Summer and winter squash are some of the most popular vegetables in the home garden. Summer squash can be eaten raw in salads, stir-fried, steamed, or cooked in various dishes. Winter squash can be baked, steamed, or boiled. Learn all about growing squash!
Garden Trivia
Dr. Griffith Buck is an Iowa State professor known for developing many winter-hardy, disease-resistant shrub roses. Apart from roses, what other plants did Dr. Buck develop?
Coneflower is the common name of several genera of plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae). They make excellent garden plants and are native to North America, including several species in Iowa. They are wonderful additions to pollinator gardens and are highly attractive to butterflies. Learn more about some of the coneflowers you can grow in your garden.
Ferns are great additions to the Iowa shade garden. They are often found in shaded, damp forests in both temperate and tropical areas of the world, but many have adapted themselves to survive in a variety of environments. The ferns that will grow in Iowa range in size from less than 1 foot tall to more than 3 feet tall. Ferns can be used as focal points, or as background or filler plants in shady garden beds.
All-America Selections has been trialing edible and ornamental plants for over 90 years, presenting awards to entries that will impress home gardeners with their performance regionally or nationally. There have been plenty of exciting new winners that merit a place in your garden that will be highlighted in this series.
The Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic accepts several different sample types: plants, insects, and soil. But what can they actually do with every kind of sample, and what can’t they do? This article will lay it out for you.
Other Items of Interest
Garden Trivia Answer
In addition to 85+ cultivars of roses, Dr. Buck developed 15 geraniums (Pelargonium) and a heliotrope (Heliotropium). The vigorous and freely flowering zonal geraniums like ‘Sunbelt Scarlet’, ‘Pink Jade’, ‘Summertime’, and ‘Waltz Time’ were popular varieties in the mid-20th century. His heliotrope ‘Iowa’ can still be purchased at garden centers today. Learn more about Dr. Buck in this publication: Griffith Buck: Rose Hybridizer.
