Download or read book Gardening in Iowa and Surrounding Areas written by Veronica Lorson Fowler and published by University of Iowa Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the East Coast, so the story goes, newcomers are asked where they come from; on the West Coast they are asked what they do for a living; in Iowa people ask them, "How's your garden doing?" Maybe this is not a true story, but it does epitomize the importance of gardening for Iowans, blessed as they are with the rich glacial soil so hospitable to corn and soybeans. Rural and urban Iowans alike start planning next summer's garden in midwinter, when their plots are still snow-covered and deep-frozen; by state fair time their trees, shrubs, vegetables--including the ubiquitous zucchini--and flowers are thriving. Veronica Fowler's month-by-month guide to gardening in Iowa is a concise, valuable resource for all novice and experienced gardeners. Beginning in January, Fowler presents a monthly checklist to allow gardeners to prioritize seasonal tasks. Her winter chapters focus on garden design, cold-weather gardening, and starting plants from seeds; in spring she moves into soil preparation, shopping for plants, wildflower and rose cultivation, and lawn care basics; summer brings landscaping, flowers for cutting, and organic gardening; and fall involves cold frames, winter-harvest vegetables, forcing bulbs and perennials, trees and shrubs, and ground covers and vines best suited for Iowa's climate as well as information on mail-order suppliers, gardens to visit, where to go for help, and garden club memberships. Tips from some of the more than two thousand members of the Federated Garden Clubs of Iowa round out this plentiful harvest of useful advice. On a day in February when the wind chill is, well, chilling and the forecast calls for more of the same, the arrival of the first garden catalog of the season brings warmth to any gardener. Veronica Fowler's accessible, information-packed book will become part of every gardener's life both indoors and out.
Download or read book Iowa Gardener s Travel Guide written by Kelly D. Norris and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2008-12-27 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this book is to offer the reader the chance to explore, experience, and discover the public and private gardens and nurseries in Iowa. I have had the good fortune to visit many of these over the last ten years and must say that the horticultural entities of this state will prove amazing for those who have yet to embark on a quest to see them. Some of my favorite gardens and nurseries in the world lie between the waters of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, and it is my goal to share them with you in a succinctly written guide that leads you on adventures much like I've had.
Download or read book Iowa Gardens of the Past written by Beth Cody and published by . This book was released on 2019-10-28 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There's something about vintage garden photos: preserved moments of beauty from gardens long gone. Iowa Gardens of the Past features 300+ color and grayscale images of beautiful Iowa gardens, together with lovely seed catalog art, from the mid-nineteenth century through 1980. From impressive mansion grounds to humble flower-filled farmsteads, they include: Victorian-style flower bedding; formal rose gardens; exotic Japanese-style gardens; midcentury modern landscaping. Discover how Iowans coped with severe weather events, economic depressions, world wars, grasshopper plagues and Dutch Elm Disease. Despite these challenges, Iowans have made countless gardens of great beauty. Now these gardens can be admired and enjoyed once again, in these hauntingly beautiful images of Iowa Gardens of the Past.
Download or read book Best Garden Plants for Iowa written by Don Williamson and published by [Edmonton ]: Lone Pine Pub.. This book was released on 2005 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We've taken some of the work and a lot of the worry out of your next trip to the garden center. In this book you'll find over 160 accounts featuring the best plant varieties in nine categories: annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, vines, climbers, roses, b
Download or read book Gardening the Amana Way written by Lawrence L. Rettig and published by University of Iowa Press. This book was released on 2013-10-15 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gardening in Iowa’s Amana Colonies is the culmination of techniques that stretch back several centuries to central Europe, when adherents to a new faith called the Community of True Inspiration formed their own self-reliant communities. As a child of parents who were part of the communal life of the Amana Society, Larry Rettig pays homage to the Amana gardening tradition and extends it into the twenty-first century. Each of the seven villages in Amana relied on the food prepared in its communal kitchens, and each kitchen depended on its communal garden for most of the dishes served (the kitchens in Rettig’s hometown produced more than four hundred gallons of sauerkraut in 1900). Rettig begins by describing the evolution of communal gardening in old Amana, focusing especially on planting, harvesting, and storing vegetables from asparagus to egg lettuce to turnips. With the passing of the old order in 1932, the number of the society’s large vegetable gardens and orchards dwindled, but Larry Rettig and his wife, Wilma, still grow some of the colonies’ heirloom varieties in their fourth-generation South Amana vegetable garden. In 1980 they founded a seed bank to preserve them for future generations. Rettig’s chapters on modern vegetable and flower gardening in today’s Amana Colonies showcase his Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens, now listed with the Smithsonian in its Archives of American Gardens. Old intermingles with new across his gardens: heirloom lettuce keeps company with the latest cucumber variety, a hundred-year-old rose arches over the newest daylilies and heucheras, and ancient grapevines intertwine with newly planted wisteria, all adding up to a rich array of colorful plantings. Rettig extends his gardening advice into the kitchen and workroom. He shares family recipes for any number of traditional dishes, including radish salad, dumpling soup, Amana pickled ham, apple bread, eleven-minute meat loaf, and strawberry rhubarb pie. Moving into the workroom, he shows us how to make hammered botanical prints, Della Robbia centerpieces, holiday wreaths, a gnome home, and a waterless fountain. Touring his gardens, with their historic and unusual plants, will make gardeners everywhere want to reproduce the groupings and varieties that surround Larry and Wilma Rettig’s 1900 red brick house.
