report said the main chemical of concern was manganese, emitted from Cedarapids Inc. 909 17th St. NE. The model used by USA Today suggested all of the manganese generated at the plant was released into the air. Cedarapids Inc. generates dust in its plant from cutting metal, Hodina said, but not all of the dust leaves the building.
For more information about Linn County Public Health’s response to the air quality report, go to: www.linncleanair.org
Here is the EPA press release:
(Washington, D.C. – March 31, 2009) In an unprecedented effort to help protect children from toxic air pollution around schools, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced a list of schools that will undergo outdoor air monitoring.
“As a mother, I understand that concerned parents deserve this information as quickly as we can gather and analyze it,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “EPA, state, and local officials are mobilizing to determine where elevated levels of toxics pose a threat, so that we can take swift action to protect our children at their schools.”
EPA, state and local agencies will work together to monitor air toxics around 62 schools in 22 states that are located near large industrial facilities or in urban areas. EPA identified these schools for monitoring based on information that raised questions about air quality. That information included the best data available to EPA scientists about air pollution in the vicinity of schools, results of a computer modeling analysis, results from a recent newspaper analysis, and information from state and local air agencies.
Depending on the availability of staff and equipment, monitoring at some schools on the list will begin almost immediately; other schools will begin monitoring over the next 60 to 90 days. State and local air agencies will install and operate the monitors, while EPA will purchase the monitors and pay for laboratory analysis.
State and local agencies will take periodic samples of the air around the schools for a 60-day period. EPA will analyze the results of the monitoring and share the information with the schools and the public. EPA will use the information gathered in this initiative to determine how best to move forward, which could require additional monitoring or enforcement action where appropriate.
EPA and states will work with school communities to ensure they understand the monitoring results. In addition to monitoring the outdoor air quality, EPA also will help interested schools improve the quality of their indoor air.
To learn more about this program and to view the list of schools that are part of the monitoring initiative: http://www.epa.gov/schoolair
April 1, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Angela Gadzik, artificial hormones, biofools, biofuels, Caitlin Seeley, Cedar Rapids, Child Nutrition Act, cows, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, Iowa City, milk, New Pioneer, organic, Paul Deaton, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Rainforest Action Network, rBGH, Roberts Dairy, schools, Sen. Charles Grassley, Sen. Tom Harkin, Stephanie Rynning, Theresa Carbrey, University of Iowa
New Thursday: see Sen. Chuck Grassley’s response to ”Biofools” list below…
Milk and cookies outside Sen. Harkin's Cedar Rapids office
Photo: Paul Deaton, of Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility; Angela Gadzik, University of Iowa student and volunteer with Food and Water Watch and Stephanie Rynning, UI student and intern with Food and Water Watch, listen Wednesday as Theresa Carbrey, at right, addresses the benefits of organic milk outside Sen. Tom Harkin’s Cedar Rapids office at the Wells Fargo Building, 150 First Ave. NE. Carbrey is education and member services coordinator for new Pioneer Co-op in Iowa City.
It wasn’t Sen. Harkin himself, but members of Food & Water Watch, along with representatives of New Pioneer Co-op and Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility, presented hormone-free milk and cookies and more than 1,000 petitions today to Sen. Tom Harkin’s Office in Cedar Rapids. The petitions call on Harkin to support including language in the Child Nutrition Act that allows local jurisdictions to choose milk free of artificial hormones for school lunch programs. According to Food & Water Watch, the United States is the only industrialized nation that still uses rBGH – recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone – despite major concerns about its links to cancer. As major retailers have moved away from rBGH, “this risky milk is being dumped into our public school system,” members said.
According to Roberts Dairy’s Web site, the genetically engineered drug, injected into dairy cows to induce them to increase milk production, is estimated to be used in 15 to 20 percent of the cows in the United States. It was approved by the FDA in 1993. As of Feb. 1, 2008, Roberts Dairy uses only milk from dairy farmers who have pledged to not treat their cows with artificial growth hormones. While the FDA has found no significant difference between milk from treated and untreated herds, “some of our customers prefer their milk to come from untreated cows,” the dairy’s Web site says. Others, including Anderson-Erickson and Swiss Valley, have also gone rBGH-free.
Caitlin Seeley, field organizer for Food & Water Watch, said that Harkin supports local farmers and child nutrition. “We’re urging him to support (the language change) and really be a champion on this issue,” she said.
Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. The group challenges the corporate control and abuse of food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what people eat and drink.
More information about the School Milk Campaign is at: http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/school-milk
Also today, Friends of the Earth and the Rainforest Action Network singled out Grassley with other policy-makers and corporate leaders as the top national “biofools” in a contest sponsored by the two organizations. The grassroots contest is part of a nationwide effort to highlight the dangers of industrialized biofuels as a false solution to climate change.
The groups noted that Sen. Chuck Grassley supports claims that biofuels are “contributing to a cleaner environment,” ignoring the scientific evidence that biofuel production is contributing to the rapid destruction of rainforests abroad and the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico here at home. I have an inquiry in to Grassley’s office, but haven’t heard a response yet.
NEW - This just came today (Thursday) from Sen. Grassley’s office:
“The International Energy Agency just released a report that corn-ethanol reduces greenhouse gasoline emissions compared to gasoline by nearly 40 percent. They also say that number will improve to 55 percent by 2015. So, if being pro-biofuels, pro-farmer, pro-Iowa, pro-environment and pro-jobs and anti-imported foreign oil gets you recognized like this, then Senator Grassley is happy to have it.”
Here is more from Friends of the Earth and Rainforest Action Network:
Three policy makers and three corporate leaders were singled out today as the top national “biofools” in a contest sponsored by Friends of the Earth and Rainforest Action Network. The grassroots contest is part of a nationwide effort to highlight the dangers of industrialized biofuels as a false solution to climate change.
Despite growing scientific evidence that they contribute to air pollution, deforestation and climate change, industrialized biofuels are being promoted by government and agribusiness as a ‘clean’ solution to climate change and to our nation’s fossil fuel addiction. Replacing just 10 percent of world demand for diesel for road transport with biodiesel would require 75 percent of the world’s existing soy, oil palm and rapeseed crops. Even current government mandates for these so-called renewable fuels will create enough demand for biofuels to cause food shortages and environmental catastrophe around the world.
The online contest will be held on April 1, 2009, as concerned citizens vote online to determine the nation’s biggest biofool. The winner will be announced on the group’s joint webpage: www.biofoolsday.org.
Nominees include:
Linda Cook, Executive Director, Shell Oil. Citing economic concerns, Cook recently announced that Shell Oil will no longer invest in wind and solar energy and focus their energy solely on liquid fuels, hugely increasing the oil giants investment in biofuels.
Hugh Grant, CEO, Monsanto. The global biofuels rush has provided a perfect new market for Monsanto’s genetically modified plants, an inevitable ingredient of biofuel feedstocks. The agribusiness giant dismisses evidence that biofuels are harmful for the environment or have anything to do with food price spikes and shortages.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Senator Chuck Grassley supports claims that biofuels are “contributing to a cleaner environment,” ignoring the scientific evidence that biofuel production is contributing to the rapid destruction of rainforests abroad and the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico here at home.
Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D-SD). Representative Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin has been a strong advocate for reducing global warming pollution, but supports attempts to strip federal forest protections from biofuels policy, claiming that prohibiting the clear-cutting of our federal forests for biofuel production keeps us dependent on foreign oil.
Sen. John Thune (R-SD). A longtime proponent of biofuels, Senator John Thune recently advocated increasing the amount of biofuels that can be blended into gasoline, removing critical forest protections, and potentially eviscerating the global warming standards in biofuels policy.
Patricia Woertz, CEO, Archer Daniels Midland. A former Chevron executive before her tenure at ADM, Woertz is leading the agroenergy charge. ADM is a leading importer of palm oil, a popular biofuel feedstock and a leading cause of deforestation in Southeast Asia.
Friends of the Earth – www.foe.org – is the U.S. voice of the world’s largest grassroots environmental network, with member groups in 70 countries. Since 1969, Friends of the Earth has been at the forefront of high-profile efforts to create a more healthy, just world.
Rainforest Action Network campaigns to break North America’s oil and coal addictions, protect endangered forests and Indigenous rights, and stop destructive investments around the world through education, grassroots organizing, and nonviolent direct action. For more information, visit: www.ran.org
April 3, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged care, Claire Smith, damage, dormant oil, fertilize, groundwater, insects, Iowa, Linn County, master gardener, pollution, pruning, rabbits, roots, scale, sprays, spring, temperature, tree wrap, trees, trunks, voles, water, when, winter
The following is by Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:
March marked the start of our transition from winter to spring. Now that the snow has melted (we hope,) it’s a good time to examine your trees for winter damage. We often expect our trees to be self sufficient and tend to neglect their well-being.
After the frost is gone, thoroughly water trees that have been subjected to de-icing compounds. This will move the chemicals through the soil and away from the tree roots. Watering before the ground thaws will create runoff and pollute soil and ground water.
If your trees need to be fertilized, wait until the ground has completely thawed. Fertilizer run off wastes money and also contributes to groundwater pollution.
If, and only if, an insect problem exists, dormant oil sprays can be used once the temperature reaches a constant 40 degrees. Dormant oils are used to control some scale insects and overwintering insects.
Rabbits and voles girdle trunks at the base. Damage will appear as a lighter area on the trunk, primarily as teeth marks. The damage interrupts the flow of water and nutrients to the roots. While you have no recourse for the damage, it is wise to monitor the health of the tree as severe damage can kill a tree.
Tree wraps should be removed in the spring as the temperature warms.
Complete pruning prior to trees leafing out. Storm damaged branches should be removed as they occur.
If you’re planning on adding trees to your landscape, now is a good time to visit our local nurseries and greenhouses for suggestions and recommendations. Personally, I’m going to find the shadiest spot under the big walnut to plant my chair and enjoy my favorite summer beverage.
April 3, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Brucemore, Cedar Rapids, Deb Engmark, gardens, image, Iowa, landscape, maple, oak, photos, plants, scilla, snow, snowdrop, snowstorm, spring, trees, weather
As Iowa braces for what could be another spring snowstorm this weekend, Deb Engmark, head gardener at Brucemore in Cedar Rapids, sent the following observations and photos from the historic Brucemore estate:
From the Brucemore Gardens
It would have been a glorious first snow fall of the season had the snow fallen sometime between November 27th and December 30th. With four to six
inches on the ground, my week of vacation coming to an end, and not nearly enough yard work finished, it sure made Sunday hard to take. On the bright side, on Monday morning the little bit of green that was evident in the landscape at the end of last week was much more abundant and vibrant. I also noticed the swelling of the buds on many of the shrubs and some of the trees here at Brucemore have expanded close to the point of explosion. Many buds have popped and the leaves are extended toward the sun.
The honeysuckle bushes along Linden Drive opened sometime between 8:00 a.m. and 12:30p.m.on Monday, as did the first scillas on the property, revealing the sweet essence of spring along with the reliable blues many visitors associate with older neighborhoods. The snowdrops are always an early sign of winters waning. Shining in the woods for a few weeks already and now many of the white nodding heads have opened to reveal the upside down v-shape of green marking the inside bell and if you are able to get close enough, it too carries a fresh scent of spring.
Out in the formal garden the crocus are blooming and other bulbs are making their presence known as are some of the undesirables dandelions, violas and the creeping charlie seem to have survived the winter just fine, lucky us.
Now, before spring has totally sprung, is a great time to take notice of that which is often overlooked – trees. We are fortunate here at Brucemore to have a few grand specimens to appreciate. Across the road from the formal garden, west of the old greenhouse is a mature red maple and a stately old red oak. Roger Johnson, our building and grounds superintendent, believes they are some of the oldest trees on the property. He estimates that they are well over 100 years old due to their height, trunk diameter, and the texture of the bark. Oaks are slow growing, long-lived, and require a century to mature, and will often live undisturbed for two to three centuries or more. The red maple upon maturity develops a unique bark texture. Flat gray ridges like fins begin to wave and flake while spiraling up to the multitude of branches. A bit of the oaks’ structural supremacy and the mature maples textured bark is softened after the emergence of the leaf canopy in spring.
As I finish this typing Tuesday afternoon, the landscape has changed once again adding more colors, hues and tones in every passing moment.
I would love to hear what you are doing also! Please feel free to send me any suggestions, ideas, or tips from your own gardens and explorations.
Deb Engmark
Brucemore Head Gardener
2160 Linden Dr. SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403
deb@brucemore.org
www.brucemore.org
Blue scilla
Snowdrops at Brucemore
April 4, 2009
· Filed under ISU extension advice · Tagged broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, containers, cucumber, damping off, die, eggplant, extension, flowers, gardening, impatiens, indoors, Iowa State University, marigold, muskmelon, pepper, plants, potting soil, seedlings, seeds, sow, squash, start, starting, times, tomato, vegetables, water, watermelon, when
You’ve planted your seeds indoors, waited for them to sprout and one day find a container of tiny, droopy plants.
What went wrong?
Damping-off could be responsible for the collapse and death of your seedlings.
The gardening experts at Iowa State University Extension note that damping-off is caused by several different fungi. Environmental conditions usually associated with damping-off are poorly drained potting soil and overwatering.
Damping-off can be prevented by using clean containers, a sterile, well-drained potting mix and by following good cultural practices. Previously used containers should be washed in soapy water, then disinfected by dipping in a solution containing one part chlorine bleach and nine parts water. Flower and vegetable seeds need an evenly moist potting mix for good germination. After germination, allow the potting soil to dry somewhat between waterings.
I’m getting a later than usual start on my seedlings, having just planted my first round today. The earliest I’ve planted seeds indoors was in late January – I had flowers blooming by the end of March. Some plants, of course, need more time to grow than others. The ISU gardening experts also offer this reminder on the starting times for seeds: The crop time (number of weeks from sowing to planting outdoors) for several popular flowers and vegetables are as follows: 10 to 12 weeks – geranium; eight to 10 weeks – petunia and impatiens; six to eight weeks – marigold, pepper, and eggplant; five to seven weeks – tomato, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower; three to four weeks – cucumber, watermelon, muskmelon and squash. Always check the seed packet if unsure of the correct sowing date.
April 6, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Affluenza, American, budget, debate, health care, Iowa City, John de Graaf, sustainability, time
John de Graaf, executive director of Take Back Your Time – www.timeday.org - will speak next Monday, April 13 at the University of Iowa about Time and Sustainability. More about his upcoming Iowa City presentation is in the Tuesday, April 7, edition of The Gazette. In the meantime, de Graaf – a filmmaker and co-author of ”Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic” sent me the following on his observations about health care, which I thought were worth sharing:
THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT HEALTH CARE
By John de Graaf
There’s a problem with today’s health care debate. It’s way too focused on health care. How to fix the health care delivery system. How to insure everybody. And it’s true that the American health care system is on life-support. Priced at nearly $8,000 a year per American, and soon to be 20% of our GDP, it’s more expensive by 40-60% than health care systems in any other industrial country and totals nearly half the health care budget of the entire world. Yet it leaves 47 million Americans uncovered by health insurance and it produces results that are arguably the worst in any of the wealthy nations of the world.
According to the CIA, Americans rank 46th in life expectancy, a bit above Albania. After age 50, they are nearly twice as likely as western Europeans to suffer chronic illnesses like heart disease, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. Even in the hospital, US patients face unusual dangers. More than 100,000 of them die each year from “healthcare” itself–errors or infections during treatment. So the system is broken. But fixing it will require a far more holistic approach than has been discussed in the health care debate.
HEALTH CARE: THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE
Let’s consider American health as a house. Health care is the roof, the final protection against illness. In our case, it’s an expensive roof, gold plated yet with 47 million holes.
In some ways—vaccinations, for example—it’s a preventive system, but mostly it’s sickness care.
In other industrial countries, the roof is a simpler affair, asphalt shingles on a fiberglass mat but with hardly any leaks. Their health care systems rely more on prevention; less on high tech treatment. Yet the people in the house below live longer, healthier lives. That’s because in those other countries, the foundation and the walls of the house are stronger, with fewer cracks to let in the cold.
THE FOUNDATION
Let’s start with the foundation. That’s the head start toward health that children in most other rich countries receive. There’s a stronger focus on pre-natal care, for example. In part because of this, infant mortality in all other industrial countries is lower than in the United States, which ranks 42nd in the world, again according to the CIA. Moreover, fewer mothers die in childbirth in those countries. Here, the US ranks a comparatively poor 40th in the world Maternal mortality rates for poor and African-American mothers are particularly high. Every other rich country does better.
Moreover, in every country in the world except, believe it or not, the United States, Liberia, Swaziland and Papua New Guinea, mothers are guaranteed paid time off from work to take care of newborns. In most rich countries, fathers also receive paid time off to bond with young children. In many cases, such “family leave” extends for up to a year or more. In the US, by contrast, parents often return to work when children are only a few weeks old.
Paid family leave, and the parental bonding it ensures, pays off in terms of children’s health—fewer childhood illnesses, fewer problems with attention-deficit disorder, less obesity, easier socialization, better readiness to learn. Most countries find that such a taxpayer investment in early childhood results in lower health and other costs as children grow up. In Canada, where paid parental leave—the government pays 55% of the stay-at-home parent’s salary—was recently increased from six months to a year, health care costs for children have dropped, leading to interest in extending the leave to 18 months.
A 2007 UNICEF study ranked the United States 20th out of 21 rich nations regarding children’s welfare. The foundation of our “health house” is weak. The rich enjoy a house with a marble floor, and our middle class, a wooden one. Poor Americans, far less likely to be insured, have a dirt floor, with rain leaking through the holes in the roof and puddling up in the corners.
WALL NUMBER ONE—LIFESTYLE
If Democrats talk almost exclusively about universal health care as the solution to our health problems, Republicans tend to focus on wall number one—lifestyle choices. It’s a matter of personal responsibility, they say. Americans should simply stop smoking, eat properly, avoid over-eating, and excessive alcohol consumption, exercise regularly and sleep enough. And, the conservatives argue, they don’t need government to do this. Of course, this is sensible advice. Citizens of other rich countries generally exercise and sleep more than we do. And they don’t eat as much so they are less likely to be obese.
But it isn’t all a matter of personal responsibility. Policy changes would help here as well. Our tax system subsidizes producers of sugars and fats and our marketing system relentlessly advertises fast, unhealthy foods. At the same time, Americans tend to work longer hours than people in other rich countries. Europeans, for example, work 300-350 fewer hours each year on average. Laws guarantee them sufficient time off, including a minimum of four weeks of paid vacation a year, and shorter weekly working hours. This leaves them more time to select foods carefully, eat more slowly—and, as a result, eat less—while exercising and sleeping more. Laws reducing work time have the effect of making them healthier.
WALL NUMBER TWO—STRESS-RELIEF
It’s no secret in the field of public health that stress is a killer. Sudden bursts of adrenaline worked to protect our early human ancestors against attack by savage beasts. But continued adrenaline response to the chronic stress of modern life leads to heart problems, obesity, hypertension and weakened immune systems. Several factors make American life particularly stressful. We are among the most competitive of wealthy capitalist countries and have the widest gap between rich and poor. Fewer people on top; more on the bottom. Studies clearly show that whether it’s humans or baboons, the lower your status, the higher your stress levels. More economically egalitarian societies, like Sweden or Japan, for example, are clearly less stressful and more healthy.
Stress is also the result of insecurity. As the American social safety net has been gutted in recent years (with more of us losing health and pension benefits, for example) and job protections have been reduced, life in America is riskier than it used to be. It is far more insecure than in other rich countries, where strong social safety nets remain in place. Danes, for example, can be fired as easily as Americans, but they receive generous unemployment benefits, job training and government jobs if they are unable to find a position in the private sector. Insecurity also leads to anxiety, a mental illness. American rates of anxiety are double or triple those in western European countries. Mental illness negatively impacts physical health even further. Europeans say their social safety net gives them a feeling of peace of mind. It’s certainly good for their health.
Finally, stress is also the result of time pressures and overwork, which are far more common in the US than in other rich countries. More breaks from a stressful workplace are seen by Europeans as yet another way to improve health. It’s unlikely that we will be able to quickly change the levels of hierarchy and inequality in the US, or that our safety net will be suddenly strengthened. But policies offering shorter work time and longer vacations, clear stress reducers, could be enacted more easily and quickly, and they should be.
WALL NUMBER THREE—SOCIAL CONNECTION
It’s another clear understanding in the field of public health that social connection strengthens immune systems and improves physical well-being. In fact, connecting with others may be the most important single thing we can do to be healthier. On the other hand, one of the worst things you can do for your health is to be lonesome. Yet America is an increasingly lonely country. More and more people, and especially older Americans, live alone, far more than in other rich countries. A recent study found that the average American has only two close friends he or she can turn to. A quarter of us have none at all. Loneliness quickly turns into depression. As with anxiety, Americans are two to three times as likely to suffer from depression as western Europeans. Depression further weakens immune systems and lowers physical health outcomes.
A National Institutes of Health study comparing frequency of chronic illness in the United States and the United Kingdom found that Americans are nearly twice as likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes and hypertension in old age. Such diseases account of a huge part of our healthcare costs. The study controlled for age, race, income and gender differences and found, surprisingly, that poor Britons are as healthy as rich Americans. The study didn’t find that eating fish and chips makes you healthier. The major reasons for the difference were all related to the fact that the British had more security and more free time, which they used to exercise more, but especially to socialize more. Here again, public policies giving workers more time off the job would improve health, in this case, by allowing Americans more time to spend with family and friends. Clearly, this would also strengthen families and communities.
WALL NUMBER FOUR—A SAFE ENVIRONMENT
Americans, according to the UNICEF study of children’s welfare, rank at the bottom in child safety, with the highest rates of accidents among children. Part of this is due to time pressure on American parents which leaves them less able to supervise their children. Other studies show extremely high rates of accidents in the workplace compared to other nations. Preventable death rates in the US, including deaths from automobile accidents, are the highest among industrial countries. Moreover, on average, Americans breathe in air pollution at double the levels of western Europe. The European Union also has stricter controls on the release of toxic chemicals into the environment.
Finally, and this is no small matter, every other industrial country guarantees its workers paid time off from work when they are sick; only the US does not—half of American workers get no paid sick days. In many other countries, as much as a month of leave is allowed. These countries know that without paid time off, workers will come to work sick, as many American workers do. They will get others sick and stay sick longer, often requiring more expensive treatment for their illnesses. This is not rocket science. Most Americans get this immediately. That is why more than 80% of them favor a law that would guarantee paid sick days for workers.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE OUR HEALTH?
To achieve better health outcomes, Americans must begin to see health as a holistic matter, like the house I describe. Right now that house has a foundation that is part marble, part rotting wood and part dirt. It has four walls that are a mixture of teak, balsa wood and bamboo, all of them in sorry shape. And finally, it has a gilded roof with millions of holes.
It is not enough to talk of making the roof all gold and eliminating the holes, though we do need to eliminate the holes. We need to eliminate the gold as well, taking the profit and costly complexity from the system and expanding a program like Medicare to cover everyone, potentially at less cost. Such a system must rely more on preventive methods rather than high tech cures.
But fixing the roof is only a first step. If we also pay attention to the foundation and the walls, we can assure better outcomes and probably, at lower cost, as is the case in other rich nations. We can:
Strengthen the foundation by improving pre-natal care and providing at least three months or more of paid leave to all parents of babies or very young children. Make the Family and Medical Leave Act a paid provision and extend it to all workers.
Strengthen the wall of lifestyle by encouraging consumption of whole grains and vegetables, teaching children the value of eating healthy foods, eliminating subsidies to the purveyors of sugars and fats, and especially, reducing working hours to give Americans more time for exercise, sleep and healthy eating.
Strengthen the wall of stress relief by re-instituting tax policies that narrow the gap between rich and poor, re-building our social safety net and adopting policies like paid vacation time (the US is the only industrial nation without a law guaranteeing paid vacations) that can assure Americans periodic relief from the stress of our hyper-competitive and long-hour workplaces. We must also provide more resources for the early identification and treatment of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression.
Strengthen the wall of connection by reducing working time and by stimulating, through programs like national service, greater volunteer involvement with our neighbors and communities.
Strengthen the wall of safety by improving OSHA and other protections for workers, building more pedestrian and bicycle friendly cities, and regaining the environmental zeal of the early 1970s, which led to much cleaner water and air for all Americans. Pass the Healthy Families Act, guaranteeing seven paid sick days to American workers.
Most of these changes are taken for granted in other nations. All of them will make the United States healthier, and almost certainly at less cost than our current system. Improving our health outcomes is less a matter of better science and more money than of political will and an ability to see the connections between things.
Many business leaders (though certainly not all!) will object to these ideas on the grounds that they will cost too much and make us less competitive in the world economy. But the cost of poor health will be far greater than the price tag for such reforms. If there is one thing more than any other which makes it harder for American businesses to compete, it’s the escalating cost of health care. Health care payments make the cost of producing an automobile thousands of dollars more expensive in the United States than in Canada, for example, and countries with strong social safety nets are among the most competitive in the world.
We can do better. We owe it to ourselves and our children to make these changes without delay.
John de Graaf is a documentary filmmaker, Executive Director of Take Back Your Time (www.timeday.org) and co-author of Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic.
April 7, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Dustin Vande Hoef, emerald ash borer, firewood, image, infestation, Iowa, Michigan, photo, trees, Wisconsin
This came out today from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Spokesman Dustin Vande Hoef said the emerald ash borer infestation discovered in Wisconsin – the closest its ever been to Iowa – appeared to be well-established. The best action Iowans can take to prevent an infestation – which most experts believe is only a matter of time – is to buy firewood locally and not bring it into the state from quarantined areas such as Michigan, where the emerald ash borer was first discovered in the United States and where the beetle has already decimated ash trees.
Here is the press release that came out today:
Emerald Ash Borer
IOWA OFFICIALS HIGHLIGHT EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND DETECT EMERALD ASH BORER FOLLOWING NEW DISCOVERY IN WISCONSIN
New Infestation Discovered Across Mississippi River in Wisconsin
DES MOINES – Following the discovery of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) just across the Mississippi River from the Iowa-Wisconsin border, members of the Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team today highlighted steps being taken to prevent an infestation in Iowa and detect the beetle if it is in the state. EAB is an invasive beetle that feeds on ash trees and eventually kills them.
The new infestation was found near Victory, Wis. on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Allamakee County in Northeast Iowa. This new infestation is less than 5 miles southeast of the Minnesota-Iowa border.
The Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team includes officials from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the USDA Forest Service
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is native to the Orient, and was introduced in the United States near Detroit, Mich. in the 1990s. Although not yet found in Iowa, EAB has more potential for future harm to Iowa forests and urban communities than any other insect currently being dealt with in the United States.
EAB kills all ash (Fraxinus) species by larval burrowing under the bark and eating the actively growing (cambium) layers of the trees. EAB has been killing trees of various sizes in neighborhoods and woodlands. Ash is one of the most abundant native tree species in North America, and has been heavily planted as a landscape tree in yards and other urban areas. According to recent sources, Iowa has an estimated 58 million rural ash trees and approximately 30 more million urban ash trees.
The movement of out-of-state firewood to and through Iowa poses the greatest threat to spread EAB. Areas currently infested are under federal and state quarantines, but unknowing campers or others who transport firewood can spark an outbreak.
Each member of the Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team is taking steps to monitor Iowa’s ash trees and ensure that the beetle has not spread into Iowa by examining high risk sites. The Iowa EAB team has defined high risk sites as locations where people would bring out-of state wood, such as campgrounds, nurseries and sawmills.
DNR estimates there are up to as many as 5 million ash trees in Allamakee County, this represents about 5% of the trees in the forested areas of this county. Allamakee is the most forested county in Iowa with 42% of the land covered by trees (176,000 acres of forest). Iowa agencies in cooperation with USDA-APHIS and Forest Service will be working together to survey for EAB.
Monitoring efforts include visual surveys at high risk sites by Iowa State University, DNR’s placement of sentinel ash trees that are intentionally stressed so that they are more attractive to EAB, and the placement of purple sticky traps around the state that attracts and traps the insect by a collaborative effort among APHIS and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
Team members will be working with Wisconsin and Minnesota officials in response to this new discovery and will be conducting additional visual surveys in the area in the coming weeks.
To learn more about EAB and other pests that are threatening Iowa’s tree population please visit www.IowaTreePests.com.
April 8, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Abbe Hills Farm, Alex Kachan, Cedar Rapids, Community Supported Agriculture, CSA, Fairfield, farmer, farming, greenhouse, hoophouse, Iowa, Laura Krouse, Maharishi University, Mount Vernon, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Russ Brandes, Sally Worley, sustainable, vegetables
Hoophouse construction at Abbe Hills Farm
Farmers, students and other advocates of sustainable living gathered at Laura Krouse’s Abbe Hills Farm near Mount Vernon today to learn how to build a hoophouse. Adam Montri, outreach coordinator for Michigan State University’s student organic farm, is leading the workshop, which continues Thursday (April 9, 2009.) Some of the participants hope to extend their growing season with a hoophouse – a sort of low-tech greenhouse that doesn’t require supplemental light or heat. One farmer I spoke to, Russ Brandes, of Hancock – in western Iowa – is considering constructing a
Russ Brandes
hoophouse to store his excess hay. A hoophouse would be more economical than building a barn, he said.
Sally Worley, communications director for Practical Farmers of Iowa, which is hosting the free event, said about 50 people from Iowa and Illinois were attending throughout the two-day workshop.
Alex Kachan
Among attendees were 9 students from Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, who are in a new Community Supported Agriculture block. Their instructor, Alex Kachan, a faculty member in the university’s sustainable living department, said the CSA track was just started this spring, as part of the school’s ongoing effort to raise consciousness about sustainable living practices.
Laura Krause and her summer workers produce vegetables for about 200 families through her farm’s CSA. A great place to spend a sunny (albeit windy) spring day. You can check out the hoophouse if your travels take you on Mount Vernon Road, east of Cedar Rapids. The farm is just north of Mount Vernon Road on Abbe Hills Road – soon to be recognizable by a 35-by-96-foot double poly hoophouse.
April 9, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged beetle, blue ribbon, Cedar Rapids, Chelsea, Craig Musel, E.B. Kunkle, Ellis Park, flooding, floods, gardening, Good Friday, Iowa State Fair, onions, plant, planting, potato, potatoes, soil, Squaw Creek, tilling, Tuma, when
Good news for gardeners who lease plots from the city and want to get their potatoes planted on Good Friday…
Despite some weather setbacks, Cedar Rapids parks staff finished tilling and marking all three of the city garden sites this week. Cedar Rapids leases out 150 plots at Ellis Park; 102 at Squaw Creek Park and 60 at the Tuma Soccer Complex. As of today, only 97 plots were rented at the Ellis garden, which was flooded out for the season last June. Soil tests for benzene, arsenic and other chemicals have come back at safe levels, but some of the people who gardened at Ellis may have also been flooded out of their homes and won’t be back to garden.
I spoke to E.B. Kunkle of Cedar Rapids today, who appeared to be the first gardener back at the Ellis site.
E.B. Kunkle
E.B. was planting onion sets. Last year, he was able to harvest green onions, spinach and radishes before the floods wiped out everything. Gardeners were advised against returning last year due to possible contaminants. Today’s weather was in the 50s and the soil was dry enough to get started, at least on onions. E.B. has tried growing potatoes in the past, but they were overcome by (my nemesis) the potato beetle.
Gardening lore calls for potatoes to be planted on Good Friday, which is tomorrow (April 10, 2009.) I doubt that I’ll get mine in that day, but as usual, turned to my uncle, Craig Musel, for advice. Uncle Craig gardens near Chelsea, Iowa, and always manages to win at least a few blue ribbons for his potatoes at the famous and fabulous Iowa State Fair. I talked to him Monday, and he said he started planting his potatoes about three weeks earlier, which would be mid-March. His tip? “I plant them whenever I can get them in the ground,” he said and keeps planting “until I’m done.” Those blue ribbon winners – never want to reveal their secrets.
April 12, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged bunny, cactus, Easter, greenhouse, Noelridge Park, parade, photo, tulips
-
Sushanth Rao, 7, of Marion points out a cactus to his mother, Padmaja Rao.
- Laurie Mitchell, Marion, takes a photo of granddaughter Natalie Davenport.
tulips
Not your typical parade, but a parade of plants at the Noelridge Park greenhouse in Cedar Rapids this weekend during the annual Easter open house. My assistant, Schyler, and I shot some photos inside the greenhouse Saturday. The open house continues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 12.
April 13, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Capitol, China, cows, dairy, Dave Knipper, Des Moines, dump, farmers, Iowa, milk, price, protest, Select Sires, tainted
Dairy farmers will rally Tuesday, April 14, 2009, outside the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines to protest low dairy prices. Dave Knipper, a salesman for Prairie State Select Sires, said the combination of high grain prices and low dairy prices have made this spring a historically low point for dairy farmers. Producers who milk a couple hundred cows are paying $15,000 to $20,000 monthly for feed, while getting only $9.50 to $10 per hundredweight for their milk, about half of the $18-$20 of last year’s prices, Knipper said.
Dairy producers will gather from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the west entrance of the capitol grounds, near the monument of Abraham Lincoln and son Tad. Knipper said the farmers don’t plan to dump their milk, as some producers have done at past protests in Wisconsin and elsewhere. But they will speak about being unable to afford health insurance and address other concerns, including the record profits of some milk companies while farmers are getting paid less than the cost of producing milk, as well as the health scares associated with imported products, such as the tainted milk from China.
Dave Knipper can be reached at (563) 590-1596.
April 13, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged apply, arborvitae, brown, Claire Smith, crabgrass, crows, damage, evergreen, forsythia, gardener, grubs, herbicide, holes, hortline, killer, lawn, Linn County, master gardener, pre-emergent, raccoons, redbud, Sevin, shrubs, skunks, Susan Long, tear, treat, turf, when, winter burn
Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith, wrote the following about three of the most frequently asked questions to the Linn County Master Gardener Horticulture Hotline. The HortLine is available to answer questions from 9 am.. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays at (319)447-0647.
One of the commonly asked questions in the spring concerns when to apply pre-emergent crabgrass killer. Master Gardener Susan Long has this response: Typically, the blooming of the forsythia or the redbud is a good indicator of when to apply pre-emergent crabgrass herbicide. Pre-emergents must be applied before the crabgrass germinates. Ground temperatures must be a minimum of 50 degrees. If the material is applied too early, crabgrass seeds that germinate late in the season will not be controlled. If applied too late, some crabgrass will have already germinated. In central Iowa, this is usually mid-April to May 1. However, if the weather warms up early or stays cool longer, then adjustments must be made based on the conditions. Having a thick, healthy lawn that is fertilized, watered and mowed certainly discourages the growth of crabgrass.
Susan also answered a question about arborvitae having brown leaves due to winter burn and whether it will recover and/or should be pruned: Avoid pruning browned, burned areas from evergreen trees and shrubs in the early spring since these branches may still have viable buds that will produce new foliage when growth resumes. The brown will eventually fall off. If the buds did not survive, then prune dead branches back to living tissue. The affected trees and shrubs should look much better by late June or July. There is no need to fertilize affected evergreens. However, if the weather this spring is dry, periodically water evergreens to encourage new growth and speed their recovery.
Another caller wondered what causes a lawn to be torn up at night. Lawns that have grubs attract raccoons, skunks, and crows which turn over large patches of turf in search of the grubs. The best time to treat is early in the summer when insecticides have the best changes of working. The entire lawn may not need to be treated, rather treat grub “hot spots” determined by observation or sampling. Presently trichlorfor (Dylox or Bayer 24-Hour Grub Control) and Sevin are the fastest-acting, most effective homeowner insecticides for curative grub control. These must be watered in completely after application. In many cases it may be preferable to repair the damage through seeding or sodding without treating. If the old, loose sod is still green it may reattach with adequate watering.
April 14, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Cedar Rapids, environment, Frank Rydzewski, Hilary Cochrane, Jenny Matkovich, Mark Seckman, oat hulls, Priority One, Quaker, recycle, sustainable, University of Iowa
This just in from the University of Iowa:
Students help Cedar Rapids economic development group with database of waste
Business students at the University of Iowa are helping to chronicle the biodegradable waste and by-products produced by some of Cedar Rapids’ manufacturers in the hope of finding other businesses that can re-use the material.
The program could help companies save money, encourage sustainability by diverting waste from landfills, create new products, and attract new businesses to the region.
The program is overseen and funded by Priority One, the economic development division of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Instead of throwing this material away, we can use it to attract other companies that will convert it into something useful, and in the process, build a new plant and employ people,” said Frank Rydzewski, a lecturer in marketing in the Henry B. Tippie College of Business who coordinated the students’ efforts in a marketing field studies class. He is also former CEO of American Profol, a Cedar Rapids manufacturer of polypropylene films.
The raw-material-from-waste model of sustainability is already being used in a partnership between the city’s Quaker Oats plant and the University of Iowa. The university burns Quaker’s oat hulls in its power plant to create energy, keeping the hulls out of the waste stream, and providing cost effective alternate fuel for the university.
For the class, Rydzewski had 14 students accountable for recording the materials they found in the waste streams of 23 participating companies. They also researched potential applications for the material.
In some cases, the students determined the composition of the material by reviewing paperwork supplied by the company and visiting the facilities. In others, the students gathered samples and brought them to the University of Iowa’s Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing on the Oakdale campus, which used chemical analysis to break down and identify the compounds in the waste.
The list — which includes such potentially recyclable material as carbon dioxide gas, ethanol, oat hulls and diatomaceous earth — is now being compiled. It will be used to show other firms the kinds of raw materials readily available in Cedar Rapids, said Mark Seckman, president of Priority One.
“The students did a great job and laid a foundation for the next step of this effort,” Seckman said. “This would not have gotten done without their work, and the process they set up will allow us to identify companies that could use the material.”
One possible industry sector the students identified was pet food, which could use some of the waste produced by the area’s food processing plants to make dog and cat food. They developed a marketing plan for Priority One including potential candidates to pursue.
Students participating in the class said they liked helping with economic development and increasing manufacturing efficiency in a way that also promotes environmental sustainability.
“It’s a great way to turn a waste material into a raw material in a way that makes things better for everyone,” said Jenny Matkovich, a senior in the class.
They said it also unwittingly improved their understanding of science, as they viewed the processes used by the UI’s Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing and visited manufacturing facilities in the region.
“One of the big challenges for me was understanding the terms and concepts because I don’t have a biology or chemistry background, so that was helpful,” said Hilary Cochrane, also a senior.
April 15, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged Cafe Scientifique, Chet Culver, climate change, debate, energy, global warming, Iowa, Iowa City, Schnoor, T-Spoons, University of Iowa
“Climate Change Threat and Opportunity: Will Iowa Respond?” is the subject of a free, public forum from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 16, 2009, at T-Spoons, corner of Linn and Market streets in Iowa City. The forum will be led by Jerry Schnoor, Allen S. Henry Chair in Engineering, professor of civil and environmental engineering and co-director of the University of Iowa Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research in the UI College of Engineering.
Schnoor, who chairs Gov. Chet Culver’s Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council, said that the council’s recent report can be summarized by asking whether or not Iowans are going to respond to climate change and take advantage of the obvious opportunities presented in transforming the state’s economy towards energy efficiency and renewable energy resources, or are they going to be left behind by other states and other countries?
The talk is presented by Café Scientifique of Iowa City, whose discussion sessions are held on the third Thursday of the month from September to May. Café Scientifique of Iowa City is a meeting forum where the public is invited to explore and debate the latest ideas in science, mathematics, medicine and technology.
For more information on Café Scientifique visit http://www.physics.uiowa.edu/cafe/
April 15, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Cedar Rapids, Corridor Earth Project, Earth Day, events, Frank Cicela, Gail Barels, Iowa, Iowa City, University of Iowa, Wickiup
Frank Cicela of Cedar Rapids gives daughter Mariana, 8, a lift, with daughter Elea, 13, by his side Saturday, April 11, 2009, during an Earth Month Wildflower Walk at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center near Toddville.
Earth Day will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 22, but in Eastern Iowa, it’s more than just one day. Corridor Earth Project, a collaboration of about 20 organizations between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, has events scheduled throughout the month. The University of Iowa also has activities slated for the coming week.
I already attended one Earth Day walk at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center near Toddville. Despite finding just one flower in bloom — a dainty white bloodroot — it was a gorgeous day to be outdoors. Conservation education specialist Gail Barels noted that two years ago “everything was up” and plants were blooming before mid-April. That was an early spring, she said, while this year appears to be a normal spring, if Iowa has such a thing.
The Corridor Earth Project events can be found on its Web site at: www.corridorearthproject.com
Following are the University of Iowa events:
Saturday, April 18
–The UI Green Summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room W401 of the Pappajohn Business Building. The Green Summit is an academic conference created to empower student environmental leaders and equip them with practical social, scientific, political and business skills to put their passion into practice.
The keynote address will be given by Iowa State Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, followed by forums featuring the following speakers: environmental planner Mike Berkshire; Alec B. Scranton, UI professor of chemical and biochemical engineering; Mark Kresowik of the Sierra Club; and Craig Just, coordinator of sustainability programs in the UI College of Engineering.
The day will continue with an interactive Expo of community organizations and progressive local projects. The Expo begins at 1 p.m. on the Pentacrest.
The Green Summit and Expo are free and open to the public, but registration for the summit is recommended at http://www.thegreensummit2009.com. For more information contact Abbie Gruwell at agruwell@gmail.com.
Sunday, April 19
–”Take Me to the River” Iowa Riverbank Cleanup, 1 to 4 p.m. Volunteers will clean up flood debris and develop the Iowa River portage trail. Participants should wear old clothes and sturdy shoes (no flip-flops) as work will be dirty and strenuous. Volunteers can park and meet at the Iowa City Peninsula Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park lot, 1790 Canton St. off Foster Road, or on the Coralville side of the Iowa River near the pedestrian walkway adjacent the Iowa River Power Restaurant, 501 1st Ave.
The City of Iowa City, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Johnson County Conservation Board, and UI Civic Engagement Program are sponsoring this event.
For more information call 319-335-7589 or email civic-engagement@uiowa.edu.
Monday, April 20
–The film “The 11th Hour,” narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, will be shown at 8 p.m. in Room 101 of Biology Building East.
Tuesday, April 21
–Pappajohn Business Building waste characterization audit, 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. at the Kautz Plaza, between Trowbridge and Calvin Halls. The Tippie College of Business has been a campus leader in sustainable practices. The waste audit will help identify areas for further improvements in recycling and reducing the environmental footprint of the Tippie College of Business.
The audit will be held in cooperation with the UI Office of Sustainability, City of Iowa City, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, City Carton Recycling, East Central Iowa Council of Governments, UI Facilities Management and other public and private agencies. The teams will work together to examine the composition of the college waste stream and provide baseline data needed for planning future reduction efforts. By identifying the amounts of key waste components, the UI can target specific recyclable products and the processes to divert them from the landfill.
UI geography student Eric Holthaus, a member of UI Environmental Coalition, will coordinate the project. Among the student organizations pledging support for this project are UI Student Government, the UI Environmental Coalition, the UI Public Interest Research Group, Engineers for a Sustainable World, and Future Physicians for the Environment.
–”Careers for Change” lecture, 4 p.m., in 1124 University Capitol Center (UCC) and a public lecture on climate change at 7 p.m. in 1117 (UCC). Both lectures are sponsored by the UI Center for Human Rights and will be given by energy and environmental lawyer Carrie La Seur, founder and president of Plains Justice, a Cedar Rapids-based public interest environmental law center that works for environmental justice.
– The film “Who Killed the Electric Car?” will be shown at 8 p.m. in Room 101 of Biology Building East.
Wednesday, April 22
–Bike to School Day and ice cream social, 1 to 5 p.m. on the Pentacrest. The UI Environmental Coalition and Office of Sustainability are hosting this event. World of Bikes will offer a free bike tune-up clinic, and Heyn’s Ice Cream and New Pioneer Coop will provide scoops of ice cream to bikers. The UI Touch the Earth program and Bicyclists of Iowa City club will share information on biking and outdoor trips. For more information contact Eric Holthaus at eric-holthaus@uiowa.edu or Katie Fassbinder at katie-fassbinder@uiowa.edu.
–The film “An Inconvenient Truth” narrated by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, will be shown at 8 p.m. in Room 101 of Biology Building East.
Thursday, April 23
–At 1:30 p.m., an open house at the UI Environmental Coalition Student Garden will include a visit from President Sally Mason. Students and the Office of Sustainability will showcase the new student demonstration garden, located off of Hawkeye Park Road near the Hawkeye Recreation and Tennis Complex.
–The film “The Future of Food,” will be shown at 8 p.m. in Room 101 of Biology Building East.
Friday, April 24
–Arbor Day tree planting by UI Landscape Services, 9 a.m. on the Pentacrest.
The UI is also encouraging students, faculty and staff to take the “Power Down for the Planet” pledge at http://www.powerdownfortheplanet.org. By signing the pledges, computer users agree to use their computer power management tools whenever possible and to look for Energy Star-qualified equipment when making purchases. The deadline to pledge is Friday, April 17. The UI and college campuses across the nation are taking part in this effort. At the end of the campaign, the university with the highest percentage of pledges wins the challenge. At the UI, the results will be announced by President Mason on April 23 during the student garden dedication event.
For a complete calendar of events during Earth Month visit http://energy.uiowa.edu
April 17, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Burns Weston, CLI, climate change, Climate Legacy Initiative, earth, environment, Environmental Law Center, global, Jerald Schnoor, Jonathan Carlson, law, legal, Maureen McCue, recommendations, Sharon Benzoni, Tracy Bach, UI Center for Human Rights, University of Iowa, Vermont
The following came out today from the University of Iowa:
Law professor leads initiative to protect environment for future generations
A University of Iowa law professor is spearheading an effort to make environmental rights as much a part of the legal vocabulary as economic or property rights so future generations can enjoy a safe environment.
“Our growing climate crisis demands that our laws take seriously the legal rights of children and future generations to inherit a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” says Burns Weston, professor emeritus in the UI College of Law, senior scholar of the UI Center for Human Rights and project director of the Climate Legacy Initiative (CLI). “In turn, the present generation must take legal responsibility for the ecological legacy we leave behind. It is a rank injustice to our heirs if our behavior does not change.”
The CLI, a joint project of the UI Center for Human Rights and the Environmental Law Center of Vermont Law School, seeks to broaden and deepen the legal means for protecting the earth’s environment for future generations. This week, it is releasing a major policy paper titled “Recalibrating the Law of Humans with the Laws of Nature: Climate Change, Human Rights, and Intergenerational Justice,” authored by Weston and Tracy Bach, CLI associate director and a researcher and professor at Vermont Law School.
“The Climate Legacy Initiative’s work is intended to spark public and professional discussion about how our laws can adapt to and confront the climate crisis,” Weston said. “We seek a fundamental rethinking of how the law, both nationally and internationally, can be made a better steward of the environment, especially in the face of unprecedented climate change.”
The CLI legal and legislative strategy will be unveiled at meetings next Thursday, April 23 of the University of Iowa Center for Human Right and the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council. The ICFRC meets at noon at the Congregational Church, 30 N. Clinton St. in Iowa City. Admission is $7.50 for members, $8.50 for nonmembers.
The UI Center for Human Rights presentation begins at 8 p.m. in 1505 Seaman Center for Engineering. Admission is free.
He said a legal approach is just one tool in confronting this huge challenge, but it is critical.
However, Weston said this not a task for the law alone. “Law underwrites all we do and how we go about doing it,” he said. “In a democratic society, this makes law’s relation to the environment everyone’s problem and everyone’s responsibility, and it cannot wait. Events may overturn intention unless we are expeditious.”
The CLI policy paper lays out a legal framework for constructing intergenerational rights and duties, and for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of existing law. It also offers 16 recommendations that governing bodies from local to global can implement to safeguard the environment.
The CLI engaged more than 40 legal and public policy experts from across the country to help with the policy paper, including Jonathan Carlson, a professor in the UI College of Law; Jerald Schnoor, a professor in the UI College of Engineering; Maureen McCue, an adjunct professor in the UI Global Health Studies Program and coordinator of the Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility; and Sharon Benzoni, formerly a research associate at the UI Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, currently executive director of the Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities and the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council.
“The CLI’s ultimate goal is a fundamental change in the way legal systems think about the environment,” said Weston. “We hope it leads to a paradigm shift in the way the law — and everyone and everything else — relates to the environment.”
Weston said that the obligation to do right by our children and grandchildren carries great moral weight, but that this has not been reflected in our legal systems to a degree sufficient to meet such environmental challenges as climate change. The concept of the common good, he said, is not only to establish a civil society for the current generation, but to make sure a functioning society can be handed to our heirs and their descendants.
In an environmental sense, he said, this means that current generations must act to ensure future generations’ rights to, for instance, biological diversity, environmental quality, and access to resources.
“Leaving the earth better than we found it is not merely a nice idea,” Weston said. “It is our responsibility to our children, grandchildren, and generations beyond.”
However, Weston said that for this to happen the legal system must be reformed. As it is now, he said environmental rights and especially those of future generations are only peripherally considered by the legal and political system, if they’re considered at all. Most of the time, they’re trumped by such values as property rights and economic development.
“We must align the laws of humans with the laws of nature,” he says.
Among the CLI’s 16 legislative, regulatory and judicial proposals:
–Urging states to adopt constitutional amendments implementing environmental rights for future generations and to pass state laws to enforce them.
–Enacting a National Environmental Legacy Act that would require defining in concrete terms the environmental legacy that should be left to future generations and providing a mechanism to ensure it.
–Creating “Environmental Stakeholder Trusts” such as “sky trusts” to safeguard and make clear the shared ownership of our environmental commons.
–Instituting cap and trade regulatory strategies.
–Asking governments to establish offices of “legal guardians” to act on behalf of the ecological rights and interest of future generations.
–Urging the United Nations General Assembly to adopt a declaration formally recognizing the atmosphere as a global “commons” shared by present and future generations.
Weston said the CLI will spend the coming months discussing their policy proposals with public policy organizations, think tanks, citizens groups, scholars, political and government leaders, faith-based organizations and others.
STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Service, 300 Plaza Centre One, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500
April 17, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged air pollution, carbon dioxide, climate change, drought, ecosystems, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, flooding, foreign oil, green jobs, greenhouse gas, health threat, Obama, ozone, storms, wildfires
This just in from the EPA:
EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose Threat to Public Health, Welfare
Proposed Finding Comes in Response to 2007 Supreme Court Ruling
(Washington, D.C. – April 17, 2009) After a thorough scientific review ordered in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed finding Friday that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare.
The proposed finding, which now moves to a public comment period, identified six greenhouse gases that pose a potential threat.
“This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations. Fortunately, it follows President Obama’s call for a low carbon economy and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation,” said Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This pollution problem has a solution – one that will create millions of green jobs and end our country’s dependence on foreign oil.”
As the proposed endangerment finding states, “In both magnitude and probability, climate change is an enormous problem. The greenhouse gases that are responsible for it endanger public health and welfare within the meaning of the Clean Air Act.”
EPA’s proposed endangerment finding is based on rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific analysis of six gases – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – that have been the subject of intensive analysis by scientists around the world. The science clearly shows that concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels as a result of human emissions, and these high levels are very likely the cause of the increase in average temperatures and other changes in our climate.
The scientific analysis also confirms that climate change impacts human health in several ways. Findings from a recent EPA study titled “Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone,” for example, suggest that climate change may lead to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, a harmful pollutant. Additional impacts of climate change include, but are not limited to:
· increased drought;
· more heavy downpours and flooding;
· more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires;
· greater sea level rise;
· more intense storms; and
· harm to water resources, agriculture, wildlife and ecosystems.
In proposing the finding, Administrator Jackson also took into account the disproportionate impact climate change has on the health of certain segments of the population, such as the poor, the very young, the elderly, those already in poor health, the disabled, those living alone and/or indigenous populations dependent on one or a few resources.
In addition to threatening human health, the analysis finds that climate change also has serious national security implications. Consistent with this proposed finding, in 2007, 11 retired U.S. generals and admirals signed a report from the Center for a New American Security stating that climate change “presents significant national security challenges for the United States.” Escalating violence in destabilized regions can be incited and fomented by an increasing scarcity of resources – including water. This lack of resources, driven by climate change patterns, then drives massive migration to more stabilized regions of the world.
The proposed endangerment finding now enters the public comment period, which is the next step in the deliberative process EPA must undertake before issuing final findings. Today’s proposed finding does not include any proposed regulations. Before taking any steps to reduce greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, EPA would conduct an appropriate process and consider stakeholder input. Notwithstanding this required regulatory process, both President Obama and Administrator Jackson have repeatedly indicated their preference for comprehensive legislation to address this issue and create the framework for a clean energy economy.
More information: http://epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html
April 18, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged bakery, Chet Culver, Czech Village, flood, flooding, Iowa, John Rocarek, Sykora
I’ve been covering the rebuilding of Czech Village since the June flood devastated the area, just blocks from where I grew up. Iowa Governor Chet Culver visited today (4/18/09) to welcome back Sykora Bakery, one of Czech Village’s landmarks. Below are some photos I shot of the event. If you’d like to see more of what’s happening in Czech Village, see the interactive coverage of all the businesses there on GazetteOnline at: http://ads.gazlab.com/goads/Czechvillage/czechvillage.html
You can click on a shop to see a photo and its status – whether or not its rebuilding (though we do need to update with the opening of Sykora Bakery.) You can also send in your own comments and memories of the businesses or add what you know about a building’s history.
Ann Rocarek, daughter of Sykora Bakery owner John Rocarek, fills pastries with apricot filling in the bakery's kitchen.
Gov. Chet Culver talks to Jan Stoffer (in black) and Gail Naughton, both of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, along with Jan's twins.
Betsy Marlow, 7, of Cedar Rapids, with the kolaches her father bought at Sykora Bakery
- Bessie Dugena, left, a Czech Village business owner and former resident of the Czech Village neighborhood, talks to Gov. Chet Culver.