Download or read book Four Seasons Garden Club Iowa City Iowa written by Four Seasons Garden Club (Iowa City, Iowa) and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Monthly Tips For Iowa Gardeners written by Howita Lexon and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2024-04-20 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Iowa offers a diverse array of opportunities and challenges in the realm of gardening owing to its varied terrain, fertile soil, and culturally diverse climate. Iowa, located in the central region of the United States Midwest, undergoes four distinct seasons, characterized by frigid winters, balmy summers, and abundant annual precipitation. This climate diversity makes Iowa an oasis for cultivators of all skill levels, as it fosters the growth of a vast array of plants. This introductory guide to gardening in Iowa will cover the fundamental elements of gardening in the state, encompassing soil properties, climate considerations, preferred plant selections, and gardening advice specific to Iowa's environment. Climate and Season for Growth: The climate of Iowa is characterized as humid continental, characterized by warm summers and frigid winters. The average annual temperature in the state ranges from well below freezing in the winter to excessively highs in the 80s°F (approximately 30°C) during the summer. From late April to early October, the growing season generally extends, thereby granting sufficient time for the cultivation of an extensive range of cereals and ornamental plants. Iowa's fertile soil is considered a key asset for horticulture purposes, largely attributable to the state's extensive agricultural heritage and glacial history. The soil in the state is predominantly categorized as Mollisols, which are distinguished by their substantial organic matter content and profound, dark color. Due to their exceptional drainage and nutrient retention capabilities, these soils are highly suitable for horticultural pursuits. Nevertheless, soil composition can differ throughout the state, as certain areas are characterized by denser clay soils, whereas others are comprised of lighter loam or alluvial soils. Favorite Plants and Crops: Iowa gardeners are presented with an extensive assortment of plant alternatives, encompassing ornamental flowers and shrubbery as well as vegetables and fruits. In Iowa, well-liked crops that thrive in the region's climate comprise an assortment of leafy greens, tomatoes, sweet maize, peppers, beans, and squash. Furthermore, ornamental grasses, daylilies, coneflowers, and hostas are perennials that thrive in Iowa's climate and provide gardens with seasonal appeal. Iowa's gardening devotees are in for a rewarding experience due to the state's favorable climate, fertile soil, and wide variety of plant options. Gardeners can foster prosperous landscapes and savor the fruits of their labors throughout the growing season by acquiring knowledge of Iowa's distinctive gardening conditions and applying suitable methodologies.
Download or read book Gardening Month by Month in Iowa written by Lone Pine Publishing and published by . This book was released on 2007-02-01 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Shrubs and Vines of Iowa written by Peter J. van der Linden and published by University of Iowa Press. This book was released on 2016-04-15 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shrubs and vines, often literally overshadowed by trees, also receive much less attention than their taller neighbors, and yet they are very important elements of the region’s natural landscape. A guide to these interesting and useful plants, this book identifies all 150 shrubs and vines native to Iowa, along with frequently seen naturalized ones. Here you’ll find the widely distributed buttonbush, the distinctive pagoda dogwoods, sumacs with their striking fall foliage, the adaptable ninebark, the attractive grape honeysuckle, the many species of Rubus and wild grapes that provide food for birds and animals, willows with their graceful promise of spring, and the diverse viburnums. Like trees, shrubs and vines are woody plants that are easy to observe year round. The first part of this book will help you identify them. Illustrated keys take you through the identification process one step at time; these are followed by images and descriptions of all but the rarest species. Noted naturalists Peter van der Linden and Donald Farrar also provide information about each species’ distribution, ecology, and uses. Summer and winter features are covered separately to facilitate identification at these two very different times of year. Chapters about the culture and natural history of shrubs and vines explain why the plants grow where they do in nature and show how to use them effectively in outdoor spaces. Plants native to Iowa have much to offer to the landscaper: winter hardiness, resistance to drought and climatic extremes, and food and shelter for native wildlife and pollinators. Many natives are ornamental as well, providing attractive flowers, bright autumn displays, and colorful stems or fruits in winter. The authors offer tips for selecting, planting, and caring for these plants effectively. With native plants, you can create a landscape that is sustainable, authentic to place, and satisfying to you. Iowa and midwestern arborists, conservationists, horticulturists, landscape architects, gardeners, and all those who appreciate the beauty and value of native plants will find Shrubs and Vines of Iowa immensely useful.