Gov. Chet Culver, left, talks to Cedar Rapids Mayor Kay Halloran, in red.
Carly Mark, 10, and Victor Mark, 12, of Van Horne, outside Sykora Bakery.
April 19, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged control, Earth Day, environment, extension, gardening, Gazette, help, how to, Iowa State University, recession garden, save money, tips, vegetables, weed
To some of us who grew up gardening, the process comes naturally. How can you not know how deep to plant a radish seed or realize you have to wait until the danger of frost has passed to plant your tomatoes? Actually, I’ve heard from people who grew up gardening and despise it now. That includes a couple editors here at The Gazette, who prefer to stay as far away as possible from watering cans, trowels, or anything else that reminds them of the back-breaking labor of their youth.
But, as mentioned in today’s (4/19/09) Gazette article: http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090419/NEWS/704199992/1002/NEWS
more and more people are moving toward gardening, as a way to help the Earth and save money on food budgets in these tough economic times. To that end, Iowa State University Extension has come up with a great beginner’s guide to home gardening, especially tailored for Iowa.
Even experienced gardeners will find helpful hints on beets, potatoes, squash and numerous other veggies, along with everyone’s favorite: weed control.
You can find the guide here: http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2009/4-8/introduction.html
April 20, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged aerate, agriculture, amend, April, Bill Northey, Claire Smith, compacted, compost, Dustin Vande Hoef, erosion, fertilize, grass, grow, how, insect, Iowa, Land Stewardship, lawn care, lawns, Linn County, master gardener, May, mowing, organic, runoff, seeded, sod, soil, spring, start, turf, water, when, yard
It’s spring and attention is turning to lawns. Two things today about lawn care. The first is from Linn County Master Gardener Claire Smith and the second came to me from Dustin Vande Hoef, communications director for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey sent the message to remind homeowners that spring is an ideal time to improve soil quality in our yards and that restoration of the soil can help retain water, prevent erosion and protect water quality.
This is from Claire Smith:
Are you ready for some mowing? Depending on the weather, your summer lawn mowing and maintenance can begin anytime in April.
Did you service the mower last fall? If you didn’t have time then, you should take time now. Beg or bribe your favorite spouse or relative to change the oil, kick the tires, replace the spark plug and air filter, and be certain the blades are sharp and not bent.
If the ground temperature is 55-60’ you can commence any necessary re-seeding and repairs. Lawn repair kits that will contain seed and mulch can be purchased. But remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is so do not succumb to terrific sounding no maintenance grasses and groundcover. Apply the patch after you have removed the dead turf and loosened and amended the soil.
Pizza or ice cream treats may create some enthusiasm to have the kids or grandkids help you rake and remove clumps of leaves and other debris left over from winter ice and snow. Initiate a game of pickup sticks (branches). Tamp down runways created by winter vole activity and fill in holes.
Hose off lawn areas along walks, drives and roadways that have been exposed to deicing compounds or your grass may not reappear. Keep newly seeded and sodded areas moist to reduce stress on young and developing root systems. Watering an established lawn is not necessary now. Wait until May to fertilize. Over watering and over fertilizing does more harm than good on your lawn: strike a happy medium. Excessive use of insecticides may reduce nature’s aerating machines, the earthworm. Monitor your lawn for any insect damage prior to spraying.
Proper mowing is a real key to a healthy lawn. The suggested mowing height is 3-3 ½” Taller grass forms a deeper root system. Stronger plants are more likely to fend off insects, disease and weeds. Remove only 1/3 of the total height of the grass and leave the clippings on the lawn to decompose. Clippings add nitrogen, moisture and organic matter to the soil. Varying the direction and pattern of mowing will reduce the wear and tear on the lawn.
So, are you ready for some mowing? Grab a bottle of lemonade and your hat and sunscreen. Hop on the mower and enjoy the spring weather and the start of a beautiful lawn.
From Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship:
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today encouraged homeowners to consider incorporating soil quality restoration efforts into their annual spring yard work.
Often in urban areas, especially new developments, the topsoil has been removed and what is left is compacted. Restoring soil quality helps yards and green spaces absorb and infiltrate rainfall, which reduces the homeowners need to water their yard while protecting water quality and preventing runoff.
“Iowa is known for it’s great soil, and rightfully so, but we need to make sure we are taking care of that soil so that it is healthy,” Northey said. “What made our soil so productive was the high organic matter content and porosity that absorbed rain and allowed roots to grow deep. Soil quality restoration helps recreate those conditions that allow plants to thrive.”
If you are establishing a new lawn, perform deep tillage (8-12 inches deep) before seeding or sodding to breaks up compacted soils. Add compost to increase organic matter. It is recommended that soils have 5 percent or more organic matter before sodding or seeding, which can be achieved by incorporating 1 to 3 inches of compost.
If you have an existing lawn, consider aerating the soil and then apply a blanket of compost in the spring or fall. An application of one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch of compost following aeration will help fill the holes with organic matter to amend the soil and allow existing turf to grow through the compost amendment. If your turf is patchy, add seed to the compost application to thicken up the vegetation.
“Improving the soil quality in your yard will make your lawn healthier, require less water and reduce the need for fertilizer and pesticide applications,” Northey added. “A better looking lawn and improved water quality in the state are possible when we better manage runoff through soil quality restoration and other measures that allow water to infiltrate.”
There are a number of other lawn care tips to help care for your soil and promote infiltration of water and prevent runoff.
- Begin mowing after the first of May and end near Labor Day.
- Set the mower at three inches high. The higher the grass shoots the deeper the grass roots, making it better able to survive dry periods.
- Use the mulch setting on your mower to leave the grass clippings on the yard. Don’t lower organic matter content by removing clippings.
- Consider using native plants for accent in planting beds or in rain gardens to minimize the amount of turf grass.
- Seed your lawn to a native turf mixture that has deep roots and thrives in Iowa’s weather conditions without extra care.
More information about urban conservation, rain gardens and a soil quality brochure are available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov
April 21, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged bottled water, Cedar Rapids, Earth Day, Future Friendly, green tips, HGTV, Iowa, Lindale Mall, Nicole Facciuto, P&G, pilot, Procter & Gamble, Red Hot and Green
Nicole Facciuto talks to Glenn Williams of Procter & Gamble Tuesday night at Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids.
OK, so maybe you haven’t gone “green” yet. Procter & Gamble is giving people in the Cedar Rapids area a great incentive to do so. The company is giving away $10,000 to the winner of its Future Friendly Challenge.
Cedar Rapids was chosen as the pilot site for the company’s sustainability initiative, which isn’t a product launch, but an awareness effort to point out energy, waste and water savings involved with P&G products.
Nicole Facciuto, host of HGTV’s “Red, Hot & Green” was at Lindale Mall tonight (Tuesday, April 21) to help launch P&G’s effort and will be there from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday. She and others who will demonstrate the products can be found under a green tent near the Sears store at Lindale.
P&G’s Glenn Williams said the contest will continue at other Future Friendly events in the coming weeks, but is for the Cedar Rapids area only. Anyone who wants to enter the contest can pick up a form at Lindale or other locations in the next few weeks and write, in 300 words or less, how they have gone green, without sacrifice.
Nicole, whose show is shot in LA, noted that little things add up to help move the whole country toward sustainability. “I’m just here to tell people about it because I believe in the small steps,” she told me during a “tour” of the Future Friendly tent. Nicole, 33, said she’s no stranger to Iowa, having spent a summer at Lake Okoboji. She’s into Freecycle, recycling and once made a coffee table out of a pile of old books that a school discarded.
Products in the Future Friendly initiative are marked with a green sticker and are already at Hy-Vee supermarkets and will be in more Cedar Rapids stores in the near future. Glenn said Cedar Rapids was chosen because the community shows awareness about sustainability and “our target audience lives here.”
Update: Glenn just sent in more info on how to enter the contest:
The rules are simple: just tell us in 300 words or less about how you’re living a more “future friendly” lifestyle without making any deep sacrifices or trade-offs. Drop your entry at the FF pop-up or email it, and you could win the 10,000 dollars. Nicole and other FF experts will determine the winner.
The email address is: futurefriendly@yandlpr.com
Here is more about the pilot:
Procter & Gamble has chosen Cedar Rapids and Earth Day to launch a new sustainability initiative pilot. The new Future Friendly program will include products from P&G’s most recognized brands, including PUR, Charmin and Dawn. Each brand provides specific savings in water, waste or energy, with the resource-saving benefits marked on the packaging.
To launch the pilot, a Future Friendly demonstration house will be unveiled at Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids on Earth Day, April 22, 2009, where visitors can see live product demonstrations and learn how they can take simple steps in their own homes to save energy, water and reduce waste.
Nicole Facciuto, host of HGTV’s “Red, Hot and Green” will be at Lindale Mall from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Wednesday to share environmental home design and lifestyle tips. Visitors can enter to win a $10,000 grand prize by submitting the best “go green without sacrifice” story in the Future Friendly Challenge. Each household that registers at Lindale Mall on Earth Day will receive a coupon book and a reusable shopping bag.
Examples of the Future Friendly resource savings include this: If all Iowa residents who use bottled water switched to a PUR faucet mount system, they would save more than $574 million each year – enough money to send nearly 5,000 students to Coe College for four years.
Look closely at the wording to see if those savings add up for your family. This example assumes that if one household switched from bottled water to a PUR mounted faucet system, they would be able to eliminate 3,200 plastic bottles and save $600 per year. If you don’t use bottled water, which has lost favor among the eco-conscious, those savings might not apply to you.
Other examples include: If all Cedar Rapids households switched from a regular roll of Charmin to Charmin MegaRoll, it would save more than 77,000 gallons of fuel – enough to fuel 44 school buses in Iowa for an entire year. And if all Cedar Rapids households cleaned their dishes with Dawn Direct Foam, without filling up the sink with water, they would save more than 600,000 liters of water – enough to irrigate more than six acres of Iowa farmland for one week.
P&G, which has two plants in Iowa City, notes that each Future Friendly product must meet strict, science-based performance criteria, including a reduction of more than ten percent in water use, energy use or waste versus previous or alternative products. In addition, the benefits of the products cannot trigger inefficiencies in other areas of environmental concern. The brands in the pilot program include Tide, Downy, Gain, Cheer, Dreft, Era, Dawn, PUR, Cascade, Charmin, Bounty and Duracell. Future Friendly has operated as a multi-brand effort in the UK and Canada since 2007.
For more information, see: www.future-friendly.com
Lindsey Pugh of Grayslake, Ill., demonstrates the absorbency of Bounty paper towel on Tuesday night at Lindale Mall.
April 23, 2009
· Filed under Your photos · Tagged Cedar Rapids, image, Indian Creek Nature Center, Iowa, Jay McWherter, Laurie Vulich, Linn County, master gardener, Noelridge Park, orchid, passion flower, photo, tulips
New photos today! Laurie Vulich shots these wildflowers during a walk along the trails at the Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids on this warm spring day.
Wildflowers shot at the Indian Creek Nature Center.
Bloodroot in bloom
Intrepid photographer and Linn County Master Gardener, Jay McWherter, sent in these photos shot at the Noelridge Park Greenhouse open house in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on April 11…
Close-up of an orchid
Passion flower
Tulips
If you have photos you’d like to share, send to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
Include information about the subject and where and when it was shot.
April 24, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged bazaar, garden, green, herbs, Hiawatha, Iowa, plants, prairiewoods
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, check out the Prairiewoods Garden Bazaar featuring “all things green, good and growing.”
The bazaar is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2009, at Prairiewoods, 120 Boyson Rd., Hiawatha, Iowa.
Event features herbs, plants, seeds, chimes, artisan vendors, birdhouses and more. Also, learn how to plant an herb garden and create yard art. All proceeds benefit Prairiewoods.
See: http://www.prairiewoods.org
April 26, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Carla Davis, Cedar Rapids, Chicago, clothes, consignment, Dayna Kriz, Earth Week, fashion show, Gary Comer Youth Center, Heidi Franklin, Iowa, Jenna Nelson, MidAmerican Aerospace, Plato's Closet, recycle, reuse, Sonya Darrow, Stacie Johnson, Stuff Etc.
The first ever Recycle in Style Earth Week Fashion Show was tonight (April 25, 2009) at the MidAmerican Aerospace Warehouse in Cedar Rapids. Organizer Stacie Johnson noted the space was fitting, as the company recycles airplanes. About 200 people surrounded the runway where models from area consignment shops showed off some of the fashions available for a fraction of the cost of new. Local designer Sonya Darrow also modeled her “Seven Days, Seven Different Styles for under Seven Dollars” collection.
Here is a sample from tonight’s first-ever event:
Carla Davis, from Mix 96.5, emcees the fashion show.
A model from Plato's Closet walks the runway.
Designer Sonya Darrow of Cedar Rapids shows part of her collection.
The night's youngest model, from Stuff Etc.
Models Jenna Nelson (with Yorkie) and Heidi Franklin from Stuff Etc.
Stacie Johnson (right) coordinator of the fashion show.
Dayna Kriz, art instructor for the Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago, with some of her students' redesigned t-shirts, jewelry and keychains.
April 27, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged amend, Claire Smith, fall, flowering, Iowa, master gardener, perennials, plants, rain, season, soil, spring, transplant, when
The following is from Linn County Master Gardener Claire Smith:
I was so ready to start my ditch project. That’s the area I wrote about in an earlier blog that due to last summer’s over abundance of rain is now inaccessible by lawn mower. The weather seemed to be cooperating and the ground temperature is almost warm enough. Commencing with a hoe and a good pair of gloves, I’m tackling the winter debris of branches and weeds. As some coaches will tell you, the best defense is a good offense: removing any pest and disease infestation creates a healthier plant bed. I do have some weed spray for the tough stuff. There’s enough left over ground cloth to cover the area. Garden centers have mulch just waiting for me to pick up. The fall perennials are peeking about 3-4 inches out of the ground and are begging to be moved. (Rule of thumb: transplant spring flowering plants in the fall and fall flowering plants in the spring.) Hurrah! The growing and planting season has begun. However, when I picked up a handful of dirt, it balled up in my hand. So, time out! That ground is definitely not dry enough. “Mudding in” transplants will result in a hardened clumpy soil that will be very difficult to work going forward. So, instead of transplanting right now, I’ll amend the soil by adding that wonderful stuff weathered horse droppings are made of. Several inches of home grown compost and/or organic matter means I don’t have to fork out funds for commercial fertilizers. In a few days, baring additional downpours, I will plant the transplants, remembering to water in the plants then gently tamping the soil down around them to remove air pockets.
Once the plants are in place, the ongoing project involves seasoning the seeder wagon, moving it to the middle of the area and planning how flowers will cascade out of it. My son will bring a load of rock for the erosion control. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm for how I perceive my new garden will evolve.
April 28, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Ann Johnson, book, bugs, Bur Oak Guides, butterflies, damselfly, Dennis Paulson, dragonfly, insect, Iowa Odonata Society, Midwest, pocket guide, University of Iowa
My all-time favorite insect, the dragonfly, is finally getting the attention it deserves. This came out today from the University of Iowa:
Dragonflies and Damselflies cover
“Dragonflies and Damselflies in Your Pocket: A Guide to the Odonates of the Upper Midwest,” the new addition to the Bur Oak Guides Series, will become available from the University of Iowa Press May 1.
The pocket guidebook with text and photos by Ann Johnson will be available at bookstores or directly from the UI Press by phone at 800-621-2736 or online at http://www.uiowapress.org. Customers in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East or Africa may order from the Eurospan Group online at http://www.eurospangroup.com/bookstore.
Just as more and more people enjoy watching birds and butterflies, watching the many shimmering dragonflies and damselflies — collectively called “odonates,” from Odonata, the name of this order of aquatic insects — has become a popular outdoor pastime. With their extremely large eyes, elongated transparent wings, long and slender abdomens, and prehensile extendible jaws, dragonflies and damselflies are efficient hunters and quick, darting fliers. Their beauty and their behavior make them delightful subjects for birdwatchers and other nature lovers.
“Dragonflies and Damselflies in Your Pocket” introduces 50 of the showiest odonates of the Upper Midwest. In addition to providing useful general information about broad-winged damsels, spreadwings, pond damsels, darners, clubtails, cruisers, emeralds and skimmers, Johnson includes common and scientific names, sizes, general flight seasons and the best habitats in which to find each species.
Dennis Paulson, author of “Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West,” wrote, “With beautiful photos backed up by concise text, this little guide is simple and easy to use as it introduces birders and general naturalists to a wonderful group of insects, the Odonata. It should be in every glove compartment and backpack.”
Johnson is a management analyst for the Iowa Department of Human Services, a founding member of the Iowa Odonata Survey, and the owner of AJ Endeavors, which specializes in natural history Web development. A self-described birder gone bad, she now spends summers chasing more bugs than birds near her home in south central Iowa.
Named after the state tree of Iowa, the Bur Oak Guides are published to assist the exploration and enjoyment of the natural environment of the Midwest.
April 28, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged climate change, Den Henrickson, Iowa, Marion, plants, Project BudBurst, Rachael Drummond
I can tell you when my Greenland tulips, Strutter’s Ball daylily or perennial hibiscus bloomed in the last several years; when the grass first turned green this spring or when the chartreuse of the willows began to show. I’m a compulsive jotter. Maybe it’s the product of my training as a reporter combined with my gardening obsession that compels me to write down every observation. At least I’m not alone. Nationwide, nature-lovers, gardeners, scientists and students are taking note of what’s happening in the natural world around us.
It’s all part of an effort called Project BudBurst – http://www.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_science/budburst/
Thousands of volunteers across the country have been participating in the project, which tracks climate change by recording the timing of flowers and foliage. Project BudBurst, started as a pilot program in 2007 and operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Chicago Botanic Garden and University of Montana, is amassing thousands of observations from these “citizen scientists” to give researchers a detailed picture of our warming climate. An analysis of thousands of Project BudBurst observations from last year and the 2007 pilot shows a baseline for the timing of key plant events. Volunteers can compare these observations to flowering and leafing in future years to measure the impact of a warming climate. Overall, 4,861 observations were reported online in 2008 from participants in every state except Hawaii.
Rachael Drummond, who works in Media Relations for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., got me in touch with an Eastern Iowa participant of Project BudBurst. Den Henrickson of Marion said he decided to get involved after hearing about the project on National Public Radio. Den is keeping track of three things in his yard: Eastern red cedar, Eastern white pine trees and buffalo grass. “I think this is a valuable way to leave a nugget of information for future generations,” he said. Den added that he knows some people are combing parks and ditches in search of plants, but he knew he would be more apt to follow through with something in his own backyard.
The project works like this: Each participant in Project BudBurst selects one or more plants to observe. The Web site suggests more than 75 trees and flowers, with information on each. Users can add their own choices. Participants begin checking their plants at least a week prior to the average date of budburst–the point when the buds have opened and leaves are visible. After budburst, participants continue to observe the tree or flower for later events, such as seed dispersal. When participants submit their records online, they can view maps of these phenophases across the United States.
Den, 37, said he’s watching the white pine, for example, for the first needles, first pollination and first pine cones. He joked that he should be watching the common dandelion, another of the options on the list. Because this is the first year Den has been involved, he didn’t have a comparison to previous years and hasn’t been recording any of the phases on his own. An information technology employee at ADM in Cedar Rapids, Den said he isn’t a “jotter” like me, but he is a data person. And that’s where he sees the importance of the project, especially when it comes to global warming. “I’m not into it for the politics of climate change,” he said. “In my mind the jury is still out on that. With the data, you get a clearer picture.”
Here is more about Project BudBurst from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research:
The science of phenology, or tracking cyclic behavior among plants and animals, has a distinguished history. For centuries farmers, naturalists, and scientists have kept careful records of the phenology patterns of plants and animals. Farmers have long used their phenology knowledge to predict the best time for planting and harvesting crops and when to start expecting problems with insect pests. Numerous plant and animal species throughout the world are being affected by climate change. Some plants respond to warmer temperatures by extending their growing seasons. Others shift their ranges toward the poles or to higher elevations.
At the same time, many insects breed and disperse based on regular cycles of sunlight rather than temperature. This can cause a mismatch between the behavior of pollinating insects, such as bees, and flowers that bloom earlier than the insects expect. Such asynchronous behavior has already been noted across many parts of the world.
Researchers have already found some interesting comparisons from the last two years. In 2008, for example, forsythia in Chicago opened their first flowers from April 17 to 19—almost a week earlier than the 2007 flowering dates of April 23 to 25. In Wadsworth, Ohio, flowering dogwood reached full bloom on May 8, 2008, which was two weeks earlier than in 2007. They warned, however, that results about global warming couldn’t be drawn from just two years of data. Scientists will have to analyze observations for many years in order to distinguish the effects of long-term climate trends from year-to-year variations in weather.
Project BudBurst is funded by the U.S. Geological Survey, National Ecological Observatory Network, National Geographic Education Foundation, and U.S. Forest Service. The USA National Phenology Network is one of Project BudBurst’s partners. The project is also supported by the National Science Foundation and is hosted on Windows to the Universe, a UCAR-based educational website.
Den with his trees in Marion, Iowa
April 30, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged art and culture tour, Big Green Summer, Brucemore, byway, Cedar Rapids, daylily, Environmental Film Festival, events, Fairfield, Friends of Hickory Hill, gardening, Grant Wood, greenhouse, Hiawatha, Indian Creek Nature Center, Iowa, Iowa City, iris, landfill, Marion, Master Gardeners, May, Noelridge Park, plant sales, prairiewoods, Project GREEN, solar workshop, urban permaculture, Wanda Lunn, Wickiup Hill
Following are gardening/environmental events scheduled in Eastern Iowa for May 2009. If you know of others, send an email to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
Friday, May 1, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Ton of Fun Earth Day celebration and re-opening of SWAP shop, Cedar Rapids/Linn County landfill, 1954 County Home Road, Marion, includes “dumpster dive” for customers dropping off items that shows what people would have thrown away without environmental intervention. See: http://www.solidwasteagency.org/
Friday, May 1, 7 p.m., Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha, Farm Sanctuary President and co-founder Gene Baur, discusses his work and national best-selling book, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds about Animals and Food. He will provide firsthand accounts of conditions on today’s farms, outline efforts to combat the current system, and put forward a vision for a healthier and more sustainable food system. For more information, visit www.genebaur.org or call Prairiewoods at (319) 395.6700. Fee: $10. His book will be available at Prairiewoods prior to and on the day of the event. See: www.prairiewoods.org
Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Solar Energy Worshop, Prairiewoods. Dennis Pottratz, Iowa’s first nationally certified photovoltaic installer, will lead hands-on workshop. Fee: $250, includes lunch each day. NOTE: This has been postponed. See: www.prairiewoods.org
Saturday, May 2, 9 a.m. to noon, Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids, Guild’s annual spring plant sale with wildflowers, prairie grasses, perennials, garden art and more. See: http://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/
Sunday, May 3, 2 p.m., Celebrating Land and People, Indian Creek Nature Center dedication of 28-acre woodland at NW corner of 44th Street and Otis Rd SE. Call (319) 362-0664 to register for this free event.
Sunday, May 3, 2-4 p.m., Iowa City Environmental Film Festival, Iowa City Public Library, 123 South Linn St., Food Not Lawns will host a screening of The Future of Food The film offers an in-depth investigation into the genetically engineered foods that are quietly filling U.S. grocery store shelves. David Cavagnaro, photographer and board member of Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, will present additional insights into this trend toward the globalization of our food system. Backyard Abundance is hosting a community seed swap after the screening at 4 pm. Bring seeds, if you have some to spare. Vegetable, herb and prairie seeds will all be available. See: http://www.backyardabundance.org/eventCurr.aspx?id=25
Monday, May 4, 3:30 p.m., Squaw Creek Park near Marion. Volunteers will help Trees Forever and the Linn County Conservation Board plant 100 oak trees as part of National County Government Week. Another 100 trees will be potted up by volunteers for use in replanting flood-stricken areas of Cedar Rapids and Linn County. Supervisors Lu Barron and Brent Oleson will speak at the event, along with Shannon Ramsay, Founding President of Trees Forever, who will address the importance of trees, wetlands and prairies. The oak trees were donated to Trees Forever by IA-WIS-IL Nursery from Cascade. Members of the Cedar Rapids Green Iowa AmeriCorps team helped dig the trees and will be at the event. For more information: call 1-800-369-1269, or see: www.TreesForever.org
Tuesday, May 5, 7 p.m., Secrets of the Bearded Iris, Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center near Toddville. The Linn County Conservation Department is hosting a program led by Wanda Lunn, who grows over 300 bearded iris in her Cedar Rapids garden. Her garden is one of only 40 registered Historic Iris Preservation Gardens in the United States. Wanda will share the varied types and colors of bearded iris as well as secrets to growing them well in Iowa. Cost is $2.50/adult, $1/child or $5/family. Call (319) 892-6450 or (319) 892-6485.
Saturday, May 9
- 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Cedar Rapids Garden Club, Plant & Garden Sale, CornerHouse Gallery & Frame, 2753 First Ave. SE, annuals and perennials specially grown for you by Piersons Florist, Occasions Florist and Fairfax Nursery, as well as Garden Club members, designer patio-ready pots, herbs, heirloom tomatoes, new and gently used garden items, recipes, and exciting presentations. Proceeds will go to support community beautification projects.
- 9 a.m., Cedar Valley Iris & Daylily Society annual spring sale, Penn Meadows Park Gazebo, North Liberty. Named cultivars available, mostly $4-$10. Proceeds used to purchase plants for future sales. See: http://www.cvids.org/May2009Sale.html
- 9 a.m. to noon, Brucemore Plant Sale, 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, features a wide array of perennials and annual plants from Brucemore’s greenhouse. Back by popular demand, the Brucemore gardeners have prepared a variety of topiaries and hanging baskets. Plant sale prices range from $3 to $15, with all proceeds benefiting garden and landscape restoration projects at Brucemore. The garden staff will be on hand to provide their expert advice on the selection, placement and care of plants. Also, step inside the Brucemore Museum Store where a variety of garden books and merchandise will be available for purchase. Call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org
- 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Project GREEN garden fair, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City. Sale of assortment of trees, shrubs, vines, and sunny and shade perennials, plus local experts will be available to answer garden questions including Mark Vitosh, DNR forester; Terry Robinson, Iowa City forester; Tim Thompson, DNR wildlife biologist; Jim Scheib, member of Eastern Iowa Bird Watch; Master Gardeners of Johnson County; a garlic mustard specialist; and Jennifer Jordan, the IC recycling coordinator, who will be available for information and questions relating to the IC Community Compost program. See: http://www.projectgreen.org/gardenfair.htm
Sunday, May 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Noelridge Park Greenhouse open house, Cedar Rapids, will include sale of hanging flower baskets for $20/$30 and $40 as a fundraiser, plus gardening book sale. Also information from Neighbor to Neighbor Sharing Plants, bee keepers, Eastern Iowa Bonsai Society, Butterfliz of Iowa, bookmark making and the Indian Creek Nature Center.
Monday, May 11, noon to 1 p.m., Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. Environmental luncheon on heirloom seeds. $10 for meal. See: www.prairiewoods.org
Thursday, May 14, 6-8 p.m., Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. Exploring Wild Edibles, $6/person or $10/family. Bring a small container to collect plants. See: www.prairiewoods.org
Friday, May 15, 4-7 p.m. and Saturday, May 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Annual Friends of Hickory Hill Park plant sale, backyard at 1167 E. Jefferson St., Iowa City. Plant donations needed, as well as help before and during sale. Sale will include perennials including coneflowers, phlox, daylilies, asters, daisies, hostas, Lily of the Valley, wild ginger, celadine poppy, herbs and groundcovers as well as native plants. Some house plants may be included. For more information or to volunteer, call Joan at 319-338-5331.
Saturday, May 16, 8 a.m. to noon, Linn County Extension parking lot, 3279 Seventh Ave., Marion, Linn County Master Gardeners plant sale, featuring many kinds of perennials (both for sun and or shade), and many varieties of hosta and daylilies, also wildflowers, groundcovers, ornamental grasses, annuals and more. Plants come from Master Gardeners’ gardens, where they were carefully dug and potted, and tenderly taken care of until the sale. Master Gardeners will help you choose the plants just right for you and Plant Doctors will answer your gardening questions. New this year will be a container potting / design service. Bring your own container and the experts will create a beautiful combination of plants for sun or shade. We will have plants available for containers, or bring any of your own you wish to incorporate in the arrangement. See: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/linn/events/
Saturday, May 16, 8 a.m. to noon, Johnson County 4-H Fairgrounds, south side of Iowa City, Johnson County Master Gardeners host a flea market and plant sale, featuring an assortment of annuals, perennials, houseplants, bulbs, tubers and seedlings. There will also be a great assortment of new and previously used lawn, yard and garden tools and equipment. Donated items can be dropped off at the food booth on the fairgrounds Thursday, May 14, or Friday, May 15.
Saturday, May 16, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, May 17, 1-5 p.m., First Annual Grant Wood Scenic Byway Art & Culture Tour. Combines love of art with a scenic drive through Jackson and Jones counties. Get to know the regional art and artists of the Grant Wood Scenic Byway with art galleries, wineries and artists in special locations. See: http://www.iowadot.gov/iowasbyways/index.aspx or contact Linda Muller, (563)652-5104.
Saturday, May 16- Sunday, May 17, Urban permaculture for land, yards and gardens, Prairiewoods. Learn how to begin applying permaculture techniques around your home and in your community. Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable environments. This workshop will include two days of classroom and hands-on experiences. Information and techniques will include ecological patterns, edge, energy flow, zones and sectors, soil, trees, wind breaks and shelter belts, composting, water and landscape, mulch beds and gardening. Instructors are Grover Stock and the staff from Big Green Summer. Fee: $120 for both days, includes a permaculture book and lunch both days. Scholarships are available; reduced rates for more than one person from a family or organization. See: www.prairiewoods.org
Tuesday, May 26 and Thursday, May 28, 6 p.m. or Saturday, May 30, 10:30 a.m., Brucemore’s Historic Landscape Tour, 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids. Experience the passion influential historic landscape architect, O.C. Simonds, had for retaining the natural elements of the land, using native vegetation, and applying his knowledge of nature and artistic principles to achieve his picturesque style. Participants will learn the progression of the Brucemore landscape from 1886 to present, the importance of the estate’s architecture on the landscape, and hear the challenges facing the continuing preservation of the estate. Contact Brucemore at (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org
May 31-June 14, Permaculture Design Certification, BGS Campus, Fairfield. Instructors are Doug Bullock, Lonnie Gamble, Grover Stock, and dozens of guest presenters. Cost is $1,200 if you register by May 1. See: http://www.biggreensummer.org/page/Permaculture+Design+Certification+2009
May 1, 2009
· Filed under Farmers Markets · Tagged Allamakee, Amana, Belle Plaine, casino, cedar, Cedar Rapids, Central City, Coralville, downtown, Dyersville, Eighth Avenue, farmers market, fruits, Greene Square Park, Guttenberg, Harpers Ferry, Hiawatha, Iowa, Iowa City, Kalona, Marion, Mechanicsville, Mount Vernon, Noelridge Park, produce, Riverside, seasonal, sell, Shellsburg, Springville, Sycamore Mall, Toledo, Traer, Urbana, vegetables, Vinton, Washington, Williamsburg, Winneshiek, Youngville Cafe
Following are some of the seasonal farmers markets that operate in Eastern Iowa in 2009. If you have updates to this list, add a comment below, or send an email to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
For more information, see the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Web site at: www.iowaagriculture.gov/iowaProducts.asp
Allamakee County
Allamakee Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays, June 1 through Oct. 5, Allamakee County Fairgrounds, Waukon, contact Teresa Wiemerslage, (563) 568-6345.
Harpers Ferry, 5 to 7 p.m. Fridays, June 5 to Oct. 2, at Bluffview Park, contact Connie Benedict, (563) 586-2297.
Benton County
Belle Plaine Farmers Market, 5 to 7 p.m. Fridays; May 29 through Sept. 25, 13th Street and Sixth Avenue, west of the Pizza Hut, contact Becky Poduska, (641) 489-2107.
Urbana Farmers Market, 9 to 11 a.m. Saturdays, May 23 through Oct. 31, Legion Pavilion on Wood Street, contact Eileen Schmidt, (319) 443-5620.
Shellsburg Farmers Market, 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, May 13 through October 14, city park on Sells Street, contact Joyce Pence, (319) 389-8714.
Vinton Farmers Market, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, June 4 through Sept. 24, BCHS Railroad Depot, 612 Second Ave., contact Duane Randall, (319) 472-4164.
Youngville Cafe Farmers Market, 3:30 to 6 p.m. Fridays, May 29 through Oct 16, junction of highways 30 and 218, contact Richard Grovert, (319) 223-5465.
Cedar County
Cedar County Farmers Market, 7:30 to 11 a.m. Saturdays, May 16 through Oct. 3, south side of the county courthouse in Tipton, contact Yvonne Gregory, (563) 946-3551, or Evelyn Walshire (563) 432-6983.
Mechanicsville Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, May 26 through Sept. 29, on Main Street across from the fire station, contact Linda Coppess, (563) 432-7756, or Evelyn Walshire, (563) 432-6983.
Clayton County
Guttenberg Farmers Market, 8 to 11:30 a.m., Saturdays, May 30 through Sept. 26, 400 S. block of the park in downtown Guttenberg, contact Tara Dykhuizen, (563) 252-2323.
Dubuque County
Dyersville Farmers Market, 2:30 to 6 p.m., Thursdays, May 21 through Oct. 8, Commercial Club Park, contact Karla Thompson, (563) 875-2311.
Iowa County
Amana Farmers Market, 4-8 p.m. Fridays, May 29 through Sept. 4, in midtown Amana. Contact Amana Farmers Market, (319) 551-4464.
Williamsburg Farmers Market, 4 to 7 p.m. Fridays, May 8 through early October, at the northeast corner of the downtown park, contact Elaine Wardenburg, (319) 668-1288.
Johnson County
Coralville Farmers Market, 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, May 4 through Oct. 1, in the parking lot at the Coralville Community Aquatic Center, 1513 Seventh Street, contact Matt Hibbard, (319) 248-1750.
Iowa City Farmers Market, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 7:30 to noon Saturdays, May 2 through Oct. 31, on lower level of Chauncey Swan parking ramp between Washington and College streets, contact Tammy Neumann, (319) 356-5110.
Sycamore Mall Farmers Market, 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, May 5 through Oct 27, in the parking lot at the theater end (west end) of the mall, 1600 Sycamore St., Iowa City, contact Candy Norris, (319) 338-6111.
Linn County
Noelridge Farmers Market in Cedar Rapids, 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, May 1 through Oct. 23, corner of Collins Road and Council Street NE, contact Teresa White, (319) 286-5699.
City parking lot at Eighth Avenue and Second Street SE in Cedar Rapids, 7:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays, (except during the Downtown Markets) and 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays, May 2 through Oct. 24. New Greene Square Park market will be 4-6 p.m. Thursdays from June 11 through Aug. 27, contact Teresa White, (319) 286-5699.
Downtown Farmers Market in Cedar Rapids, 7:30 a.m. to noon on June 6 and 20; July 18; Aug. 1 and 15; Sept. 5 and Oct. 3, contact Jill Wilkins, (319) 398-0449.
Central City Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m. Thursdays, May 21 through Sept. 24, Courtyard Park on South Fifth Street, contact Central City Mainstreet office, (319) 438-1761.
Hiawatha Farmers Market, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, April 19 through Oct. 25, in the Guthridge Park parking lot at 10th Avenue, contact Angie Cole, (319) 393-1515.
Marion Farmers Market, 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays; May 2 through Sept. 26, at the East End Shopping Center, 3375 Seventh Ave., contact Pat Carlson, (319) 377-4846, e-mail pcarlson@cityofmarion.org
Mount Vernon Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m. Thursdays, May 7 through Oct. 8, at Mount Vernon Visitors Center, 311 First St. W, contact David or Mickey Miller, (319) 310-6399.
Springville Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, June 2 through Aug. 25, at Cox Lake Pavilion, contact Lena Gilbert, (319) 854-7097.
Tama County
Toledo Farmers Market, 5 to 7 p.m., Fridays, May 1 through Oct. 30, on the east side of the courthouse square, contact Dawn Kupka, (641) 691-9710.
Traer Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesdays, May 6 through Oct. 28, at the junction of highways 8 and 63 in Traer, contact Marlus Svoboda, (319) 479-2279.
Washington County
Kalona Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, April 25 through mid-October, corner of C Avenue and Fifth Street, Kalona; Laurie Coffman, (319) 656-5252.
Riverside Casino Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 28; July 26, Aug. 30 and Sept. 27, parking lot of Riverside Casino & Golf Resort; contact Jessica Athen, (319) 648-1234, extension 1975.
Washington Farmers Market, 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, May 14 through Oct. 29, at Downtown Central Park at Washington Street and Iowa Avenue; contact Bob Shepherd, (319) 653-4888.
Winneshiek County
Winneshiek Farmers Market, 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays; May 2 through Oct. 31 (no market July 25); at the Municipal parking lot at Heivly Street and Claiborne Drive in Decorah; contact Steve McCarger (563) 382-2451.
May 1, 2009
· Filed under Farmers Markets · Tagged baked goods, Betty Decker, Bob Shepherd, Cedar Rapids, downtown, Duane Randall, Farmers Markets, Hiawatha, Iowa, noelridge, organic, produce, Quinn Pettifer, Vinton, Washington
Perennials for sale by Betty Decker at Hiawatha Farmers Market
As of this afternoon (Friday, May 1, 2009), the Cedar Rapids farmers market season will begin. The schedule apparently has caused some confusion. This might be the reason: There’s the Noelridge Park market, which begins at the same time and place as usual. Then there is the market in the city parking lot on Eighth Avenue SE, which was relocated after last year’s flood and is almost, but not quite the same otherwise as last year, and one in Greene Square Park that replaces one day of the Eighth Avenue markets, but only from June through August. And then there is the large-scale Downtown Farmers Markets, which is only on certain days throughout the season and preempts the Eighth Avenue market on those Saturdays. Pretty simple.
I was at the Hiawatha Farmers Market on Sunday. If you haven’t been to that one, it’s worth your while to go, not only because it’s one of few markets on Sundays, but they offer great produce, plants, baked goods, organic meat and more. That’s where I shot the photo, above, of perennials for sale by Betty Decker, from Decker’s Hobbies in Walker. Look for more photos from the Hiawatha market and a “clip and save” listing of area farmers markets in the Sunday, May 3, Gazette. It’s in the Money section, in its new location behind the sports pages.
You can find all of those markets under the Linn County heading in the farmers market category on this blog, plus many others. New this year is a farmers market in Shellsburg and the Downtown Farmers Market in Cedar Rapids (the big one that’s just on certain days) has some new additions, too. This is from Quinn Pettifer, from the Cedar Rapids Downtown District:
New features this season include open mic sessions, a Green Space sponsorship and recycling program, and a pet policy offering guidelines for patrons that bring their pets to the market. The pet policy includes a maximum 4 foot leash requirement, as well as basic health and social interaction guidelines. Another noteworthy addition to this season includes the acceptance of WIC checks by those vendors participating in both the City and Downtown Farmers’ Markets. The WIC approval process was led by Representative Tyler Olson who took the initiative to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey for special approval.
Quinn also notes that 4th Avenue and 5 Seasons Parkades will be free and open to the public, with additional on street parking available. Handicapped accessible parking will be available in the True North Parking lot along 5th Street SE. The market (remember, this is the large, downtown one) will be in a slightly different location than it was last year after the flood. It will be along 3rd and 4th Avenues to include 2nd and 3rd Streets SE and Greene Square Park.
That market is on June 6, June 20, July 18, August 1, August 15, September 5, and October 3. Entertainment for the June 6 market includes Pan-Delirium Steel Drum Band, Theatre Cedar Rapids, MOvMNT, Library Story Time, Iowa Children’s Museum activities, a roaming wine tasting, cooking demonstration, and street entertainment from Mark Brown and Junk Funk.
Bob Shepherd also sent some info (as well as the photo below) about the Washington Farmers Market, which begins Thursday, May 14th: The market starts at 5pm each Thursday evening and closes at 7:30pm. Growers, bakers, and artists set up their displays in downtown Central Park, under the tall shade trees, along the new sidewalks leading to the Memorial Fountain. Vendors number from 20 in the spring to 45 during the summer as produce reaches its peak maturity. We are a certified Iowa Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program market with a number of eligible growers. Starting in June, ‘Thursday Night Live’, offers entertainment from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, local artists including; Catfish Keith, Patrick Hazell, suzuki strings, dance studios and the Richland Old Time String Band to name a few, perform on the Washington Bandstand. The Washington Muni Band follows with rousing concerts from 8pm to 9pm. Such is the usual fare in downtown Washington on Thursday evenings throughout the summer. Special Market events include; the12th annual Smoker/BB-Q/Grill Challenge on the Thursday following Fathers Day June 25th , The 11th annual Tasters’ Choice Salsa Contest will be September 3rd the Thursday before Labor Day.
Duane Randall, Director of Parks & Recreation in Vinton, sent information about the Peal or No Peal night and other fun stuff going on at the Vinton Farmers Market this summer. You can find more info and photos on that market at: www.vprdzone.com
Customers snatch up baked goods at the Washington (Iowa) Farmers Market last summer. Photo by Bob Shepherd
May 4, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Cedar Rapids, Czech museum, Czech Village, elm, find, flood, Forest Mushrooms, grow, Houby Days, Iowa, Jan Stoffer, Kevin Doyle, Minnesota, morel, mushrooms, mycelium, shiitake, spring, St. Joseph, stores, trees, where
Blonde morels/ photo from Forest Mushrooms Inc.
I can finally say I’ve found some morel mushrooms! Actually, I didn’t have to go on a mushroom hunt, as many Iowans do in the spring, though I’d love to find them that way. The ones I saw were spotted at a grocery store in Cedar Rapids. They were selling for $12.99 for a 3.5 ounce package and came from Forest Mushrooms Inc., of St. Joseph, Minn.
Per their Web site: Established in 1985, Forest Mushrooms, Inc. is a Minnesota company engaged in the research, cultivation and distribution of edible specialty mushrooms. They particularly specialize in the production of oyster mushrooms, and more recently, in growing shiitake mushrooms. Their production facilities are located in St. Joseph, MN, 90 miles northwest of Minneapolis. They distribute mushroom products to wholesalers, supermarkets, restaurants and specialty shops. The majority of products are delivered to the Twin Cities area, but they also distribute locally and nationally. See: http://www.forestmushrooms.com/
Here is more that Kevin Doyle, president of Forest Mushrooms, Inc., sent to me about his company and his insight into morels: All morel mushrooms are wild-harvested, not cultivated. There have been many attempts to grow morels, and some occasional successes but nobody has been able to repeat their successes, and thus there are no farms that currently grow morels, to the best of my knowledge. This is because there is a very complicated and interesting relationship between the morel mushroom mycelium (which are the vegetative strands of the fungus that grow underground), and the root hairs of the trees that are host to them. We think that the strands of morel mycelium help the tree to absorb nutrients from the soil, especially minerals, by carrying the minerals through the mycelium and then inserting the mycelium and the nutrients in to the tiny root hairs of the tree roots. The mycelium is much much smaller than the root hairs, and wrap themselves around the root hairs and then penetrate into the root. In turn, the morels likely absorb some carbohydrate (sugars) from the vascular tissue of the tree roots, so they relationship is helpful to both organisms.
However, there are conditions, including but not limited to damage to the tree from fire, Dutch elm disease, wind damage, etc., that cause the morel mushroom mycelium to send strands of mycelium to the fungus where they then produce the specialized reproductive organ that we know as a mushroom. That mushroom then produces spores which are dispersed by the wind and are carried away to start a new colony in another area of the forest, thus propagating the life of the morel fungus. This is an adaptive response that has developed through evolution to help the fungus survive adverse situations or events. The mushroom is just a specialized part of the fungus’ life cycle, but the main act occurs way underground for decades and helps to sustain the trees themselves, thus morel mushrooms and also many other types of mushroom fungus are essential to the health of a sustainableforest ecosystem.
The morels in North America are widespread, though we in the Midwest often think of them as a local phenomenon. In fact, the morel season begins much earlier in almost every other area of the country than it does in the upper Midwest, due to the milder climates and earlier onset of Spring in other regions. In the Pacific Northwest the morel season begins in late March, and can actually continue right on into early August in the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains. In Minnesota, where our business is located, we are used to seeing morels during the second half of May, typically. I would imagine in your region it is the beginning of May most commonly.
During the milder and earlier Springs we were having a few years ago, the season began a bit earlier. The season is triggered by the combination of adequate soil moisture and enough sunny days and warm temperatures to warm up the soil adequately to spur the growth of the mushrooms. There have been years when the moisture is there, but the temperatures are too chilly, and by the time the mushrooms come up as temperatures warm up, the grass and small plants in the forest have already sprung up and obscure the mushrooms from view, so people think there is no mushroom season, when actually we just can’t find them under the forest floor cover!
The morels you saw are blonde-colored morels from the western slope of
Packaged mushrooms from Forest Mushrooms, Inc.
the Rocky Mountains in Oregon. These are the best morels in the country at this time, for flavor, appearance, and shelf life. They are also similar in appearance to the mushrooms that we commonly see in the Midwest. Later in the Spring there are several other varieties that grow in abundance in the Pacific Northwest, including “fire morels” (also called “burns”), which grow in huge numbers on the sites of last season’s forest fires. These burn morels are smaller, not as thick, and have a conical shape. Another morel commonly harvested commercially in the mountains is simply called a “natural” and is shaped more like a golf-ball, without the conical shape and more rounded, with a thicker shell. (All true morels are hollow inside.) The latest morelspecies to fruit in the Rockies is called the “grey morel” and can also grow on fire sites. It is the largest morel in the country, grey in color, thick walled, and has a great shelf life for transport to market. All of these morels are also dried, often on-site, or in large gas-fired driers, for preservation and enjoyment in the off-months.
Forest Mushrooms flies in morels, as well as many other wild-harvested mushrooms, every few days all year around. We inspect and sort them, and then market them to both the foodservice and grocery store markets. We are licensed as “Wild Mushroom Experts” by the State of Minnesota, which is required for the commercial handling and sale of wild-harvested mushrooms. Any establishment in Minnesota that sells wild-harvested mushrooms of any type, including morels, to the public, needs to be able to show that they were obtained through a state-licensed Wild Mushroom Expert.
I do not know whether Iowa has any such requirement, since this varies from state to state. But it does provide a measure of food safety and confidence for chains when they chose to carry these products.
FYI, Forest Mushrooms, Inc. has been in operation since 1985, and we specialize in growing oyster and shiitake mushrooms (about 3000 lbs/wk, all year aound) and in distributing all other specialty mushrooms, fresh, dried and frozen, both cultivated and wild-harvested. We also have a full line of organic fresh mushrooms for both foodservice and grocery customers. We do NOT sell to the public directly, but are strictly growers and wholesale suppliers.
Back to Cindy:
The annual Czech Village Houby Days celebrates the mushroom (houby is the Czech word for mushroom) and I’ve heard they might go back to using morels in their breakfast!! About half of the businesses in Czech Village have returned since the flood and more are hoping to come back in time for the celebration on May 15-17. Below is a photo of Jan Stoffer, of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, giving a tour of Czech Village to students from McKinley Middle School last month.
Jan Stoffer leads tour of Czech Village for McKinley students.
May 5, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged auto industry, car, cash, clunkers, energy independence, fuel efficient, hybrid, Nancy Pelosi, truck
Here’s something to watch if you’re looking for a more fuel efficient car that’s better for the environment. This is from the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement regarding the White House and the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s agreement on a “cash for clunkers” proposal that will provide incentives for Americans to trade in older vehicles for more fuel efficient for cars and trucks:
“’Cash for clunkers’ is a common-sense proposal that will help provide a shot in the arm for the American auto industry at a crucial time for our economy, reduce the emissions that cause climate change, and make America more energy independent. By helping Americans trade in their old, less fuel efficient cars and trucks for newer, higher mileage vehicles, consumers will save money at the pump, help protect our planet, and create and save jobs for American auto workers.
“I congratulate Chairman Waxman, Chairman Emeritus Dingell, Chairman Markey and the Obama Administration for working hard to arrive at this agreement, as well as the many strong proponents of this legislation, including Congressman Inslee, Congressman Israel, and Congresswoman Sutton. I look forward to working with them and with the Senate to pass this critical job-creating, energy independence legislation through the Congress so that we can send it to President Obama’s desk for his signature.”
Back to Cindy: I hastily posted this today, with questions both nagging and selfish swirling in my thoughts. Nagging, because to me, buying new isn’t always the environmentally friendly route and selfish being – would my little 2001 Nissan qualify?
The Detroit Free Press: www.freep.com
spells it out in greater detail. Hopefully, all those old vehicles traded in could be resold, but I think a higher fuel efficiency is warranted on the new vehicles and environment aside, should our tax dollars really be subsidizing someone’s new car purchase? That question will continue to nag.
May 6, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts, Gardening events · Tagged blooming bushes, bulbs, Cedar Rapids, dwarf bearded, image, Iowa, iris, open house, perennials, photo, shade, spring, sun, tall, Wanda Lunn
Iris grow beneath a statue in Wanda Lunn's gardens in 2008/ Cindy Hadish photo
I had the opportunity last year to visit the beautiful iris gardens of Wanda Lunn in Cedar Rapids. Wanda had 400 visitors in two days last spring and let me know that her gardens will again be open for viewing. If you get the chance, visit her home at 526 Bezdek Dr. NW from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 9, 2009, to see dwarf bearded iris, blooming shade perennials, blooming bushes and spring bulbs in bloom.
The gardens will also be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31, when 300 tall bearded iris should be in bloom. Wanda noted that instructions on planting, care and identification will be available each day.
May 7, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged annuals, Claire Smith, color, compost, deadhead, die, dirt, garden, how much, Linn County, master gardener, mulch, mulching, perennials, water
The following is from Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:
It’s a good news, bad news thing. Annuals provide long-lasting color throughout the summer. Then they die.
Perennials, while often providing dramatic color and impression, also often hold blooms for only a short time. So, mix annuals with perennials. Tuck annuals in and around trees and shrubs for a surprise splash of color. Use annuals in a container combining colors and textures. Try some annuals in your vegetable garden.
Plan, plan, plan. Think about what you’re doing. Starting small works. Remember when it’s 110’ in the shade in August, you may not want to be tending to an entire back yard of flowers. But, make an impact. Down by the road I have a 1’ x 60’ group of plantings that I never have gotten right. The perennials keep coming up, but there just isn’t any emotion. Maybe expanding it with a serpentine arrangement will help. Annuals will be the option until I decide how I want it to ultimately evolve.
Color counts. Create mood and interest with color. Cool colors like greens, blues and violets help a small area seem larger and hot spots cooler. Warm colors, the oranges, reds, and yellows, will warm a location and steal the show. Go ahead: combine warm and cool contrasting colors. Yellow and blue are stunning together; red and green eye catching. Use your imagination. If you have a very favorite color, create a monochromatic garden but keep interest by varying textures.
Choose the right plants. Annuals that require deadheading and staking may not be your cup of tea. Reading the label is critical to know proper care.
Annuals require one inch of water each week. When you can see four leaves on each plant, add mulch. Mulch impedes weed growth and helps retain moisture. Compost is a wonderful amendment.
Visit your favorite garden center. Ask lots of questions. Visit your neighbors’ gardens. Ask lots of questions. Dig in the dirt and then enjoy what you’ve created.
May 8, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged April, average, Bonifac, cabbage, cucumbers, Czech, frost, garden, Iowa, last, late, legend, May, Pankrac, peas, plant, potatoes, Servac, squash, tender plants, three frozen kings, Three Kings, tomatoes, vegetable, when
When it was sunny and 80 degrees for a brief day or two in April, I heard from several people asking if they should go ahead and plant their gardens. In Iowa, that’s fine for many vegetables, such as cabbage, peas and potatoes, but I warned them to hold off on the tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and other tender plants. Those plants might actually have been OK during the past couple weeks, as it’s stayed fairly warm, so gardeners who took a gamble will be ahead of the game. But old-school gardeners often heed the warning of the Three Kings.
This is something that I ran last year on this blog, but as it’s often asked, here’s what I’ve been told about the legend of the Three Kings:
The Three Kings, or Three Frozen Kings, is a Czech legend that serves as a warning to protect tender plants against a possible late frost. In one of various forms, the story says the three kings or saints (Pankrac on May 12, Servac on May 13 and Bonifac on May 14) were frozen when the temperature dropped while they were fishing at sea.
On May 15, St. Zofie came along with a kettle of hot water to thaw out the three frozen kings.
Since Czech immigrants found Iowa similar to their home country, those traditions carried over, and, whether or not the story makes sense, it seems sensible in many years to heed the Three Kings warning.
Knowing the last average frost date for your area can also help. That date can vary, however, depending on the source. I’ve seen that in northeast Iowa, the last average frost date is May 10. East-central Iowa is April 30, and southeast Iowa is April 20. Those might seem early in some years, but look accurate for 2009.
A U.S. Climatography report placed northern Iowa, around Decorah, with a last average frost date of May 26; central Iowa, around the Cedar Rapids area, at May 13 and southern Iowa, around Ottumwa, at May 3.
Climatologists say the average can vary, even within the same county. The last frost date might be a week later in low-lying areas or a week earlier on hilltops. Because the frost date is only an average, your safest bet might be to heed the Three Kings warning and wait until May 15 to set out those tender plants.
May 10, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged bed, Cedar Rapids, daffodils, deer, deter, don't eat, Dorothy Hingtgen, flowers, Gazette, Grand Duke, Greenland, Iowa, Liz Martin, Milorganite, photo, tulips
Dorothy Hingtgen and her tulip beds in northeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Cindy Hadish photo)
The three things tulips don’t like are hot weather, hard, sideways wind and hail, according to “tulip lady” Dorothy Hingtgen, who lives in northeast Cedar Rapids.