Download or read book Guide to Iowa Vegetable Gardening written by James Fizzell and published by Cool Springs Press. This book was released on 2008-02-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers advice on everything from starting your garden from seed, to planning your garden with helpful space saving techniques. Make this guide a must-have resource for anyone interested in growing vegetables, no matter what their space requirements. Helpful charts will outline when to plant and when to harvest cool and warm season vegetables.
Download or read book Month By Month Gardening in Iowa written by Melinda Myers and published by Cool Springs Press. This book was released on 2008-02-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gardening is now the favorite leisure pastime in America. Homeowners are realizing the health benefits derived from gardening and the increase in their home's property value.
Download or read book Handbook for Iowa Gardeners written by and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book My Secret Garden written by Alan Titchmarsh and published by Random House. This book was released on 2012-10-25 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After moving from the Barleywood garden where he hosted BBC Gardeners' World for seven years, Alan Titchmarsh set up home in an old farmhouse a few miles down the road, and went about planting his own private eden away from the public eye. In this horticultural memoir Alan finally reveals all about this secret garden, explaining with his trademark warmth the personal stories behind its design and evolution. Accompanied by beautiful photographs taken by Jonathan Buckley throughout the eight years in which the garden has been made, My Secret Garden allows us access to all of the successes and failures of this diverse and ambitious project. Comprising many different styles and spaces - from an acre of formal beds and ponds to wild flower meadows and a stunning winter garden - Alan's tales of development and cultivation will be applicable to all gardeners. With the plot encompassing fruit trees, a handsome greenhouse and wildlife-friendly plantings, gardeners of all styles and levels of expertise will find something to enjoy. Driven by Alan's infectious and informative style, My Secret Garden is a fascinating, amusing and inspiring book.
Download or read book Parsnips in the Snow written by Jane Anne Staw and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Through conversations with twelve vastly different gardeners—among them a Trappist monk, a retired mailman, and an advertising copywrite—this enchanting volume captures the spirit of midwestern garderners. Illustrated throughout it is the wholesale dedication of midwesterners to their gardens—despite drought, heat, disabilities, and other challenges"--
Download or read book The Perfect Iowa Lawn written by Melinda Myers and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2003 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gardening is now the favorite leisure pastime in America. Homeowners are realizing the health benefits derived from gardening and the increase in their home's property value. Book retailers are well aware that the trend in gardening books is to regional titles that provide credible information on the plants that perform well in specific regions. The Perfect Iowa Lawn is written by the highly popular gardening expert Melinda Myers. Lawns are the foundation of a great landscape. This series contains regional information on the best lawns for a midwestern landscape.
Download or read book Resource Guide for Iowa Master Gardeners written by Cynthia Haynes and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A New Garden Ethic written by Benjamin Vogt and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2017-09-01 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a time of climate change and mass extinction, how we garden matters more than ever: “An outstanding and deeply passionate book.” —Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals Plenty of books tell home gardeners and professional landscape designers how to garden sustainably, what plants to use, and what resources to explore. Yet few examine why our urban wildlife gardens matter so much—not just for ourselves, but for the larger human and animal communities. Our landscapes push aside wildlife and in turn diminish our genetically programmed love for wildness. How can we get ourselves back into balance through gardens, to speak life's language and learn from other species? Benjamin Vogt addresses why we need a new garden ethic, and why we urgently need wildness in our daily lives—lives sequestered in buildings surrounded by monocultures of lawn and concrete that significantly harm our physical and mental health. He examines the psychological issues around climate change and mass extinction as a way to understand how we are short-circuiting our response to global crises, especially by not growing native plants in our gardens. Simply put, environmentalism is not political; it's social justice for all species marginalized today and for those facing extinction tomorrow. By thinking deeply and honestly about our built landscapes, we can create a compassionate activism that connects us more profoundly to nature and to one another.