I had a fun time interviewing this witty woman for a story for the Sunday, May 10, Gazette. Dorothy digs up more than 300 tulip bulbs every year with her husband, Dan, and is as much of an expert as I’ve met on tulips. So I felt a boost when I told her about my favorite Greenland tulips, a gorgeous pink flower brushed with green. They were beautiful the first year I planted them, but didn’t return the second. I tried again, and once more, exquisite blooms, followed by nothing the next year. Greenlands are labeled for zones 3-8, so they should be fine in Iowa, but the same results happened for Dorothy with those bulbs. I might take her advice and try something orange this fall, which she describes as the most reliable tulips.
Grand Duke tulips
A tip for homeowners with voracious deer: Dorothy uses Milorganite, an organic fertilizer. She says the smell deters deer. Further deer advice can be seen in one bed to the side of her yard that didn’t have any tulips, but was filled with bright daffodils. Deer leave daffodils alone, she noted.
Gazette photographer Liz Martin shooting at Dorothy Hingtgen's home. (Cindy Hadish photo)
May 11, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Bob Loyd, books, Cedar Rapids, Clipper Turbine Works, Clipper Windpower, Erin Ely, flood, flooding, Frank Cicela, green, Iowa, Iowa City, library, Mary Gates, Nancy Geiger, sustainable
(Left to right) Erin Ely, Nancy Geiger, Bob Loyd and Frank Cicela. Photo from Clipper Windpower
Through a flood relief effort, employees of Clipper Windpower have donated more than 750 “green” books to the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City public libraries.
Clipper employees worldwide, including Clipper Turbine Works in Cedar Rapids, purchased T-shirts with taglines such as “Think Outside The Barrel” and “The Power Of Now” which contributed to the $8,000 in books donated.
This is from Mary Gates, director of Global Communications at Clipper Windpower, Inc.:
The book donation, which will jumpstart the library’s recovery, is a ‘green’ collection focused on various aspects of sustainable living. It replaces the collection lost during the disaster. Topics include gardening, permaculture, renewable energy, green building, ecology, culture, politics, community building, conservation, simple living, sustainable business, and a host of other subjects. The collection will include DVDs and audio CDs, as well as titles for young adults and children.
In making this donation possible, Clipper partnered with the Sustainable Living Coalition, a Iowa based non-profit organization dedicated to implementing innovative solutions for sustainable initiatives. In turn, the Sustainable Living Coalition secured discounted pricing from two book publishers – Chelsea Green and New Society Publishers – on more than 450 titles for the collection.
Among the more well-known titles is a book by Lester R. Brown called Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress & a Civilization in Trouble. In his book, Brown outlines a stabilization plan for the climate without hampering economic progress. A few of the others are the Chelsea Green Guide to Composting, Going Solar, Forest Drinking Water and Lost Language of Plants.
The donation is among Clipper’s continuing Cedar Rapids flood relief efforts. Just last year, Clipper matched funds raised by employees, and received donations from friends and suppliers totaling $175,000 in support of the company’s impacted employees and their families.
May 12, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged amend, Cedar Rapids, compost, flood, flooding, how much, Iowa, lawn, Linn County, mulch, mulching, organic, photo, Restore, soil, Solid Waste Agency, Stacie Johnson, top-dressing
Screening equipment and compost piles at the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency's site in southwest Cedar Rapids (Cindy Hadish photo)
Stacie Johnson, compost expert extraordinaire, sent me a note about getting flooded yards back in shape. Stacie, education coordinator for the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency, said owners of flood-damaged homes have been calling the agency about using compost as fill as they begin work on their yards this spring. Last June’s floods wiped out the vegetation of thousands of homes in Eastern Iowa, especially in the Cedar Rapids area. One caller wanted to put compost 4 inches deep on her lawn, but Stacie advises against using compost as fill or topsoil. The grass might sprout, but would have long-term problems growing. Also, it would make a very soft spot in the yard, as compost is mostly organic matter with little mineral content.
The Agency is giving away free compost for Linn County residents and Stacie wants it to be used so it’s most beneficial to these homeowners.
Here is what she says:
Compost is a good source of soil organic matter and shouldn’t be used as you would topsoil. The three compost applications recommended by the Solid Waste Agency are mulching, amending and top-dressing.
Mulching: add one inch of compost as a mulch layer, no need to work in and can be topped off with wood mulch for a formal landscape.
Amending: (most likely the best approach for flood homes) work one to two inches into the top six inches of existing soil.
Top Dressing – spread 1/4 to ½-inch layer of compost over existing lawn; best to aerate before top dressing and reseed after.
A rule of thumb for how much compost is needed to complete a project: square footage x depth x .0031 = cubic yards needed for your soil amendment project.
The agency’s Web site: www.solidwasteagency.org has more information on hours and where you can pick up the compost. The compost is made from the leaves and other natural materials collected in Yardys. It is aged in piles and unwanted materials are removed with a heavy-duty screening machine. The result is rich, dark compost that is great for the soil.
May 13, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged buy fresh, buy local, Clinton, Delaware, directory, Dubuque, farmers, FoodRoutes Network, fruits, Iowa, Jackson, Jone, Limestone Bluffs RC&D, local food, meat, River Bend, seeds, vegetables
The following came from the River Bend Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter about its membership drive:
The River Bend Chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local is seeking members and supporters for its 2009 campaign and directory. This new chapter was formed in 2008 when 34 growers and/or supporters in Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson and Jones Counties produced the River Bend Chapter’s first directory, designed to make connections between consumers and available supplies of locally produced fruits, vegetables and meats.
Copies of the 2008 directory can be obtained from members of the steering committee which include: Joe Wagner, Kris Doll, Steve Swinconos, Steph Chappell, Rose Rohr, Marilyn McCall, and Kris Doll in Jones County, Lori Schnoor in Jackson County, and Jim Keitel in Clinton County. Directories can also be obtained from the Limestone Bluffs RC&D Office in Maquoketa (563-652-5104).
Anyone interested in becoming a member as a producer, restaurant, market, or sponsor should contact a steering committee member above, or call 319-462-3196 Ext. 3 or 563-652-5104. Membership fee is $40 and includes a listing in the 2009 directory for the River Bend Region. Membership form must be received by May 15 in order for the listing to appear in the 2009 directory – 10,000 copies scheduled to be distributed in the six-county area in June.
The Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign is built upon the premise that local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances. In addition, when you buy local food it keeps your food purchase dollars circulating within the local economy and supports family farm producers.
River Bend Chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local is a partner of FoodRoutes Network (FRN), which provides technical support to non-profit organizations working to strengthen regional markets for locally grown foods. Visit www.foodroutes.org to learn how FRN is reintroducing Americans to their food – the seeds from which it grows, the farmers who produce it, and the routes that carry it from the fields to their tables. As a national nonprofit organization, FRN provides communications tools, networking, and resources to organizations working to rebuild local food systems across the country.
May 14, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged anthracnose, ash, beetle, black ash, blotches, Claire Smith, dropping, emerald ash borer, falling, foliage, fungus, green ash, holes, infest, Iowa, leaves, Linn County, Marion, master gardener, plant sale, symptoms, trees, why
Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith, shares the following about anthracnose and Emerald Ash Borer:
Anthracnose - big word, hard to wrap your tongue around. Anthracnose is a common foliage disease of shade trees in Iowa, including the ash tree. Multiple inquiries to the Master Garden Hort-Line this morning were from folks whose ash trees were dropping leaves, an unusual occurrence in the spring. A good guess would indicate that most of those folks were concerned that their wonderful ash tree had become infested with the Emerald Ash Borer. Be aware that experts are seeing if the Emerald Ash Borer has invaded Iowa by crossing the river into the Northeastern portion of the state.
A bit about each of these diseases:
Ash trees can be infested with anthracnose that is caused by a fungus. There are a number of closely related fungi, but each is host specific to the tree it infects. Often symptoms appear serious, but generally the damage caused is minimal and doesn’t seriously affect mature shade trees. Symptoms include tan to black blotches; immature leaves becoming distorted from abnormal leaf expansion; young leaves dying and falling soon after a heavy infection. If a severe infection does occur early in the growing season, the trees may defoliate and then a new set of leaves may emerge. Following are some suggestions to decrease the severity of anthracnose and minimize its impact on your tree’s health:
- Clean up and destroy fallen leaves: use your lawn mower bagger
- Prune the tree to remove diseased branches and properly dispose of them.
- Prune to open the canopy for better air circulation. Fungi relish damp conditions. Pruning is generally not recommended now, but better to prune than lose the tree.
The Emerald Ash Borer prefers Green Ash and Black Ash Trees, but will tackle any ash when the previous two mentioned have all been killed. The borers emerge from early spring to late summer, but evidence may not be visible for up to a year. Signs of infestation are D-shaped holes in the bark of the trunk and branches and shoots growing from the base of the tree which is the most telltale sign. The beetle will effectively girdle the tree.
Following are some suggestions to help reduce infestation and impact of the Emerald Ash Borer:
- Avoid planting ash trees
- Learn the signs and symptoms of the Emerald Ash Borer
- If camping, purchase firewood at or near the campsite but thoroughly inspect firewood prior to purchase
- Do not bring extra firewood home with you.
Maintaining a healthy environment for your trees and plants is of utmost importance. A routine inspection of your yard and garden is necessary. Discuss abnormalities with your local extension service, Master Gardeners, or a reputable garden center. Pictures or actual plant samples are wonderful aids in diagnosing problems.
REMEMBER THE LINN COUNTY MASTER GARDENER PLANT SALE THIS SATURDAY, MAY 16TH FROM 8:00 TO NOON IN THE EXTENSION OFFICE PARKING LOT AT 3279 7TH AVE. IN MARION.
May 16, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged 1918, Ashton Kutcher, bacon, Cindy Hadish, find, Gazette, H1N1 flu, Iowa Department of Public Health, Johan Hultin, morel, mushrooms, pandemic, permafrost, photo, Spanish flu, swine flu, tweet, Twitter
Here’s the deal – I don’t have the time, the ego or the Ashton-Kutcheresque lifestyle to be really great at Twitter. But when one of my sources in my job as health reporter for The Gazette – the Iowa Department of Public Health – announced it would start Tweeting swine flu updates, I had no choice but to jump in and join. (and yes, we now call it H1N1 flu – please no calls from the pork industry – bacon’s yummy!)
So now you can follow me on Twitter, though I cringe saying that, partly because of that ego thing, again, but mostly because I’m a very private person. I won’t be Tweeting about the great things my sons did for me on Mother’s Day or the cool “Life is Good” t-shirt my sister surprised me with (thanks Henna!) or heaven forbid, what I’m making for dinner. Unless it’s these awesome morel mushrooms my new best friend Dave gave to me.
Morel mushrooms from Dave (photo/Cindy Hadish)
So basically, I promise I won’t bore you with the mundane details of my life. On the other hand, in my job as a reporter, I do get to go to beautiful places (including many area gardens this year, I hope) and meet fascinating people (like Dr. Johan Hultin, who dug up bodies in the Alaskan permafrost to decode the origins of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic: see The Gazette this weekend.) So, if that’s the type of Tweet tidbit that’s interesting to you, look me up on Twitter.
May 16, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Cedar Rapids, Central College, contest, cover, Czech Village, Donald Huffman, find, frost, grow, Houby Days, Iowa, Iowa State University, ISU, largest, Lois Tiffany, morel, mushrooms, plants, smallest, unusual, warning, winners
Meteorologists might call it a frost advisory, but here’s my warning: if you’ve planted tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers or other plants that might be susceptible to frost, including annuals in planters, bring them inside (the ones in pots, that is) or use an old sheet or otherwise cover the others. Forecasts call for temps in Eastern Iowa to dip close to freezing both tonight (Sat., May 16) and tomorrow night (Sun., May 17.)
Now, on to more morels. Houby Days is taking place in Czech Village this weekend, a celebration of the mushroom (houby in Czech.) I heard mixed reviews about the morel crop this year, some saying they’re finding hundreds and others saying last summer’s flood messed up this season in Iowa. Among the activities in Czech Village - on 16th Ave. SW in Cedar Rapids and some events across the river, including an egg and houby breakfast – was the annual houby contest, featuring morel mushrooms. Trophies were awarded for the largest, most unusual, smallest and best display. Here are the winners:
Largest morel (10 1/2 inches) from Mike McNeal, Cedar Rapids. (photos/Cindy Hadish)
Skylar Strawn, 11, of Cedar Rapids, with his award winning smallest mushroom, (in the plastic bag, attached to the larger one) which he estimated at 1/2-centimeter.
Butch and Toni Velky of Swisher, with most unusual winner - 6 mushrooms growing together - which they dubbed "Bohemie Six-Pack"
Tom Slade, Solon, and Tyson Gosnell, Shellsburg, carry away their best display award winner, which included at least 250 morels. The two revealed where they found them: "In the woods."
There was no award for cutest display, but Debbie Eickstaedt and Theresa Shaver of Cedar Rapids undoubtedly would have won with this fawn.
Looks like the weather was right for these morels, which are actually carved out of pine wood by Ron Takes (in tan jacket) and Tom Brislawn of Troy Mills.
Finally, if you want to know even more about morels, my brother, Gregg, passed along the following link to a paper by Lois Tiffany of Iowa State University and Donald Huffman of Central College: http://amcbt.indstate.edu/volume_27/v27-4p3-11.pdf
May 18, 2009
· Filed under Your photos · Tagged Anamosa, Ayden, Carrie Gralund, Iowa, morel, mushroom, photo
Morel mushroom find
Carrie Gralund of Anamosa sent in this photo of her son, Ayden, age 5. “We were mushroom hunting on Sunday and found only one. Our son was pretty pleased,” Carrie said.
May 19, 2009
· Filed under Your questions · Tagged answers, Cedar Rapids, compost, gardening, grass, heavy, Iowa, lawn, mud, native, questions, rain, S.E.E.D
Homegrown readers are sending in their questions. Does anyone have answers for these two?
Jody from Cedar Rapids sent in the first one:
Hi Cindy – I love your site:) I live in C.R. and I have a question – where do I go to find native lawn grass mix?? I have a new very large area to seed! Thanks!
Dikkie Schoggen asked the following:
Rains daily for months has turned the compost pile into dead weight mud. We have composted for over thirty years and never had anything like this. How to rescue the mud and return it to useable compost?
I thought the answer for Dikkie could be working brown material, such as dry leaves, into the compost pile. Any other suggestions? And does anyone know where Jody might find a native lawn grass mix in the Cedar Rapids area? And what might that be??
Please answer in a comment below. If you have other gardening questions, you can ask those in a comment, as well.
May 21, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged annuals, beans, cherry tomato, Claire Smith, daylillies, garden, germinate, horse manure, hosta, iris, Linn County, master gardener, mulch, perennials, plant, seeds, soil, water
The following is by Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith: My daughter’s garden is going to amount to a hill of beans. Her first family garden last year was so much fun that they planted another. Michelle dug a hole for a tomato and as she picked up the plant, two year old Charlie dumped a half package of green beans in the hole and then proceeded to cover the seeds with his yellow plastic rake, “Back and forth, Gramma, back and forth”. No problem, we’ll just use a trellis and enjoy Charlie and his beanstalk. Catie was a big help, too. She labeled a stake for both ends of the rows so we’ll be sure to know what we planted. FYI, the rows are all of ten feet long. Watering the seeds daily until they germinate hasn’t been a problem as long as no one minds that Charlie can turn on the spigot and water himself, Catie, and the neighbor’s dog. We’re waiting to mulch the plants until they sprout in an effort to keep Charlie off the rows. With limited garden space, they’re experimenting with a hanging container cherry tomato plant. The container will probably require watering daily, allowing the water to run through the container.
Charlie helped us plant Hosta in their back yard this week. The family is renovating the yard so some landscaping is in order. Their home is nestled on a hill surrounded by mature trees. We planted several Hostas between a retaining wall and a tree where they will enjoy speckled sunlight. Hosta prefers a rich organic soil, but they will grow in about anything. We have access to aged horse manure to augment the soil and topped that, of course, with hardwood mulch.
Michelle plans to alternate Day Lilies and Iris in a sunny spot in front of the house. Both are perennials preferring full sun and fertile, well drained soil, but once established will tolerate drought. The latter makes them a good choice for a busy working Mom with two equally busy youngsters.
Annuals will supplement other spaces. Petunias, Snapdragons and Salvia are sun lovers. Impatiens are shade/part shade lovers. All are easy keepers.
Eventually there will be shrubs and other flowering perennials. Michelle and her family are having such a good time experimenting with what works and what doesn’t with both their vegetable and flower gardens. And that’s what gardening should be about: family and fun!
May 22, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged ants, bite, black bugs, bugs, chiggers, copper, emerald ash borer, gnats, insects, Iowa, Japanese beetle, list, mites, mosquito, plants, potato beetle, spring, termites, ticks, top 10, trees, wasps
Japanese beetles
Spring in Iowa is too fleeting. Rare are those 70-degree days with cool nights before the air explodes with humidity and bugs begin their annual invasion. I can look at healthy green potato plants today and know that in a week or so the Colorado potato beetle will begin its defoliation quest. Same is true of the lush rose bushes that succomb ever earlier to the dreaded Japanese beetle, a copper-colored foreign invader.
Because of the devastation they wreak on my plants, the Japanese beetle and potato beetle rank number one and two on my list of “bad bugs.” I was enjoying my backyard garden last night trying to think of others when a mosquito bit my leg. Mosquitoes= #3.
Colorado potato beetle
Here are the others: 4) gnats or whatever those little black bugs are that bite behind the ears. 5) chiggers – not an insect, but larvae of a specific family of mites – the Trombiculidae. If you’ve ever suffered through chigger bites, you’ll know why these are on my list. 6) wasps - I try to leave them alone, but they seem ubiquitous this year and more aggressive – building wherever they take a liking, which includes my back porch and my sons’ club house. 7) ticks – again, not an insect, but my general worry over them keeps me from enjoying the outdoors at times. 8) Ants – luckily we don’t have fire ants like they do in the south, but they’re just a pain when they decide to come in the house. 9) termites – again a general anxiety thing. 10) Emerald ash borer – not here in Iowa yet, but a preemptive disdain for a foreign invader that will someday devastate our ash trees.
Emerald ash borer
What makes your list? I’m sure I’ll think of more, now that our perfect spring days are in the past.
May 24, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged Brucemore, Cedar Rapids, clematis, Deb Engmark, estate, gardener, gardens, historic, history, image, Iowa, landscape architect, Norway spruce, O.C. Simonds, photo, tours
Clematis at Brucemore in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Brucemore photo)
The following is from Deb Engmark, head gardener at the historic Brucemore estate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa:
I am in a constant state of wonder and awe at Brucemore; every direction I turn stimulates the senses. The birds’ twittering in the wisteria vine mingles with a slight scent of early blooming clematis growing along the grape arbor. New growth is making its appearance throughout the gardens, as vividly illustrated by the lime-colored sprouts starkly contrasting against the dark green of existing foliage on the old Norway spruce. Here on the Brucemore grounds, the new and old, past and present are demanding attention, clamoring to be experienced and shared.
In an effort to appease my senses but also to share Brucemore’s role in American landscape history, I am leading a historic landscape tour. Wear walking shoes and bring a water bottle, this tour will cover a lot of ground and encourage discovery of this quiet, park-like space in the middle of Cedar Rapids. Brucemore’s 100 years of Prairie landscape history, paired with the burgeoning spring plants, will make for an inspiring hike. Woven into the trek through the 26 acres of grounds will also be discussion of plants (mostly natives), theories of the original design, Brucemore family stories, and issues pertaining to current preservation and property use.
Brucemore’s Historic Landscape Tour
Tuesday, May 26 & Thursday, May 28 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 30 at 10:30 a.m. at Brucemore, 2160 Linden Drive SE.
Admission is $10 per person and $7 per Brucemore member. Please call (319) 362-7375 to register. See: www.brucemore.org
May 27, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged baby, Cedar Rapids, corn, Dandelion, downtown, Earth Friendly, farmers market, homegrown, organic, photo, products, rattles, reusables
The first Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market of this season will be Saturday, June 6, from 7:30 a.m. to noon and I plan to be there. Stop by the KCRG/Gazette table in Greene Square Park sometime between 9-10 a.m. and say hi! I’d like to hear what you’re interested in reading about on this blog and in The Gazette.
As reporters, we occasionally receive products from companies that we cannot keep. Dandelion Earth Friendly Goods recently sent several items that the eco-conscious readers of this blog might enjoy, so I thought it would be fun to have a drawing. If you stop by our table – remember, just between 9 and 10 a.m. or so – sign up and you could win some of these cute Earth-friendly products.
Here is some information that Dandelion sent:
Dandelion Earth Friendly Goods
At a time when “organic,” “green,” environmentally-friendly,” “renewable” and “sustainable” is a part of our everyday culture, consumers are sincerely moved to help preserve the planet and the health and well-being of their families. With the desire to champion an emerging “green” awareness, Re-Think It, Inc., is launching its collection of Dandelion Earth-Friendly Goods that turns living green into easy living.
Dandelion Earth-Friendly Goods are made entirely using eco-friendly materials and processes, from organic cotton grown without pesticides and chemicals, coloring process and right down to the plant-based fibers used in filling the plush toys. The ReUsables - the divided plates, bowls and utensils – are made from corn, rather than conventional plastics comprised mostly of petroleum.
Stop by the table on June 6 to see these items and let us know what’s on your mind. For more on Dandelion, go to: www.dandelionforbaby.com
May 27, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Aeroroot, Brett Karminski, Cedar Rapids, Clint Landis, co-op, contest, flooding, floods, Floodstock, Fortune battle of corporate bands, Frontier, herbs, Hollywood, Iowa, Kennedy High School, Key Club, Mount Mercy College, natural, Norway, perform, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Steve Krusie, Tracy Tunwall
Aeroroot - Lf. to rt: Steve Krusie, Brett Karminski, Tracy Tunwall, Clint Landis
UPDATE 6/22/09: Aeroroot was one of four bands to make it from this weekend’s competition in California to the finals at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on Oct. 3.
“It was more humbling than anything else,” lead vocalist Clint Landis, Frontier’s chief marketing officer, said of the outcome.
Aeroroot performed at The Key Club on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, Calif., on Saturday, beating the NBC network’s corporate band and other well-seasoned groups to get to the finals.
“We certainly were the least slick band there,” said lead guitarist Brett Karminski, Frontier’s brand manager. “We kind of felt a little bit out of place. Our only goal was to not mess up and to play as well as we could.”
The band’s raw performance apparently struck a chord with the three judges, who announced Aeroroot as the fourth and last group to make it into the finals.
“We heard, ‘and from Norway, Iowa,’ and that’s all we remember,” Karminski said.
Aeroroot performed the weekend before at Floodstock and the Relay for Life benefit, both in Cedar Rapids. Landis said they will likely take a break, but might do a few more gigs before October’s contest.
Other Aeroroot members are drummer Steve Krusie, Frontier’s director of public relations, and Tracy Tunwall, who plays bass guitar and sings backup vocals. Formerly vice president of human resources for Frontier, Tunwall is now an assistant professor at Mount Mercy College.
Here’s the previous post, before Aeroroot’s competition in California:
Great story here out of Frontier Natural Products Co-op in Norway, Iowa. Aeroroot, a band made up of co-op employees, has made it to the regional semi-finals of the 9th Annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands.
Aeroroot will be playing in Cedar Rapids at Floodstock on June 13, before they leave for the competition in L.A. Drummer Steve Krusie said the band will play the same set at Floodstock as it will for the judging.
If you can’t catch them in Cedar Rapids, you can listen to the band here: http://www.aerorootband.com/listen.htm
Songs they entered in the competition were Voodoo on the Bayou, a cover of Cold Black Night and Dance with Me. Steve, who played in garage bands while a Kennedy High School student in the ’70’s, said all three songs are on the Web site.
Here is more info from Frontier:
Selected as one of 16 corporate bands to compete in regional semi-final events, Aeroroot will perform at The Key Club on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, Calif., on June 20. Formerly the historic Gazarri’s nightclub, the venue earned its fame as the home of future rock and roll stars, including The Doors, Tina Turner and Van Halen.
“To be honest, if we thought we really had a chance, we would have been too nervous to even record our entry,” admits Clint Landis, lead vocalist and Chief Marketing Officer for Frontier Natural Products Co-op, which is located in the rural rolling hills and farm fields of eastern Iowa.
Aeroroot submitted its CD entry to the contest in March. A panel of representatives from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum selected the final 16 bands, which include groups from such corporate giants as NBC, Symantec and Johnson & Johnson. At stake is an opportunity for the band to play in the final competition at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 3, 2009.
Other Aeroroot members include lead guitarist Brett Karminski, Frontier Brand Manager, and Steve Krusie, Director of Public Relations, who plays drums and sings back-up vocals. Tracy Tunwall, formerly Vice President of Human Resources for Frontier – who is now assistant professor at Mount Mercy College – plays bass guitar and also sings back-up vocals.
Based in Norway, Iowa, Frontier Natural Products Co-op is best known for its broad variety of natural and organic products, including culinary herbs, spices, and seasoning mixes; bulk herbs, spices and teas; and pure aromatherapy products.
The name Aeroroot comes from the name of the herb arrowroot, one of the natural products Frontier produces. The spelling was changed as a nod to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Aerosmith. “We considered using lungwort, the name of another herb, but decided the images associated with that weren’t very attractive,” quips Krusie.
Formed five years ago during a lunch break in Frontier’s on-site organic café, Aeroroot intended only to provide entertainment for the annual holiday party. The performance was an overwhelming hit and with encouragement from Frontier employees, the band decided to stay together and began playing for charity functions, including fundraisers for the American Cancer Society and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Before heading to L.A. for the 9th Annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands semifinals, Aeroroot is slated to play its competition music set at 1:00 p.m. on June 13 at the Floodstock Festival in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an outdoor benefit concert to assist in the recovery of the devastating eastern Iowa floods of 2008.
For more information about Frontier Natural Products Co-op, visit www.frontiercoop.com
For more on Aeroroot, see: www.aerorootband.com
The official Facebook page for the competition: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cleveland/FORTUNE-Battle-of-the-Corporate-Bands/48405335963#
May 28, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged chemicals, Claire Smith, coneflowers, danger, dogs, garden, liatris, Linn County, master gardener, mulch, pets, plants, poison, poisonous, scoop, tips, urinate
The following is by Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:
So the kids talked you into getting a dog. But you want to keep your lawn attractive. With planning, it is possible to mix pets and plants. Perhaps container gardening is the answer for your flowers.
If a kennel and run is not in your vision, design a cobblestone or decorative pebble area in an interesting shape with some large rocks then train your dog to use only that area. Good drainage is a necessity. Diluting urine will help eliminate yellow spots in the lawn. Wherever you choose to let the dog urinate, hose that area thoroughly and routinely. Raised beds are functional, easy to work in, and will control urination on the gardens.
Select sturdy plants. Coneflowers and Liatris are good possibilities. One poke from a thorny plant will deter your pet. Barberry Bushes have showy purple, gold or variegated foliage and outstanding fall color. Viburnum flowers in spring and exhibits flashy fall color. Flowering trees will provide above ground level color. If you’re absolutely in love with a fragile looking delicate plant, put it in a hanging basket or an elevated planter. If you plan to use evergreen shrubs, note that squirrels, chipmunks, and other small critters may move in around them creating potential for altercations and injury between the wildlife and your pet.
Puppies are inquisitive, and plants like Hollyberry, English Ivy, and Yews are poisonous. If you question a plant’s toxicity, inquire at your local extension office, Master Gardener Hort. Line (319-447-0647), or your veterinarian before purchasing it.
Whether you’re gardening for pets, wildlife or the environment, it’s a good idea to limit the use of chemicals. A pesticide with a taste attractive to insects may also be attractive to your pet. Read the label directions thoroughly: look for pet safe.
The safest mulch for your pet is leaves and cut grasses. Mow, bag, and use generously. Even if Rover investigates what’s under the mulch, he can’t hurt himself by ingesting a chemical. Plus, you’re not feeding the landfill.
Just as kids need discipline, pets can learn respect for plants and lawns, too. Spend some time and effort learning the ropes together. With effort, and a good pooper-scooper, it is possible for flora and fauna to coexist.
May 29, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Bryan Gotham, dairy, Dave Knipper, disparity, dumping, Farm Aid, farmers, grain, Iowa, Joel Morton, livestock exchange, low, Manchester, milk, prices, rally
No milk dumping, but farmers plan to rally Saturday, May 30, 2009, at the Manchester Livestock Auction over low milk prices. Manchester is about halfway between Dubuque and Waterloo on Highway 20 in northeast Iowa. The site is at 1624 22oth St.
You can see the story here: http://tinyurl.com/md785t
Speakers include:
Joel Morton – Farm Aid (hotline director)
Arden Tewksbury – Pro Ag Manager – will talk about Senate Bill S.889 and how it will solve the problems
John Crabtree – Center for Rural Affairs
Chris Peterson – Iowa Farmers Union
Joel Greeno – president American Raw Milk Producers
Francis Thicke – Dairy Farmer
Bryan Gotham – a New York Dairy Farmer
For more information contact: Dave Knipper at 563-590-1596 or Jerry Harvey at 641-203-4063
May 31, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged anniversary, backyard, bloom, Brucemore, Cedar Rapids, Cedar River, chickens, compost, composting, concert, dandelions, dedication, eco, events, fireflies, flood, garden, Hiawatha, Indian Creek Nature Center, invasive species, Iowa, Iowa City, June, landfill, library, Linn County, Mad City, Marion, master gardener, Nature Rocks, party, prairiewoods, Project AWARE, Rich Patterson, Risa Dotson Eicke, Riverrenaissance, summer solstice, Toddville, trails, walk, wetland, Wickiup Hill
Following are some of the gardening and eco-events in Eastern Iowa in June 2009:
Fri., June 5., 8 p.m., An Evening with Fireflies, Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids. 1 ½ mile walk on grass-surfaced trails. Members, $3; non-members, $5. Children, $1. See: http://indiancreeknaturecenter.org
Sat., June 6, 4:30 p.m., Prairiewoods Garden Party at Mercy Medical Center’s Hallagan Education Center, 701 10th St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Features local wines and artisan cheeses from Kalona; dinner at 6 p.m., silent and live auctions and music. Cost: $35 each or $250 for table of eight. Call (319) 395-6700.
Mon., June 8 – Sat., June 27, RIVERRenaissance, flood anniversary events. See full schedule at: www.downtowncr.org
Tues., June 9 and Thurs., June 11, 6 p.m and Sat., June 13, 9:30 a.m., Brucemore in Bloom, 2160 Linden Drive SE. Wander among the unique flowers and plants as the Brucemore garden staff traces the development of the formal garden from conception to the current design. Learn about Mrs. Douglas’ vision of turning Brucemore into a country estate and prominent Prairie Style landscape architect O.C. Simonds’ involvement in the process. Admission: $10/adult and free to Brucemore members. Call (319) 362-7375 for reservations or register online: www.brucemore.org
Thurs., June 11, 9 a.m., Invasive Species Field Day, Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center, 10260 Morris Hills Rd., Toddville. Learn about non-native invasive plants, typically transplants from distant places, that threaten native habitats in Iowa. Free program, lunch provided. Register by noon June 9 at www.LinnCountyParks.com by clicking on the “Events” area or call (319) 892-6450.
Sat., June 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Linn County Master Gardener garden walk. Explore five diverse Linn County Master Gardener gardens in Cedar Rapids and Marion. Gardens will include ornamental grasses, conifers, vegetables, perennials, containers, ponds and more. Master Gardeners will be at all of the gardens to answer your horticulture-related questions. Admission: $5 per Adult; $10 per Family. Start at any of the five gardens. See: www.extension.iastate.edu/linn/news/Garden+Walk.htm
Sat. June 13, 10 a.m., Forever Green Garden Center, 125 Forevergreen Rd., Coralville, free pond and water feature seminar. Call (319) 626-6770 or e-mail: lucyh@forevergreengrows.com
Sat., June 13, 1 p.m., Wetland dedication and walk, Indian Creek Nature Center. A half-mile walk where the Nature Center and Cargill have restored a forested wetland along the Cedar River. Free. See: http://indiancreeknaturecenter.org
Sat., June 20, 1 p.m., Green and Simple: Greens from the Yard, Indian Creek Nature Center. Join director Rich Patterson to learn how to identify and prepare nettles, dandelions, lambsquarter and other plants for food. Members, $5; non-members, $8; children, $1. See: http://indiancreeknaturecenter.org
Sat., June 20, 6:30-8 p.m., Summer Solstice Celebration, Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Road, Hiawatha. Show appreciation for your dad and the summer season. Join us for a special Father’s Day/Summer Solstice Celebration. The evening will include poetry, prayer, festivities and end the night with a bonfire and s’mores. Free-will offering. Call (319)395-6700 and see: www.prairiewoods.org
Sat., June 20- Sat., June 27, Project AWARE, Volunteer River Cleanup on the Cedar River. See: www.iowaprojectaware.com
Sun., June 21, 7-10 p.m., “Nature Rocks – The Concert,” Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids. A green benefit for the Indian Creek Nature Center and SPT Theatre Company. Featuring Mexican food; chair massages; lessons on recycling and a live music concert by SPT’s Doug Elliott, Gerard Estella, Janelle Lauer, Jane Pini and guest artist Dave Moore. Bring lawn chairs. Tickets are $25 for adults, children 16 and under are free. Call the Nature Center at (319) 362-0664 or pay at the gate. See: www.indiancreeknaturecenter.org
Tues., June 23, 6 p.m., Summer Landscape Hike, Brucemore, 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids. Welcome in summer by joining the Brucemore gardeners on a 90-minute hike that will emphasize the spirit of summer through the sights and sounds of the Brucemore estate. Experience the vivid colors of the formal gardens in full bloom, the lush rose bushes, and the fruits of the orchard while listening to stories of the Brucemore families. Admission is $10.00 per person and $7 per Brucemore member. Registration required. Space is limited, call (319) 362-7375 or register online: www.brucemore.org
Thurs., June 25, 7 p.m., Backyard Composting, Meeting Room A of the Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St. Learn about converting yard and kitchen waste into valuable soil for your yard and garden. Presented by Risa Dotson Eicke, Master Gardener Intern. Information on ECO Iowa City compost bin subsidy will also be available. ECO Iowa City is a grant-funded initiative to improve environmental sustainability in Iowa City. Call (319) 887-6004.
Sat., June 27, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., ECO Iowa City Landfill and Compost Facility tour, 3900 Hebl Ave. SW. Learn about how compost is made on a large scale, the environmental benefits of composting as a waste reduction tool and how you can use compost to improve your yard or gardens. Parking is limited. Register by calling the Library Reference Desk at (319)356 -5200, option 5.
Sun., June 28, 2 p.m., Cedar Rapids screening of “Mad City Chickens,” a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical look at the people who keep urban chickens in their backyards; 79-minute movie followed by discussion, Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE. Admission by donation. For more info: www.tarazod.com/filmsmadchicks.html
If you know of other events, send an email to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com or add a comment below.
June 1, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Bagge, flood, flooding, growers, Hagen's Berry Farm, Heartland Farms, Independence, Iowa, Koehn Berries, Max Hagen, open, Palo, prices, strawberries, Waterloo, West Union, you-pick
Now that Iowa’s largest “you pick” strawberry farm – Hagen’s Berry Farm near Palo – is out of commission for the 2009 season, where else can Eastern Iowans go to pick strawberries?
I found a few growers at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship site: www.agriculture.state.ia.us
But I’m sure there are many not listed.
Here are the hours for some of them. Call ahead, as opening days vary.
Bagge Strawberries near Independence is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays beginning around June 14. Prices are $1.95/pound for pre-picked and $1.20/pound for “you pick.” Call (319) 334-3983.
Heartland Farms near Waterloo is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday, with both “you pick” and pre-picked strawberries. Prices were not set as of last week. Call (319) 232-3779.
Koehn Berries and Produce in West Union is open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sundays. Prices are $2.30/pound for pre-picked and $1.15/pound for “you pick.” Call (563) 422-3716.
Owner Max Hagen asked me to reiterate that Hagen’s Berry Farm near Palo will not have strawberries this year, but expects to return the following season. The fields were flooded last June and although some of the plants survived, Max said the quantity and quality would not be what his customers have come to expect.
June 2, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged bite, black flies, breed, buffalo, bugs, gnats, infestations, insects, larvicide, Linn County Public Health, live, mosquito, swarms, welts, West Nile virus, where
If you’ve spent any time outdoors this spring in Eastern Iowa, you’ve probably seen them. Swarms of black flies –most people call them gnats – that surround their victims in a frenzied cloud.
Bug experts say there’s not much you can do to protect yourself against black flies. The pests come out during the day; while mosquitoes come out toward evening, so you can either lock your doors and stay inside or put up with the huge welts they’ve been known to leave. See story here: http://tinyurl.com/mnqwen
Removing the gnats’ habitat can reduce their population, as well as the number of mosquitoes, which start to appear about the time the gnats die. Linn County Public Health monitors for mosquitoes, which carry risk of diseases such as West Nile virus. Residents can report bad infestations to the health department at (319) 892-6000. Workers are using larvicide to control mosquito larvae in standing water, but the same can’t be used against black flies, which live as larva in fast-moving water such as rivers.
Both insects made my top 10 list of bad bugs: http://cindyha.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/bugged-by-bugs/
What makes your’s?
June 3, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged beetles, black flies, bugs, Claire Smith, deer, deterrent, fence, gnats, ground hogs, Iowa, Linn County, master gardener, moles, rabbits, repellent, trap, traps, worms
Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith, wrote the following: The driver of the car at the stop light next to me looked rather aghast when I broke into a hearty laugh this morning. I guess some radio and TV facts are just meant to be light hearted even though reported in a most serious manner, for example, the obnoxious little black flies that are so prevalent this spring are called buffalo gnats. Do you know why? Because they have a hump in their back. With no disrespect intended to those folks who study insects, that “need-to-know” fact really struck my funny bone.
Not so funny is in the onslaught of beetles again this year. Just a reminder, do not spray edible plants to rid the beetles. Traps seem fairly effective. The traps do attract the little critters in addition to killing them so it is suggested you locate traps at the ends of your property.
The ugly tunnels in your lawn are probably mole trails. Another little known fact is that moles eat more than their own weight in worms daily. Worms are good for the soil. They constantly aerate the earth. Keep the worms; eradicate the moles. The most practical method of eviction is a scissor or harpoon type trap. Locate the active tunnel by tamping down all of the tunnels. Place the trap in the one the mole reopens.
And then there are the garden invaders, the ground hogs, rabbits and raccoons. Probably the best offense against them is a good fence. Hardware cloth or wire mesh should be at least 1½ to 2 ft. tall supported with wood or metal stakes. Bury the fence into the ground a bit or secure it down with landscape pins. Repellents are somewhat effective, but more costly as they need to be reapplied after each heavy rain. You could consider live traps, but the last time we tried live traps, an opossum was smarter than we were. We did capture two cats, though.
And, finally, Oh! Deer! It is best to discourage deer before they become accustomed to the delicacies in your garden or yard. The most reliable deer prevention maintenance is a fence. However, a deer proof fence will be at least eight feet tall which can be a costly venture, be aesthetically unattractive, and possible prohibited by local building codes. Repellents and scare tactics are ineffective as deer ignore them. Try temporary fences around new plants and special plants. Deer may force you to choose plants that are less tasty to them, have an unusual texture, or a strong aroma. Call your local extension office (in Linn County 447-0647) for a list of deer resistant plants. Perhaps impractical in some cases, a good dog will be as efficient as anything else you might try.
June 4, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged beneficial, Cedar Rapids, Dandelion Earth Friendly Goods, Donald Lewis, entomologist, fireflies, images, Indian Creek Nature Center, Iowa, Iowa State University, larva, lightning bugs, nectar, photo, slugs, snails, what eat
An upcoming event at the Indian Creek Nature Center prompted me to call one of our awesome entomologists at Iowa State University. The Nature Center is having a walk at 8 p.m. Friday featuring one of my favorite insects – the lightning bug!
Lightning bug/ David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org
What’s not to love about lightning bugs? They light up dark summer nights with their intermittent flashes and unlike other nighttime bugs, they don’t bite – in fact, they kind of tickle when you catch them. Best of all, in their younger stage, they eat slugs and other pests.
Lightning bug larva/ Gerald J. Lenhard, Louisiana State Univ., Bugwood.org
I wrote about lightning bugs last year after attending a workshop led by ISU entomologist Donald Lewis. Until then, I had no idea that lightning bugs, as larvae, dined on not only slugs, but other insect larvae and snails – a real beneficial beetle! But I’ve had a nagging question since then: what do adult lightning bugs eat? After all, kids catch lightning bugs all the time, put them in a jar, punch holes in the lid and throw some grass inside. So do lightning bugs eat grass??
Probably not, was the answer. Donald Lewis said, if anything, they might occasionally feed on nectar. Some female species of lightning bugs use the signal of a different variety of lightning bug to attract males, and then, well, the male doesn’t become their mate, but their meal! So, that’s what that species eats, but, he said, most adult lightning bugs appear to not eat much of anything.
As an aside, he noted that punching holes in the lid of a jar might be more harmful to lightning bugs than leaving the lid intact and not-too-tight on the jar. Lightning bugs come out at night because they need a certain level of humidity and would basically dry up in the hot summer sun. Punching holes might allow too much air into the jar and also dry out the bugs. Safest bet might be a catch and release method. Get a good look, admire their flashing lights and let them fly free.
Here’s some info about Friday’s (June 5, 2009) walk: An Evening with Fireflies, Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids. 1 ½ mile walk on grass-surfaced trails. Members, $3; non-members, $5. Children, $1. For more details, see: http://indiancreeknaturecenter.org or call (319) 362-0664.
REMINDER: Remember to stop by the Gazette/KCRG tent between 9-10 a.m. Saturday (June 6, 2009) at the Downtown Farmers Market in Cedar Rapids. Sign up for the drawing (rattles, corn-made dishes and other baby items courtesy of Dandelion Earth Friendly Goods) and let me know what you’d like to see on the Homegrown blog and in The Gazette. The tent will be in Greene Square Park, along 4th Avenue, close to the corner along the railroad tracks. See you there!
June 4, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Clayton County, detect, discovered, DNR, Elkader, emerald ash borer, forest, found, infestation, Iowa, Iowa State University, larva, Osborne Center, protect, Robin Pruisner, tips, trees, Wisconsin
An infestation has not been confirmed, but officials are scouting northeast Iowa after an Emerald Ash Borer larva was found. Iowa State University extension sent out tips today (June 5, 2009) on protecting your ash trees. See those tips at the end of the following info that was released Thursday (June 4, 2009) from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship:
ELKADER – Efforts to scout portions of northeast Iowa for the presence of emerald ash borer (EAB) have intensified following the submission of an EAB larva to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The larva was reportedly from Clayton County, however no additional EAB larvae have been found and no signs of infestation have been spotted in the immediate area. As a result, an EAB infestation cannot yet be confirmed.
Ash borer larva/ www.forestryimages.org
The EAB larva was reportedly found in a small sentinel tree at the Osborne Welcome and Nature Center in Clayton County. The tree was established by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources with funding from the U.S. Forest Service.
Officials from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, DNR and Iowa State University Extension have been conducting extensive scouting of the tree and around the Osborne Center this week.
The Osborne Center is located approximately five miles south of Elkader and approximately 60 miles southwest of where an EAB infestation was confirmed in Wisconsin in early April of this year.
Additional experts are returning to the area in the upcoming weeks to place traps in the immediate and surrounding area, during the next one-two weeks, to determine if an EAB infestation is present in the area.
Officials from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa State University Extension will also be hosting two public meetings on Tuesday, June 16th at the Osborne Center about this discover. The officials will meet with timber industry representatives 1:00 p.m. and then host a public meeting for residents that evening at 6:30 p.m.
EAB detection in Iowa was the result of collaborative team members looking for this pest since 2003. From visual surveys, to sentinel trees, to nursery stock inspection, to sawmill/wood processing site visits, and hundreds of educational venues [meetings, phone calls, written correspondence, media interviews, and 1-on-1 conversations], the Iowa EAB team has been working to spread the word about this invasive insect and to protect the state.
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is native to the Orient, and was introduced in the United States near Detroit, Mich. in the 1990s. EAB kills all ash species by larval burrowing under the bark and eating the actively growing layers of the trees.
Emerald Ash Borer
Iowa State University Extension will issue a separate news release providing EAB management recommendations.
The metallic-green adult beetles are a half inch long, and are active from May to August. Signs of EAB infestation include one-eighth inch, D-shaped exit holes in ash tree bark and serpentine tunnels packed with sawdust under the bark. Tree symptoms of an infestation include crown thinning and dieback when first noticed, epicormic sprouting as insect damage progresses, and woodpecker feeding.
“We started our scouting efforts in the park where the larva was reportedly found and are spreading outwards. We have a five-mile radius grid that is going to be thoroughly investigated for any additional signs of EAB,” said Robin Pruisner, State Entomologist with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
If an infestation is ultimately confirmed in Iowa, officials have a plan is in place to help stop the spread of EAB that would include a quarantine prohibiting the movement of hardwood firewood, ash nursery stock, ash timber or any other article that could spread EAB from infested areas.
Clayton County is one of the top producers of forest products in Iowa. The county has an estimated 66 million woodland trees and an estimated 6.6 million ash trees.
EAB has been killing trees of various sizes in neighborhoods and woodlands throughout the Midwest. Ash is one of the most abundant native tree species in North America, and has been heavily planted as a landscape tree in yards and other urban areas. According to the Iowa DNR, Iowa has an estimated 58 million rural ash trees and approximately 30 million more ash trees in urban areas.
The Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team includes officials from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the USDA Forest Service.
The movement of firewood throughout Iowa and to other states poses the greatest threat to quickly spread EAB. Areas currently infested are under federal and state quarantines, but unknowing campers or others who transport firewood can spark an outbreak. As a result, officials are asking Iowans to not move firewood and instead buy wood where they are staying and burn it completely.
To learn more about EAB please visit www.IowaTreePests.com or for additional resources Iowans can visit http://www.iowadnr.gov/forestry/eab/index.html
Ash leaf damage/ Deb McCullough, Michigan State University
From ISU Extension:
AMES, Iowa — The presence and new discovery of emerald ash borer (EAB) in states adjacent to Iowa has increased interest in this exotic, invasive insect and what Iowans can do to protect ash trees (Fraxinus species) on their property.
ISU Extension is collaborating with Iowa state regulatory agencies and local officials to prevent introduction of EAB into Iowa and limit its spread. For a full list of EAB detection and education activities, please visit our website at: www.extension.iastate.edu/pme/EmeraldAshBorer.html
Treatment options to protect ash trees from this destructive pest are available but careful and thoughtful analysis is needed to circumvent spread of false information and excessive and needless use of insecticides. Forest, horticulture, and insect specialists with Iowa State University Extension have developed a guide that outlines your management options against EAB.
The first step for many is confirming that you do have an ash tree. Only ash trees are susceptible to EAB attack, but all species and cultivars of ash trees are at risk.
Second, is the ash tree growing vigorously and in apparent good health? Trees must be healthy and growing for treatments to be effective. Ash trees with mechanical injuries, loose bark, thin canopies, and those growing on poor sites (limited rooting area, compacted soil or other stresses) are not worth treating. If your ash tree looks healthy and is important to your landscape, then preventive treatment options may be considered.
Insecticide control measures against EAB should not be used unless you live within 15 miles of the confirmed EAB infestation. Treatment outside this risk zone is not advised. Protecting ash trees with insecticides is a long-term commitment. Most treatments will need to be reapplied annually or twice per year for an indefinite number of years to protect the tree. With that in mind, most homeowners would be ahead to remove and replace susceptible trees.
Treatment timing is critical and must be matched to insect life cycle. After mid-June treatment is not recommended because it takes time for the systemic insecticide to be distributed within the tree (from 2 – 8 weeks depending on the application method).
Ash tree damage from Emerald Ash Borer/ Mark Shour, ISU Extension
The recommended time of application is early to mid April each year. If the tree is large (more than 16” diameter), a treatment in early fall is also suggested. So the next window for treatment for trees in Iowa would be mid to late September 2009.
A new Iowa State University Extension publication, PM 2084, Emerald Ash Borer Management Options, will be available on June 12. The North Central Region Integrated Pest Management Center’s Insecticide Options for Protecting Ash Trees from EAB was issued in May 2009. Both can be found at www.extension.iastate.edu/pme/EmeraldAshBorer.html
June 5, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged blog, Cedar Rapids, Dandelion Earth Friendly Goods, downtown, farmers market, Gazette, homegrown, Iowa
Remember to stop by the Gazette/KCRG tent between 9-10 a.m. at the Downtown Farmers Market on Saturday (June 6, 2009) in Cedar Rapids.
We’ll be on the 4th Avenue side near the railroad tracks. Sign up for a drawing of cool items from Dandelion Earth Friendly Goods and let me know what you’d like to see on the Homegrown blog and in the Gazette!
June 6, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Cedar Rapids, corn-made, Dandelion Earth Friendly Goods, Debbie Walderbach, downtown, farmers market, Iowa, organic
Debbie Walderbach of Cedar Rapids was the winner of the drawing for
Dandelion Earth -Friendly Goods
organic cotton and corn-made items from Dandelion Earth-Friendly Goods this morning at the Gazette/KCRG tent at the Downtown Farmers Market in Cedar Rapids.
Because several people asked about the products in the drawing, here is the link for Dandelion, where you can find more information: www.dandelionforbaby.com
It was nice meeting everyone who stopped by, even in the rain.
Umbrellas, the must-have accessory for this morning's Downtown Farmers Market in Cedar Rapids/ photo, Cindy Hadish
June 7, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged acreage, Darrell Hennessey, dwarf conifers, flood, garden walk, images, invasive, Iowa, Joanne, Linn County, Marion, Master Gardeners, multiflora rose, photos, when
Darrell and Joanne Hennessey turned a former cow pasture into a breathtaking landscape. Their home in Marion is one of five on the Linn County Master Gardeners Garden Walk, set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 13, 2009. The walk was canceled last year due to the flood. Darrell said the couple battled hip-high weeds and grass when they built their home nearly 20 years ago. Invasive multiflora rose had to be cut out constantly. “It was kind of an uphill battle for awhile,” he said. They still battle deer, with 5-foot-tall plastic snow fence used to protect dwarf conifer and arborvitae in the winter. Soaker hoses are barely visible inside the beds and tags mark most of the plants, so identification is easy.
The acreage is the kind of place where you could spend hours looking at the various flower beds that Darrell has constructed. He’s been spending four to eight hours daily getting ready for Saturday’s garden walk. If you get the chance, check out the Hennessey gardens and others on the tour. I wish we could have visited all five of the gardens. They all sound marvelous. More info and photos are in the Sunday, June 7, issue of The Gazette, and online at: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/linn/news/Garden+Walk.htm
I didn’t get to stay nearly as long as I would have liked, but here is some of what I saw last week when I visited the Hennessey gardens:
Several of the conifers at the Hennessey gardens/ Cindy Hadish photos
Darrell Hennessey takes a break from edging his garden beds to point out a feature of one of his dwarf conifers
Hosta bed and trees at the Hennesseys' Marion acreage
June 8, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged advice, arborist, Cedar Rapids, chemicals, Daniel Gibbons, destructive, Iowa, Japanese beetle, lacy damage, milky spore, pest management, pesticides, predators, resistant, roses, tips, trees
I’ve been keeping a careful watch for Japanese beetles in my garden and enjoying my roses before the pesky beetle begins its annual invasion. The city of Cedar Rapids sent out the following today, (June 8, 2009) which made me wonder if Japanese beetles had already emerged. City arborist Daniel Gibbons, who wrote the article, assured me that he hadn’t seen any. Yet.
Japanese beetles
But, they will arrive, worse in some areas than others. If you haven’t seen this foreign invader yet, be grateful. Whether or not you have, read the following from Daniel Gibbons to learn more:
Japanese beetle has become one of the most destructive and frustrating pests for gardeners, farmers, and green industry professionals. A transplant from Japan during the early 1900’s, Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica Newman) populations have enjoyed explosive growth across the East and Midwest. Damage inflicted by various stages in the beetle’s life cycle can be severe to turf grasses, agricultural crops, and over 300 ornamental trees and landscape plants. The USDA estimated in 2007 that control measures alone cost over $460 million.
Success of the non-native Japanese beetle can be primarily attributed to a lack of natural predators and a supportive climate and food source. Although eradication is not feasible, successful management leading to reduced populations will minimize pest damage. Those who succeed in managing Japanese beetle do so by gaining local cooperation, using an integrated approach to natural and chemical control, and by shrewdly selecting plant material when designing a garden or landscape.
Local cooperation is critical because of Japanese beetle mobility. Despite the best efforts of one property owner, beetles from neighboring yards are usually a significant problem. Success will increase if adjoining neighborhoods and property owners cooperate with sound management techniques.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is simply the use of multiple control techniques to reduce the comprehensive use of pesticides. When properly used, IPM creates a healthy biotic environment in which populations of undesirable pests are reduced over time by the introduction of predatory elements, resistant plants, and targeted use of pesticides when necessary.
Natural predators of Japanese beetle include microscopic nematodes (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora), naturally occurring soil bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis), and the spores of Bacillus popillae (referred to as “Milky Spore”). The success of these and other products can be effective, but depends on adherence to application and storage directions, climatic and soil conditions, and the presence of other pesticides or chemicals which may be harmful to these living organisms. Products such as Milky Spore will become more effective over the span of several years when the bacterium has had time to establish.
Application of pesticides may be used to reduce heavy infestations, but should be performed by competent and trained applicators. Some chemicals may only be used by licensed pesticide applicators. Considerations in choosing insecticides to control Japanese beetle will include application method, seasonal timing, location, type of plant material being protected, and the presence of sensitive environment features such as waterways. Assistance in choosing the latest formulation of pesticide for a particular site may be obtained from local garden shops or government extension agencies.
Finally, avoiding plants and trees that are susceptible to Japanese beetle is the best method to reduce the pest’s impact on a particular landscape or garden. Keeping landscape plants healthy will also increase resistance. The following trees are specifically targeted by Japanese beetle: Linden, Birch, Norway and Japanese maple, pin oak, beech and horse-chestnut. Trees that show resistance to the beetle include hickory, red maple, tulip poplar, dogwood, northern red oak, pine, spruce, arborvitae and hemlock. Resistant herbaceous plant groups include: Columbine, ageratum, coreopsis, coral-bells, showy sedum, hosta, and forget-me-not. Herbaceous plants to avoid in areas where beetle populations are high include: rose, hibiscus, evening primrose, clematis, sunflower, peony, zinnia, asparagus and morning-glory.
Despite recent challenges with Japanese beetle, thoughtful management can reduce the impact to community gardens and landscapes. Education, cooperation and savvy IPM practices will also reduce the impact on our pocketbooks, while promoting a healthy and vibrant growing season.
More information on Japanese beetle may be obtained through the following online sources: “Managing the Japanese Beetle: A Homeowner’s Handbook” http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/content/printable_version/JB3-07.indd.pdf
Iowa State University – Iowa Insect Information Notes http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/node/125
June 10, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged 2008, Cedar Rapids, Cindy Hadish, Czech Village, Dan Geiser, Dave Storey, flooding, floods, Gazette, George Ford, images, Iowa, Joe Hladky, photos, pictures, reporter, Time Check
Watching rising Cedar River from 16th Avenue SW on June 10, 2008. (Cindy Hadish photo)
One year ago is when it all began. On June 10, my sons and I went to Czech Village in Cedar Rapids to see if we could offer any help in sandbagging efforts. We encountered a flurry of activity, even though no one knew exactly what was coming. Later, we offered our help to Kather Alter, a Gazette employee who was evacuating from the Time Check neighborhood.
Looking back, there was so much more I wish we had done. The historic Cedar River flood ended up affecting not only Czech Village, Time Check and other areas abutting the river, but places I never thought would be touched, including my mother’s home. The Gazette, in downtown Cedar Rapids, was also affected, even though we stayed above the floodwaters.
Here are some of the photos I captured during those days in June 2008.
Looking down Third Ave. SE toward Cedar River in downtown Cedar Rapids (Cindy Hadish photo)
Sandbagging at Fourth Avenue and Sixth Street SE (Cindy Hadish photo)
Near Boston Fish at Fifth Street SE (Cindy Hadish photo)
Hospital CEO Tim Charles inside flooded Mercy Medical Center (Cindy Hadish photo)
Dan Geiser, Joe Hladky and George Ford inside a darkened Gazette, cooled, somewhat, by fans (Cindy Hadish photo)
Stream of cars drive through the Wal-Mart parking lot to pick up bottled water (Cindy Hadish photo)
Sandbags in front of Gazette building in downtown Cedar Rapids (Cindy Hadish photo)
Gazette publisher Dave Storey probably regrets agreeing to be in this photo taken on the back dock of The Gazette. Employees had to use portable toilets for weeks because of water restrictions in Cedar Rapids. (Cindy Hadish photo)
To be fair, this is me in the same spot on the Gazette's back dock - no shower for days because of the city's water restrictions.
June 12, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged 16th Avenue, Bessie Dugena, Bozenka's, Cedar Rapids, Cindy Hadish, Cliff Jette, Czech Village, Ernie's, flood, flooding, Gail Naughton, Gazette, images, Iowa, Jan Stoffer, Joens Bros., meat market, Mike Ferguson, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, photo, Polehna's, Sykora Bakery
Photos shot post-flood June 2008. Gazette photographer Cliff Jette and I were allowed to accompany shop owners when they first saw the devastation in Czech Village after the flood. Here is some of what we found:
Polehna's Meat Market was among the businesses hard-hit by the flood. Owner Mike Ferguson decided not to reopen the shop because of overwhelming rebuilding costs. (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Jan Stoffer and Gail Naughton, center, of National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, make their way down 16th Avenue. (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Cliff Jette (right) shooting inside Polehna's. (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Bozenka's Gift Shop, owned by Czech School teacher Bessie Dugena. (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Gail Naughton photographs Babi Buresh Center, next to Sykora Bakery (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Floodwaters remained in front of National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, days after the flood (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Boat jammed behind cross near Joens Bros. Interiors (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Cliff Jette, right, talks to another photographer between Ernie's Avenue Tavern and Sykora Bakery (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Looking up muck-covered 16th Avenue SW, away from the Cedar River (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Sign outside National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (photo, Cindy Hadish)
June 14, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Cedar Rapids, Coralville, dwarf arctic blue willow, flag iris, flood, flooding, flowers, Forever Green, gardens, good for, images, Iowa, landscaping, list, Lucy Hershberger, North Liberty, photos, plants, rain garden
Gazette photographer Brian Ray takes photos of Lucy Hershberger in the rain garden at Forever Green Garden Center near North Liberty (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Our flood anniversary tribute continues with a look at rain gardens. Several people I interviewed for the article in the Sunday, June 14, 2009, Gazette said while rain gardens would not have prevented last year’s devastating floods in Iowa, they could have helped. Lucy Hershberger, co-owner of Forever Green Landscaping & Garden Center in Coralville showed me the well-kept rain garden in front of their site on Forevergreen Road, near North Liberty. Yellow and blue flag iris, native grasses, coneflower, liatris and dwarf arctic blue willow were planted when the rain garden was installed in September. It’s obvious that Hershberger’s enthusiasm goes beyond trying to sell customers on a new fad. She has conducted free seminars on rain gardens for people to learn more and to better take care of their little corner of the environment. Hershberger remembers the interest in rain gardens and rain barrels in the early 1990s, at that time because of costs associated with watering. “Now it’s because of the awareness of stormwater management,” she said. “It’s not cost-driven.”
Blue flag iris
The following list of plants is from Iowa’s Rain Garden Design and Installation Manual Native Plant Favorites for Soils with Good Percolation Rates:
Common Name Height Comments
Blue grama 1-2 ft makes a good border
Bottle gentian 1 ft novel purple flowers
Butterfly milkweed 1-4 ft emerges late spring; no milky sap
Columbine 1-2 ft orange flower stalk may add 1 ft
Culver’s root 3-6 ft can get tall; for moderatley moist soils
Fox sedge 1-3 ft may not tolerate drought
Golden alexander 1-3 ft yellow dill-like flower, mod moist soils
Little bluestem 2 ft nice rusty color all winter
Mountain mint 1-3 ft for moist soils
Nodding onion 1-2 ft for moderately moist soils
Pale purple coneflower 4 ft most overused native; only in S. Iowa
Prairie blazing star 2-5 ft for moist soils
Prairie smoke 1 ft makes a good border
Sideoats grama 2-3 ft red anthers; not as tidy as little bluestem
Silky aster 1-2 ft loved by rabbits
Websites with native plant lists for rain gardens:
• http://prrcd.org/inl/recommended_plants.htm
• http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/runoff/rg/plants/PlantListing.html
June 16, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged Ashley Green, buckeye, Cedar Rapids, champion tree tour, cottonwood, Daniel Gibbons, Douglas fir, Freedom Festival, hackberry, Iowa, Scotch pine, Sycamore, Trees Forever, Ushers Ferry
You only have until Wednesday, June 17, 2009, to register for the Freedom Festival champion tree tour. The tour will be Friday, June 19, from 7-8:30 p.m.
Ashley Green at Trees Forever told me this morning that tour-goers will see the largest trees nominated in Cedar Rapids of the following species: cottonwood; Scotch pine, sycamore, yellow buckeye, Douglas fir and hackberry.
You can learn about these giants from Cedar Rapids City Arborist Daniel Gibbins, Trees Forever staff and tree owners. This is a great activity for tree lovers or those who just want to spend a summer evening discovering some of Cedar Rapids’ natural treasures.
Here’s the info from Trees Forever:
Meeting Location: Ushers Ferry Historic Village, 5925 Seminole Valley Trail NE, Cedar Rapids
Dress: Please dress for the weather- will be going outside unless there is lightning.
Transportation: The first 10 registrants can ride in a van with the tree experts. Additional tour participants can car pool in their own vehicles.
Cost: Free of charge (though donations to Trees Forever are always welcome)
RSVP: By Wednesday, June 17, online at http://www.treesforever.org/Events/20090619/45/Liberty-Trees-and-Champion-Tree-Tour-Cedar-Rapids-IA.aspx, or with Ashley Green at Trees Forever at (319) 373-0650 ext. 25 or agreen@treesforever.org
Contact on the Day of the Event: call Karen Brook at Trees Forever at (319) 721-4472
June 17, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged Brenda Hackbarth, Cedar Rapids, Federated Garden Clubs, flood, flower show, Iowa, Jackie Strother, Marriott
Organizers of the Federated Garden Clubs of Iowa annual flower show and meeting gave up their hotel space last year for flood victims.
This year, the statewide event returns to Cedar Rapids, on Thursday, June 18, 2009, and Friday, June 19, at the Cedar Rapids Marriott, 1200 Collins Rd. NE. Jackie Strother of Martelle, the group’s persident, selected Cedar Rapids as the site for the annual event last year and decided to give it another try.
Event co-chairwoman Brenda Hackbarth told me that three people will be judging the entries. At least 100 entries will be judged beginning at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The public can view displays from 7-9:30 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday in the hotel’s Rosewood Room. Brenda said there is no admission fee to view the flower show.
For more info, see: http://www.gardencentral.org/iowa/
June 18, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged annuals, bulbs, Claire Smith, creeping charlie, deadheading, fertilizer, flowers, gardening, Linn County, master gardener, perennials, plants, weeding
The following is by Linn County Master Gardener Claire Smith:
Over the road and across the highway to the garden center I go. The car knows the way, never to stray……………….. I told myself I already have enough plants for this year. Can gardening be addictive? Unfortunately I read somewhere that June is the time to walk around the yard looking for bare spots or drab areas that could use a little sprucing up with annuals. And June is still prime time for planting annuals whose duty is to mask those early blooming perennials and waning spring bulbs. I‘m going scoot out of here early in the day, returning quickly and maybe nobody will notice. Morning is the best time to plant anyway, ahead of the hot daytime sun. Nobody will discern me watering the new plantings daily because the hanging baskets get a drink daily and the container plants every other day. My potting soil didn’t have fertilizer in it, so I’m going to try a starter solution of fertilizer when I introduce these new plants into the landscape. The next task is weeding, also a morning chore. It keeps me out of the hot daytime sun. Do you agree that weeding is a bother? Not many folks enjoy it. Pesticides limit weeds but also discourage bees, butterflies and birds. Our Creeping Charlie is so aggressive. Hopefully, a pesticide will slow its pace, but a layer of hardwood mulch is an alternative to commercial weed killers.
Grooming beds certainly dresses them up. Deadheading, – removing fading flowers – improves a plant’s appearance and encourages continual bloom. I bought a pair of good garden shears this spring. They sure make a clean cut. I’ll remove the flower buds or flowering stem back to the first set of leaves.
Participating in an exercise class several times each week keeps my doctor happy, but playing in the dirt is certainly therapeutic. The dog and I and sometimes a cat or two could just spend hours and hours in the gardens. Flower or vegetable gardens each create a soothing no worry-be happy atmosphere.
June 19, 2009
· Filed under ISU extension advice · Tagged control, cultivate, garden, herbicides, hoe, how to, identification, identify, Iowa, mulch, Richard Jauron, weeding, weeds
I’ve driven right past my plot in the city gardens, not recognizing it from what it was a week, or even days before. The rain and heat make the perfect recipe for weed season in Iowa. They grow fast and my combat methods are slower than the tillers many people use.
Richard Jauron, extension horticulturalist at Iowa State University wrote the following about weed control in Iowa:
Weeds are those annoying plants that gardeners love to hate. In the garden, weeds compete with desirable plants for water, nutrients, sunlight and growing space. They also may harbor insects and diseases. Allowed to run rampant in the garden, weeds can drastically reduce yields of fruits and vegetables. in addition, they hinder the performance of annual and perennial flowers.
The first step in weed control is identification of the weed or weeds. The type of weed helps determine the best method of control. The two main types of weeds are annuals and perennials. Annual weeds germinate from seeds, grow, flower, set seed and die within one year. Perennial weeds live for three or more years. Most perennial weeds die back to the ground in fall, but their crowns or roots produce new shoots in spring. Weeds also can be classified as broadleaf weeds or grasses.
There are three general methods of weed control in the home garden: cultivation (hoeing and tilling) and hand pulling, mulches and herbicides.
Cultivation and hand pulling effectively control most annual weeds. Perennial weeds are often more difficult to control. Repeated cultivation is often necessary to destroy some perennial weeds. When cultivating the garden, avoid deep tillage. The roots of many vegetables, fruits and flowers grow near the soil surface. Deep cultivation will cut off some of these roots. Also, deep cultivation will bring deeply buried weed seeds to the soil surface where they can germinate. Hoe or till around plants or between plant rows, and pull weeds close to plants.
To effectively control weeds, cultivation and hand pulling must be done periodically through the growing season. Small weeds are much easier to control than large weeds. It’s also important to destroy the weeds before they have a chance to go to seed.
Mulches control weeds by preventing the germination of annual and perennial weed seeds. Established weeds should be destroyed prior to the application of the mulch. In addition to weed control, mulches help conserve soil moisture, reduce soil erosion, prevent crusting of the soil surface, keep fruits and vegetables clean and may reduce disease problems.
Grass clippings, shredded leaves and weed-free straw are excellent mulches for vegetable gardens and annual flower beds. Apply several inches of these materials in early June after the soil has warmed sufficiently. Plant growth may be slowed if these materials are applied when soil temperatures are still cool in early spring. Grass clippings, shredded leaves and similar materials break down relatively quickly and can be tilled into the soil in fall.
Wood chips and shredded bark are excellent mulches for perennial beds and areas around trees and shrubs. Apply two to four inches of material around landscape plantings. These materials decay slowly and should last a few years. However, it’s often necessary to apply additional material annually to retain the desired depth.
Herbicides can be used to supplement cultivation, hand pulling and mulches. However, several limitations prevent the extensive use of herbicides in the garden. Only a small number of herbicides are available to home gardeners. Additionally, most home gardens contain a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers. No one herbicide can be safely used around all garden and landscape plants. If not applied properly, herbicides may cause unintended damage to fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. Herbicides are pesticides. When using any pesticide, carefully read and follow label directions.
Weeds are a persistent problem for home gardeners. However, weeds can be effectively controlled by cultivation, hand pulling, mulches and (on occasion) herbicides. Persistence is the key. Gardeners need to be as persistent with their weed control efforts as weeds are in coming back again, and again and again.
June 22, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged beetles, bugs, butterfly, control, copper, eat, eating, grapes, Japanese beetle, kill, milkweed, monarch, raspberries, roses, soap, traps, trees, water, wings
They’re back.
Japanese beetles
I spotted the first Japanese beetle of the season yesterday on my raspberry bushes. I went to check one of my rose bushes and sure enough, there was another one, sucking the life out of a beautiful pink bud. Unfortunately, both got away.
The beauty of these copper-colored beetles belies the devastation they wreak. Adult Japanese beetles feed on more than 300 types of plants – turning leaves into lacy skeletons. As larva, the white c-shaped grubs feed on turf grass roots.
I’ve heard some people have luck with the Japanese beetle traps that can be found at garden centers. Others say the traps just lure more beetles into your yard. When I see just a couple of the bugs, I use the squish method, but as they become more numerous, I’ll try to control their numbers with soapy water.
Take a small bucket with water and dish detergent – any kind will probably work – and knock the beetles off the plants into the bucket. The beetles are more active at certain times of day and will fly off. Othertimes, they do a drop and roll, which is the best way to get them to fall into the bucket. Early evening seems to be the time when they are more sluggish and easier to catch that way. Obviously, if you are growing crops that the beetles are attacking, such as grapes (another favorite,) you’re going to need a different method of control. They also favor certain trees, but supposedly they don’t kill the trees as do pests like the emerald ash borer. I also wonder what they will ultimately do to the monarch butterfly population, as Japanese beetles devastate the monarch’s food source, milkweed.
Since they make my top 10 bad bugs list, the Japanese beetle and different control methods can be found in several posts on this blog. Just use the search box at the right to find more from city arborist Daniel Gibbons, master gardeners and others on this foreign invader.
June 23, 2009
· Filed under Your questions · Tagged branches, flower bed, invasive, Iowa, pear, pruning, questions, saplings, seedlings, trees, walnut, Wisconsin
Readers have trees on their minds this month.
Dale, who lives in southeastern Wisconsin, submitted the following question: I have a beautiful Walnut tree but it has been sprouting branches near its
bottom and just does not look right. Can I prune them now ? If so what angle? And should I put something on the exposed ends? Some of the branches are approx. an inch in diameter. I surely don’t want to harm my tree!
Teresa submitted the following: I am in need of help to get rid of the seedlings from my pear tree. I need to know when and how to manage them as I have a flowerbed under my tree. I did not put these in but inherited them from the previous owner. They are a nightmare to deal with. Thank you for your help.
If you have advice for Dale or Teresa, leave a comment below.
June 24, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged blossoms, bouquet, Claire Smith, cut, flowers, fresh, home remedy, how, iris, Linn County, long, master gardener, peonies, preservatives, preserve, scent, temperature, vase, water, wilt
The following is by Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith: Early in the spring we took Mom lilacs. The wonderful scent wafted all the way down the hall in her apartment building. The next week apple blossoms popped out to mix with more lilacs. A bouquet of iris followed a couple of weeks later. Iris don’t exhibit a pungent aroma, but the double blossoms are stunning. Last week we took peonies. There’s no escaping that fragrance! Mom loves having admiring visitors just follow their noses to her living room.
Have you ever picked a bouquet of flowers only to have them wilt within hours? Cut the stem at an angle with a sharp knife or garden scissors. Choose fresh blooms as they’ll last longest. Try a preservative. There are some non-commercial preservatives you can use to maintain healthy and happy blossoms. Flowers need sugar for survival and growth as well as disinfectants to inhibit fungi and bacteria growth. One tablespoon of sugar with ¼ tsp. of bleach mixed in a vase full of water is a good home remedy. ¼ tsp. of citric acid (available in drug stores) per one gallon of water is another option. Keep the vase filled with fresh water. Avoid using chemically softened water or extremely hot or cold water. Shun direct sunlight and direct heat, i.e. keep the vase off the top of the refrigerator and T.V. A challenge at my house is keeping vases away from the cats who view fresh greenery as a delicacy, to be gobbled up and then regurgitated. An upside down plastic berry basket in your bowl or vase will aid in holding the flower arrangement in place if you don’t have a flower frog handy.
Two year old Charlie feels he’s Great Grandma’s designated flower delivery man. Our quest there is keeping the vase upright so we don’t leave a trail of water all the way down the hall. But, no matter how flowers get to their destinations, fresh cut, home grown bouquets are almost as good as a tomato plucked fresh from the vine or a box of chocolate covered cherries.
June 25, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged Backyard Abundance, environmental, food, Fred Meyer, Habitat for Humanity, Iowa City, Jake DeRyke, local, rain barrels, Restore, Toni, tour, trees
Toni and Jake DeRyke home (photo, Backyard Abundance)
Information on the following Backyard Abundance event came from Fred Meyer:
Decades of steady care by Toni and Jake DeRyke, 2101 Muscatine Ave., Iowa City, have led to a peaceful and orderly yard filled with beautiful flowers, tranquil shade gardens and an abundance of food. The yard will be open to view from 3-5 p.m. Saturday (June 27, 2009.)
The DeRykes strive to keep their environmental impact low while also saving money:
- Growing their own food eliminates the carbon dioxide that would otherwise be emitted to transport food to their home.
- Rain barrels capture free rainwater for their garden, reducing the need for energy-intensive purified tap water.
- Steady supplies of low-cost reclaimed building materials are frequently acquired from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
- Trees shade their home, reducing energy bills and providing bird habitat.
Toni and Jake reflect our growing efforts to think globally and act locally; and it does not get more local than your own backyard.
Parking for their event is available on 3rd Avenue, on the west side of their home.
For more information, see: http://www.backyardabundance.org/events.aspx
June 26, 2009
· Filed under Farmers Markets · Tagged buy, casino, Eastern, Farmers Markets, golf resort, Iowa, Iowa City, Jessica Athen, produce, Riverside, Sharon Haselhoff, vegetables, vendors, where
Riverside Casino leaders are betting everyone wins at a new endeavor the casino has launched. Farmers market vendors will be hawking produce, crafts and baked goods in the casino’s parking lot once a month through September.
Veggies and slots might not be synonymous, but public relations director Sharon Haselhoff sees the market as an added draw for people coming to dine, stay or gamble at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort. “It’s just one more thing that we could add to bring people here, for local residents and our guests staying here,” she said.
Vendors — about 40 are slated to be there Sunday, June 28, 2009, — also have another opportunity to sell local products. While most markets charge stall fees, vendors only have to register to sell at the casino. Haselhoff said Sunday was chosen so the market would not compete with those in Iowa City or other nearby communities other days of the week. Riverside does not have a farmers market, she noted.
In addition to this Sunday, markets are scheduled July 26, Aug. 30 and Sept. 27, all from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vendors can contact Jessica Athen at (319) 648-1234, extension 1975, to register for the Riverside Casino farmers market.
For more on this story, see the Saturday, June 27, 2009, edition of The Gazette.
June 28, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged black-legged, deer ticks, how to, Iowa, Lyme disease, removal, symptoms, ticks
Johnson County Public Health is reporting an increase in the tick-borne Lyme disease. Ticks seem to be plentiful this year and it’s important to know what to do to guard againt Lyme disease, which can be debillitating.
Here is some info from the Iowa Department of Public Health and Johnson County Public Health regarding ticks and Lyme disease:
Ticks pose the greatest threat of transmitting infectious organisms when they bite during the nymphal stage of life. Nymphs are most abundant between May and July. Toward the end of summer through fall, ticks mature to adult stage. Adult ticks can transmit infections to humans, but are less likely to do so, according to the department.
Black-legged ticks, or deer ticks, are responsible for transmitting Lyme disease in Iowa. Deer ticks are very small; adults grow to be about 2 millimeters long. Deer ticks alone do not cause Lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by an organism called Borrelia burgdorferi, which live inside some ticks and enter the human body after a tick attaches to the skin. The tick must remain attached for 24 to 48 hours for transmission to occur.
Deer ticks favor a moist, shaded environment, especially areas in wooded, brushy or overgrown grassy habitat. The department recommended frequently checking for ticks and offered the following tips to avoid tick bites:
- Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, and socks when hiking or walking through grassy areas;
- Tuck pant legs inside socks or wear high rubber boots;
- Wear light clothing to see ticks on clothes;
- Wear insect repellent containing DEET when spending time outdoors.
Ticks should be removed using tweezers. Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish or other products. Grasp the tick firmly and as closely to the skin as possible. Pull the tick’s body away from the skin and cleanse the area with an antiseptic.
Symptoms of Lyme disease usually appear within seven to 14 days following a tick bite. People may experience a red, slowly expanding “bull’s eye” rash surrounding the tick bite area. Other symptoms include fatigue, head, neck, and muscle aches, fever and joint pain. If untreated, people can develop arthritis, joint swelling and potentially severe heart and neurological conditions.
June 30, 2009
· Filed under Gardening events · Tagged Backyard Abundance, beds, bees, Cedar Rapids, Central City, Chauncey Swan, class, cooking, damage, daylilies, Decorah, Downtown Farmers Market, Eastern Iowa Pond Society, Eliot Coleman, Fairfax, Friends of Hickory Hill Park, garage sale, garden walk, gardening, Hiawatha, how to, Indian Creek Nature Center, installing, Iowa, Iowa City, Jim Messina, keeping, koi, Larry Dawson, library, lillies, mulch sheet, nature photography, Outdoor Writers Association of America, Paul, photography exhibit, ponds, prairiewoods, Project GREEN, Rich Patterson, Seed Savers, solar, solar oven, toads, tornado, Trees Forever, Ushers Ferry, Wanda Lunn, Westdale Mall, Wickiup Hill, workshop, Zora Ronan
| Following are some of the gardening and eco-events in Eastern Iowa scheduled for July 2009. As always, if you know of other events, add it in a message below, or send an e-mail to: cindy.hadish@gazcomm.com
Wed., July 1, 12:15 p.m. – Gardening program at Cedar Rapids Library’s Bridge facility at Westdale Mall. What better way to enjoy delicious, healthy food and glorious flowers than to plant your own garden? Master gardener Larry Dawson will discuss maintaining bountiful, beautiful gardens. This Brown Bag Briefing program also includes landscaping, fall tree planting, and audience questions. Bring your sack lunch for this 30-minute program. For further information, visit the Library’s website www.crlibrary.org or call 398-5123.
Mon., July 6, 7 p.m. – Ushers Ferry Historic Village, Trees Forever’s rescheduled Liberty Tree and Champion Tree Tour. IF THE WEATHER DOES NOT COOPERATE AGAIN- the Rain-date is scheduled for the next evening July 7, 2009 at 7:00 pm at Ushers Ferry Historic Village. Email agreen@treesforever.org or call (319)373-0650 x 25 with your RSVP. |
Wed. July 8, 7 p.m., Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, FROM MULTIFLORA ROSE TO BLUESTEM: 30 YEARS OF CHANGE: Members-$3; NONMEMBER- $5;VOLUNTEERS –FREE. Rich Patterson has seen much change in his 30 years at the Nature Center. The landscape has changed greatly–for the better–over those years. Join him on a two-mile walk at a leisurely pace to parts of the Nature Center more ecologically healthy because of the dedicated work of Nature Center staff and volunteers. CALL 362-0664 TO REGISTER.
Wed., July 8, 5:30-8 p.m., Funky Garden Art, Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 725 N. Center Point Rd., Hiawatha. Make one-of-a-kind garden art out of odds and ends at the ReStore. Fee: $25. Call (319) 294-1500.
Thurs., July 9, 7-9 p.m., Indian Creek Nature Center, BEGINNING BEE CLASS: SESSION I- MEMBER – $55/SERIES; NONMEMBER – $85/SERIES. This eight session series is designed for individuals serious about starting a beekeeping hobby. The series will take the participant through the annual cycle of beekeeping from establishing a hive to harvesting and marketing the honey produced. The class members will be actively involved in learning activities by working with the hives at the Indian Creek Nature Center. Call 362-0664 to register.
Sat., July 11, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friends of Hickory Hill Park will have a garden walk in Iowa City. The walk benefits the group’s stewardship fund for maintenance and restoration work. Four gardens will be on the tour, plus tornado recovery areas on Hotz and Rochester avenues. Speakers will be at each site to discuss prairie plantings, Backyard Abundance and organic lawn care. Start at 1167 E. Jefferson Street to purchase tickets and pick up a map. Cost is $10 per person or $8 per person if you bike or walk to 1167 Jefferson St. Families are $15. To volunteer or for more information, phone 319-338-5331. To make a donation: Anyone unable to attend the Garden Walk but wishing to make a contribution should make the check out to LEAF and mail it to: LEAF, P.O. Box 1681, Iowa City, IA 52244-1681.
Sat., July 11, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Indian Creek Nature Center’s NATURAL HISTORY WALKING TOUR OF DOWNTOWN CEDAR RAPIDS. MEMBER -$3; NONMEMBER – $5; CHIDREN:$1. Join Indian Creek Nature Center’s naturalist on an urban adventure to investigate the fascinating cultural and natural history of downtown wildlife. Learn about the pre-settlement ecology of the downtown area and how it has changed with urbanization. This 90-minute tour begins at the old Cedar Rapids Public Library parking lot between 5th and 6th Avenues SE on 1st Street. Stroll along the Cedar Lake Trail near the library to discover native plants growing along the Red Cedar River and learn about urban wildlife along streets and buildings as you walk to Greene Square Park and then to return to the library. CALL 362-0664 TO REGISTER.
Sun., July 12, 1-4 p.m., The Fairfax Parks Committee will have a walk, rain or shine, at five Fairfax gardens. Iowa State University Extension master gardeners will be available at the gardens to answer questions. The walk includes the garden of Megan McConnell Hughes, which is featured on the cover of the summer 2009 Country Gardens magazine. Tickets can be purchased at Fairfax State Savings Bank or Guaranty Bank in Fairfax. Tickets can also be purchased the day of the event at the Fairfax North welcome sign at Williams Boulevard and Prairie View Drive. Cost is $5 for adults and $10 for families. Proceeds will be used to buy playground equipment for Hawks Ridge Park.
Sun., July 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Project GREEN will have a garden walk in Iowa City. If you want to know how to garden with deer, this is the walk for you. Four large gardens at the edge of woodlands are featured on the walk, including one property that covers nearly four acres. All gardens are located north of Interstate 80, off Dubuque Street. Cost is $5 for adults. Children under 16 are admitted free. Start at any of the following sites for a map, which becomes your ticket for the other gardens: Pat and Stan Podhajsky, 3817 Cedar Drive NE; Maggie VanOel, 8 Oak Park Lane NE; Twila and Dick Hobbs, 9 Oak Park Lane NE; Bill and Michelle Welter, 15 Oak Park Place NE. Wear comfortable walking shoes. The weather may be hot and buggy, so bring along a bottle of water and bug spray. To learn more, see: www.projectgreen.org
Sun., July 12, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Iowa Pond Society’s pond tour. Whether you are a serious water gardener, Koi keeper, casual pond owner, want-to-be pond owner, or just plain love flowers and water, you won’t want to miss the chance to view the ponds in this year’s 13th annual pond tour. As usual, pond owners and club members will be available at each pond to answer questions. Will also have a plant and small art/craft sale at one of the pond locations. This year’s tour will feature beautiful ponds in the Cedar Rapids/Solon/Swisher areas. Tickets and maps are $5.00 for adults (kids under 12 are free) and are available at all pond sites with all proceeds going back to the community for area landscape and beautification projects. A good place to start might be 131 Rosedale Rd SE, Cedar Rapids or 3682 Douglas Dr. NE Solon. For more information please call Jackie Allsup 319-934-3665 or visit: www.EIPS.org
Mon., July 13, 7-8:30 p.m. – Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center, 10260 Morris Hills Rd., Toddville. “True Lilies–Queen of the Gardens,” illustrated lily presentation by lily expert Wanda Lunn of Cedar Rapids. Lunn is an accredited North American Lily Society Lily Judge and just returned from judging at the NALS National Lily Show in Missouri. She will showcase many different true lily cultivars for sun & shade and give gardening hints for growing them properly. Cost: $2.50. Master Gardeners can count it for instruction hours.
Mon., July 13 – Fri., July 31 – Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, OWAA PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT. The Outdoor Writers Association of America Photography Contest winners will be exhibited. The work of noted wildlife photographers features both black-and-white and color photographs. Visit during regular business hours: Monday-Friday 9 AM-4 PM & Saturdays 11 AM-4 PM.
Wed., July 15, 6-9 p.m., Noelridge Park open gardens, corner of Collins Road and Council Street NE. Tour the gardens with Noelridge staff and Friends of Noelridge volunteers. Activities will be available for children.
Thurs., July 16- Sat., July 18 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Prairiewoods, 120 E. Boyson Road, Hiawatha. Solar Energy Workshop. This three-day workshop will provide information and experience in installing solar panels to generate electricity. The workshop includes hands-on exposure to assembling pole-mounted solar racks, installing solar modules and wiring of the entire system including modules, disconnects, inverters and grid tie. Approximately half the class will be in the classroom learning how solar energy works. Classroom instruction includes the basics of photovoltaics, racks, solar modules, inverters, basic electricity, design processes and safety. Instructor is Dennis Pottratz, Iowa’s first nationally certified photovoltaic installer (NABCEP). His company, GoSolar, has been in business in Decorah since 1996. He has designed and installed more than 100 working systems. Dennis is a frequent speaker and workshop presenter with I-RENEW. Fee: $250 for the first person from an organization or family; $200 for a second person. Fee includes daily lunch and handouts. Lodging is available at $45 per night. See: www.prairiewoods.org
Fri., July 17 to Sun., July 19, Seed Savers Exchange 29th annual Summer Conference and Campout at Heritage Farm, Decorah. Organic farmer, author, and teacher, Eliot Coleman will be keynote speaker at 7 p.m. July 18. Other featured speakers include Barbara Damrosch, Coleman’s wife and co-owner of Four Season Farm in Harborside, Maine, and Mike McGrath, host of the popular nationally syndicated show “You Bet Your Garden” on National Public Radio. Coleman is author of “The New Organic Grower,” “Four Season Harvest,” and the newly published “Winter Harvest Handbook”. The conference will also include several workshops on various aspects of gardening and farming, a panel discussion, field demonstrations, heritage seed swap, lots of good local food, inspiring conversation and even a barn dance. Local vendors will be selling products on Saturday morning. The cost for the weekend conference is $75 for Seed Saver members and $100 for the general public. One-day only registration is also available. Registration details and a list of scheduled events are available at www.seedsavers.org or by calling Seed Savers Exchange at (563) 382-5990.
Sat., July 18, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nature Photography class at Linn County Extension, 3279 7th Avenue, Marion. The class will be taught by Jim Messina, a professional photographer with many years of experience in photography and teaching experience. Topics include exposure, metering techniques, tonality natural lighting, photographic equipment, digital photography and macro photography. Teaching method includes slide presentations using dual projectors emphasizing comparisons with several examples. The examples provide a framework of understanding basic principles and practical solutions in difficult field situations. Extensive handouts are provided for the workshop topics. You can bring your camera. Register by at the Extension office or call 319-377-9839. Cost is $ 35.00. Payment must be made when registering. Registration will close on July 10.
Sat., July 18, 7:30 a.m. to noon, “Green” Day at Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market. Area environmental organizations will have space set up at the farmers market.
Sat., July 18, 9 a.m. to noon, Prairiewoods, Mulch Sheet Beds for Flower and Vegetable Gardens. This workshop will include classroom and hands-on experience building mulch sheet beds for soil used in gardens. Mulch sheet bedding is a permaculture technique used to enrich the soil and decrease weeding. This is a sustainable way to work the soil while retaining water and and to maintain the soil without tilling and the use of chemicals. This workshop will not be held is there is heavy rain. Fee: $10
Sat., July 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. – Daylily and true lily open garden at Wanda Lunn’s home, 526 Bezdek Dr. NW, in Cedar Rapids. Lunn said this will be the height of daylily blooms & the larger lilliums, as well as many other summer perennials. She will be available to answer questions on cultivation of all these glorious flowers. Lunn says with all the buds, loaded stems & stalks, this promises to be a wonderful summer bloom!
Sat., July 18, 11 a.m. to noon – There’s nothing like an Iowa prairie in summer. Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center near Toddville is hosting a Guided Prairie Loop Trail Hike. Participants will learn about the native grasses, wildflowers and prairie wildlife. The prairie loop trail contains an area of sand prairie and a beautiful view of the wetlands below. Meet the naturalist at the kiosk in front of the center. Donations accepted.
Tues., July 21, 1-2 p.m., Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center, 10260 Morris Hills Rd., Toddville. Toad Adobe! (Repeat from June 23.) OK, so not everyone finds toads attractive. However, a single toad can consume about 110 beetles, slugs, moths, armyworms and other bugs in a day! Meet our live toad. Make a house for a local amphibian to hang out in your yard. House is made of a clay pot that will be decorated with paint. For all ages. Young children must be accompanied by an adult. Register by July 18. Cost is $5 per toad house. Call (319)892-6485.
Tues., July 21, 6-7:30 p.m. – The Linn County Conservation Department will hold a public program about turtles at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center near Toddville. A naturalist will debunk myths about turtles and show a variety of live turtles. Please register by July 20 online at www.lincountyparks.com or register by calling 892-6485. Cost: $2.50/adult, $1/child or $5/family.
Fri., July 24 – Aug. 2, Rummage in the Ramp at Chauncey Swan Ramp, Gilbert and Washington Streets, Iowa City. Ten-day-long garage sale benefitting several area non-profit groups aimed at waste reduction and affordability (most items are priced under $20). Items for donation should be dropped off at the ramp on sale days.
Sat., July 25, 1 p.m., Indian Creek Nature Center, GREEN AND SIMPLE: COOKING WITH A SOLAR OVEN. MEMBER -$5; NONMEMBER -$8. Create a simple solar oven for backyard cooking. Collect heat energy from the sun to cook simple, tasty meals. Take home basic recipes and techniques. Sample solar-baked foods. REGISTER BY 4 PM ON THURSDAY, JULY 23. CALL 362-0664 TO REGISTER.
Sat., July 25 and Sun., July 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Garden of Zora and Paul Ronan, 5031 North Marion Road, Central City, gardens open for viewing. The garden of Zora and Paul Ronan is located in rural Linn County. The garden covers approximately 1 acre surrounding the house. The remaining 32 acres uses no-till cultivation and wild-life habitat to conserve the soil and prevent erosion. Herbicides are used for weed control but no insecticides are used in crop production. Over the last 10 years the soil has become healthy again. Twelve years ago the soil was lifeless and heavily fortified with chemicals and we were never visited by wildlife. Now, earth worms, birds, critters and varmints both are in abundance. (Some are more welcome than others.) You may find gopher and moles disturbances in the grass, so walk carefully. Directions: From I-380: Exit at Toddville. Travel east on County Home Road to Alburnett Road. Turn north on Alburnett Road. Turn east on Justins Road (gravel). Justins Road dead ends at North Marion. Turn north and the garden is on the right. From: Highway 13: Travel north on Highway 13 to Central City. Turn west on E-16 (Center Point-Central City Road). Turn north on North Marion Road (gravel) and travel 1.6 miles. Garden is on the right. From Marion: Travel north on North Tenth Street. Tenth Street changes name to North Marion and becomes gravel when it crosses County Home Road. Since North Marion is gravel for quite a long way, it is better to travel north on either North Alburnett Road or Highway 13.
Sat., July 25 and Sun., July 26 – Culver’s Garden Center & Greenhouse in Marion is planning a free Do-It-Yourself Weekend, open to the public. During the event, customers will be able to view displays and collect information on a number of home, lawn and garden topics. In addition, kids can enjoy decorating Culver’s grounds with sidewalk chalk. Free summertime refreshments will be available. Information about Culver’s Garden Center & Greenhouse and Culver’s Lawn & Landscaping, Inc. is available online at www.culverslandscape.com or by calling (319) 377-4195.
Sun., July 26, 2-3 p.m. – “Slimy Scaly Guided Hike,” The Linn County Conservation Department is hosting an afternoon hike at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center near Toddville to view reptiles and amphibians basking in wetlands and or on sandy trails. A naturalist will provide participants with a new appreciation of these animals. Meet her at the kiosk in front of the center. This is a free program.
July 2, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged apply, become, Claire Smith, dirt, enroll, extension, flowers, garden fair, garden walk, gardening, how, Iowa State University, Linn County, lowe park, Marion, master gardener, plants
Linn County Master Gardener Claire Smith shares the following about becoming a master gardener:
Do you like getting your hands dirty and your feet wet? How about digging up dirt? Would you wholeheartedly grovel in the ground with new friends? Are you inquisitive about things flora? Have you ever considered becoming a Master Gardener? From experience, I can say, it’s a great experience. What better way to get in touch with nature than through an educational opportunity provided by Iowa State University Extension’s Master Gardener program and an opportunity to make new friends who willingly share their expertise. The enrollment process is not daunting! If you can demonstrate that you know a little something about gardening; you are enthusiastic about acquiring new knowledge; and would eagerly commit to some volunteerism and community betterment, then this program is for you. Sure, some of the Linn County Master Gardeners can spew verbiage about hundreds of issues. Some of us, though, still need to ask questions and do the research. But gardeners of any type and especially Master Gardeners love to share. In fact, our mission statement says, “the purpose of the Master Gardener program is to provide current, research-based home horticultural information and education to the citizens of Iowa through ISU Extension programs and projects.”
What do Master Gardeners do in addition to enjoying their personal gardening passions?
Imagine helping create a children’s garden at Lowe Park in Marion. Learn how fabulous gardens are created by assisting at the annual Garden Walk. Contribute some time at the Winter Gardening Fair where there are outstanding keynote speakers and the opportunity to choose from dozens of classes. Lead or scribe on the Horticulture Line to research answers to any number of telephone and walk in questions. Have privy to updates provided directly to you by ISU plus receive an informative monthly newsletter created by Linn County Master Gardeners.
Applications and further information are available at http://www.mastergardener.iastate.edu or call the Linn County Extension Office at 319-377-9839. Please note that the application and fee are due by Friday, July 17th. Visit the website at www.extension.iastate.edu/linn . Selecting “Yard and Garden” will bring a menu of articles and information about the Master Gardener program. Go ahead, talk to any Master Gardener. They’ll tell you to try it: you’ll like it!
July 3, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged Brucemore, Chinese chestnut, Deb Engmark, Douglas, gardener, historic, image, oldest, orchard, photo, Sinclair, tree
Chinese chestnut (photo, Brucemore)
Deb Engmark, head gardener at the historic Brucemore estate in Cedar Rapids, shares the following about an amazing tree on the Brucemore grounds:
It’s time. It’s blooming. Brucemore’s Chinese chestnut is screaming for attention. The first clue that the flowers on this magnificent specimen are present is the unmistakable aroma mingling through the landscape; earthy and spicy. This perfume emanates from the chestnut’s canopy, which is covered in clusters of long chenille like tendrils resembling skinny hairy
Chinese chestnut in bloom (photo, Brucemore)
fingers or spidery legs. Approximately 50 foot tall and 50 foot wide, this low branching, wide spreading habitat makes it a great shade tree and, purportedly, an ideal climbing tree, though I do ask that you don’t climb our trees when visiting.
The chestnut worth noting is standing among younger chestnut specimens. Due to this particular tree’s location in the area of the first orchard as well as its apparent age, estimated from the trunk diameter, height and spread of the tree, this is likely one of the oldest Chinese chestnuts in Iowa, if not the nation. Chinese chestnuts were introduced to the United States by seed in 1903. The original Douglas orchard, planted circa 1909, was in this location. This was also the location of the Sinclair orchard, the estate’s first family.
With consideration given to these facts and estimates by tree experts over the years, I feel confident about the age assumption and willingly share the information. I encourage all to visit and view this majestic specimen, especially during the time of year when the Chinese chestnut drapes its branches in pungent, blooming finery.
July 5, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts, Gardening events · Tagged Cedar Rapids, County Gardens, Eastern Iowa Pond Society, Erma Thompson, Fairfax, Friends of Hickory Hill, garden walk, gardens, Iowa City, koi, Larry, lawn, Megan McConnell Hughes, organic, park, ponds, Project GREEN, San Diego, Solon
Pond, and wildlife, at Larry and Erma Thompson's Cedar Rapids home (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Larry and Erma Thompson have an entire room in their home dedicated to Larry’s fish hobby, but it’s outside where his love of fish really shines. Twenty-two koi in 20 varieties spend the entire year (cold Iowa winters, too) in a well-kept pond at the couple’s home in Cedar Rapids. Goldfish are in a separate pond. Larry Thompson was awarded the Koi Person of the Year for Iowa, a regional award given at the Associated Koi Clubs of America during February’s koi show in San Diego, California. The award is a testament not only to his koi expertise, but dedication to the craft and volunteer hours he donates to community projects. Larry gives credit to his wife for her support and the beautiful plants that surround their ponds. “Anything pretty is Erma’s,” he said. “The functional stuff is mine.”
Plants help filter the water in the ponds at Larry and Erma Thompson's home (photo, Cindy Hadish)
Their home will be one of the stops on a pond tour next weekend. Following is info from the Eastern Iowa Pond Society and other groups holding garden walks next weekend.
Whether you are a serious water gardener, Koi keeper, casual pond owner, want-to-be pond owner, or just plain love flowers and water, you won’t want to miss the chance to view the ponds in this year’s Eastern Iowa Pond Society annual pond tour, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, July 12, 2009, rain or shine. As usual, pond owners and club members will be available at each pond to answer questions. They will also have a plant and small art/craft sale at one of the pond locations. This year’s tour will feature ponds in the Cedar Rapids/Solon/Swisher areas. Tickets and maps are $5.00 for adults (kids under 12 are free) and are available at all pond sites with all proceeds going back to the community for area landscape and beautification projects. A good place to start might be 131 Rosedale Rd SE, Cedar Rapids or 3682 Douglas Dr. NE Solon. For more information please call Jackie Allsup 319-934-3665 or visit: www.eips.org
Here are other garden walks coming up next weekend:
Friends of Hickory Hill Park will have a garden walk in Iowa City from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 11, 2009. The walk benefits the group’s stewardship fund for maintenance and restoration work. Four gardens will be on the tour, plus tornado recovery areas on Hotz and Rochester avenues. Speakers will be at each site to discuss prairie plantings, Backyard Abundance and organic lawn care. Start at 1167 E. Jefferson Street to purchase tickets and pick up a map. Cost is $10 per person or $8 per person if you bike or walk to 1167 Jefferson St. Families are $15. To volunteer or for more information, phone 319-338-5331 To make a donation: Anyone unable to attend the Garden Walk but wishing to make a contribution should make the check out to LEAF and mail it to: LEAF, P.O. Box 1681, Iowa City, IA 52244-1681.
The Fairfax Parks Committee will have a walk, rain or shine, at five Fairfax gardens from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, July 12, 2009. Iowa State University Extension master gardeners will be available at the gardens to answer questions. The walk includes the garden of Megan McConnell Hughes, which is featured on the cover of the summer 2009 Country Gardens magazine. Tickets can be purchased at Fairfax State Savings Bank or Guaranty Bank in Fairfax. Tickets can also be purchased the day of the event at the Fairfax North welcome sign at Williams Boulevard and Prairie View Drive. Cost is $5 for adults and $10 for families. Proceeds will be used to buy playground equipment for Hawks Ridge Park.
Also on Sunday, July 12, Project GREEN will have a garden walk in Iowa City from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you want to know how to garden with deer, this is the walk for you. Four large gardens at the edge of woodlands are featured on the walk, including one property that covers nearly four acres. All gardens are located north of Interstate 80, off Dubuque Street. Cost is $5 for adults. Children under 16 are admitted free. Start at any of the following sites for a map, which becomes your ticket for the other gardens: Pat and Stan Podhajsky, 3817 Cedar Drive NE; Maggie VanOel, 8 Oak Park Lane NE; Twila and Dick Hobbs, 9 Oak Park Lane NE; Bill and Michelle Welter, 15 Oak Park Place NE. Wear comfortable walking shoes. The weather may be hot and buggy, so bring along a bottle of water and bug spray . To learn more, see: www.projectgreen.org
July 7, 2009
· Filed under Your questions · Tagged answer, apple, choking, extension, horticulture, hotline, identify, Iowa, Linn County, Master Gardeners, pear, plants, prune, questions, sawdust, seedlings, tiny, trail, tree, vine, walnut, weeds, what are, worms, yellow
Cyndi Lee asked the following: I have found a large trail of what at first looked like sawdust, but upon closer examination are very tiny worm like things. They are falling from the large tree I have which overhangs our deck. Any idea what these are? They are very tiny and are falling in clumps. They are a pale yellow in color.
If you know what the worms might be, please leave a reply below.
Linn County Master Gardeners have answered some of the other questions you’ve been asking:
Q: We have a small vine-like weed that is taking over the gardens and flower beds. they are small leafed the stems are strong and grow upon the plants and choke them off. I pull them constantly but they continue to grow back. Is there anything that I can spray them with without killing off the flowers and garden plants? I would appreciate your input.
ANSWER: Cut and paint cut end with undiluted Round Up. Use a small foam brush.
Q: I found a large worm on my mom’s apple trees and what to know if they are good worm or bad. where can I take then to find out? I can take them to Ames but where in Ames?????
ANSWER: Bring sample to Linn County Extension Office, 3279 7th Ave., Marion. We’ll try to identify it here, or give info to ISU.
Q: I am in need of help to get rid of the seedlings from my pear tree. I need to know when and how to manage them as I have a flowerbed under my tree. I did not put these in but inherited them from the previous owner. They are a nightmare to deal with. Thank you for your help.
ANSWER: They will need to be pulled out.
Q: I have a beautiful Walnut tree but it has been sprouting branches near its bottom and just does not look right. Can I prune them now ? If so what angle? And should I put something on the exposed ends? Some of the branches are approx. an inch in diameter. I surely don’t want to harm my tree!
ANSWER: The tree is under stress for some reason. Prune now. Do not paint anything on wound. It will heal itself.
Linn County Master Gardeners also answer questions on Iowa State University extension’s horticulture hotline at (319) 447-0647.
July 9, 2009
· Filed under Master Gardeners · Tagged black, Claire Smith, daylillies, deer, eat, hosta, Iowa, juglone, killing, lilacs, Linn County, master gardener, phlox, plants, resistant, secretion, sedum, trees, walnut, xeriscape, xeriscaping, zeroscaping
The following is by Linn County Master Gardener, Claire Smith:
The seeder wagon is in place. The lawn mower towed it out of the shed down to the water way and then with two planks and my favorite son’s strong back we pushed and pulled it to the other side of the ditch. With the addition of an old wire garden gate staked behind a sapling, a hand pump from my parent’s former home and a rock lined pseudo fire pit filled with Petunias that were on the end-of-season sale, the area reflects the peaceful primitive atmosphere I was striving for. This is the area I mentioned in an earlier blog that became inaccessible to mow due to last year’s flood. Hosta, native grasses and prairie perennials will grace the space next year. We continued our zeroscaping to include a part of the road ditch that I learned is also impossible to mow after the mower and I suffered a close encounter with the culvert. Now that waterway is filled with large rocks and what was a sloping grassy space is mulched.
Hosta will ring the two Black Walnut trees in the roadway ditch. Hosta is a plant of choice there because I have some that need transplanting and they are not sensitive to Juglone, a chemical secretion from Black Walnut Trees.
Discovered in the 1880s, Juglone is produced in the fruit, leaves, branches and root system of several trees with Black Walnuts exhibiting the highest concentration. The greatest intensity in the soil exists within the tree’s drip line, on an average 50 ft. radius from the trunk of a mature tree. Plants susceptible to Juglone display yellowing leaves, wilting and eventual death. Plants sensitive to Juglone include Peonies, Hydrangea, Asian Lilies, and Lilacs. There are multiple choices that will withstand close proximity to Walnut trees such as most grasses, Phlox, Sedum, Daylilies, Iris and Hosta.
Now my challenge is to determine plants that are not only resistant to Juglone, but also to the deer population in this neighborhood. Unfortunately, Hosta is one of the critters’ favorite choices. They have already decimated the Hosta and Bee Balm in the ditch on the other side of the lane. A great winter pastime will be comparison shopping perennials and grasses that are both deer and Juglone resistant as well as low maintenance for those landscapes.
I actually enjoy mowing. And I like the challenge of creating and maintaining flower beds, but the simple clean lines of zeroscaping does appeal to me. A few plants and shrubs easily embellish the area without overstating the purpose of low maintenance.
July 10, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts · Tagged BBQ, blades, Bob Shepherd, Cedar Rapids, farmers market, find, Iowa, John Moore, pork chops, recipe, rub, sweet corn, Tom Vittetoe, Washington, where
It’s a mixed bag on Iowa’s sweet corn season. Some of the farmers I spoke to today have it ready, but the crop is delayed in other areas. If you’re early, you might find sweet corn at Saturday’s farmers market in Cedar Rapids. Expect to see more sweet corn at area farmers markets in the next week.
You can find a list of many Eastern Iowa farmers markets on this blog by clicking on the farmers market category at the right.
Bob Shepherd, market manager for the Washington Farmers Market, said vendor Tom Vittetoe sold out of a pickup of sweet corn in 20 minutes at Thursday night’s market.
Bob sent the following report from the market in Washington:
Ears of succulent fresh picked sweetcorn are one of the special events at the Farmers’ Market; along with strawberries, vine ripened tomatoes, and the first tree fruit – nothing attracts attention like that first offering. Central Park will hum with the excitement generated by this Iowa treasure.
The selection improves with each Thursday Evening Market. Expect to see beets, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, kohlrabi, green beans, onions, lettuce, peas, turnips, tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers and chilies displayed by the local growers. Black raspberries and cherries have added their appeal as we anticipate the first apples shortly.
Farm fresh brown eggs have a definite ‘country’ appeal.
An exceptional selection of fresh baked breads, pies, cookies, cupcakes, sweet rolls, bars, and short breads add their aromatic, mouth watering presence.
The sound of a sharpening wheel means another fine tool has been keenly touched by John Moore, Bits ‘n’ Blades. Local artists display beautiful glazed ware, stitchery and jewelry.
A couple of Markets ago samples of BB-Q’ed pork chops were tasted by Market goers. The rub used was a new technique and so successful the recipe is following for all to try on their home BB-Q.
Cumin and Coriander spice-rubbed Pork Chops
Mix 1 Tbs. brown sugar, 2tsp. ground coriander, 2tsp. ground cumin, 1 1/2tsp. garlic powder, 1tsp sea salt, 3/4tsp. ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric in a small bowl. Preheat grill to medium high. Lightly coat both sides of 6 3/4in. thick boneless pork loin chops with olive oil, and rub with the spice rub. Grill (uncovered for charcoal; covered for gas)until the pork forms impressive grill marks on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and continue to grill until meat is just firm to touch and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes, depending on thickness. Transfer to serving platter and let rest for 5 minutes.
The thick style chops are a favorite to BB-Q and the rub makes them even more delectable.
The Washington Farmers’ Market starts at 5pm but the downtown square is home to entertainment until 9pm. Thursday Night Live at 6:30 and the Washington Municipal Band at 8pm extend the evening enjoyment under the lofty trees of Central Park. Join us downtown………..see you there!
November 13, 2009
· Filed under Cindy's posts, Composting tips, Farmers Markets, Food pantries, Gardening events, ISU extension advice, Master Gardeners, Your photos, Your questions · Tagged blog, Cindy Hadish, GazetteOnline, homegrown
