Metamorphosis

On this cold and dreary spring day, I decided to visit the Metamorphosis display at Lauritzen Gardens again. It was balmy in the upper greenhouse, so much that my lenses fogged over. The display includes artwork from by Sayaka Ganz and Aurora Robson. From the Laurtizen Gardens website: Millions of pieces of plastic find their way into…

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Garden Journal 4/14/2018

This spring here in southwest Iowa has been one for the record books. Yesterday alone had a mix of rain, tornadoes, snow and flooding forecasted across Iowa. The day before the high was 71 and this weekend it’s supposed to snow. Most of my free time is on the weekends and we haven’t had many great…

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The Drunken Botanist

On Thursday, April 5, 2018, the Loveland Garden Club hosted author Amy Stewart at Lauritzen Gardens for a lecture “Plants that Create the World’s Great Drinks” featuring her book, The Drunken Botanist. She explained that she was inspired to write the book while sitting in a bar looking at all of the various liquors on the…

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Starting a Cut Flower Garden in Iowa

Growing a garden for cut flowers is becoming more and more popular each year. I began planning my first cutting garden over four years ago and here are some of the things I’ve learned along the way. Check out a prior blog post on the top flowers for cutting here. Sunlight. You’ll want to pick a…

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Bluebirds in Iowa

Recently, I attended a lecture by the Iowa Bluebird Conservationists. My family has been interested in bluebirds for several years now and most of us have a few boxes in our backyards. If you are interested in bluebirds, checkout the information below! Due to the loss of habitat combined with the introduction of the House…

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Plant Journal: Growing a Persian Lime Tree Indoors

Ryan and I purchased a lime tree back in August of last year. I was so excited about my first citrus that I did a blog post about my new baby. Read that here. It is a Persian Lime (sour) that is hardy to a Zone 10. I potted it up outside back in August…

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Amaryllis Update

If you saw my last post, you know that I have several Amaryllis bulbs that I forced indoors this winter. It’s been a few weeks now so I thought I would share some updated photos. They all bloomed consecutively over the last few weeks resulting in constant blooms. How To Force Amaryllis Bulbs Indoors: Some…

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Forcing Amaryllis Bulbs Indoors

Forcing Amaryllis bulbs indoors is a great winter gardening project. Most Amaryllis bulbs are sold as set with a pot, compost and even moss. Take apart your set and read the instructions. How To Force Amaryllis Bulbs Indoors: Some sets come with expanding compacted soil. Set your compacted soil disc in warm water and let…

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A visit to Libby’s Yarn Barn

Operated by Libby George, Libby’s Yarn Barn is home to many English Angora rabbits, Huacaya alpacas and soon to be Cormo sheep. Now a knitting fanatic, she can shear, pick, wash, dye, card and spin her own fiber. She then uses the fiber to knit her own high-quality home-grown clothing. This winter, Libby has started…

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Book Review: In Bloom

In Bloom was one of the books on my Christmas wish list that I received from my mom. Published in 2016, In Bloom, Creating and Living with Flowers by Ngoc Minh Jgo features artists, designers and decorators who incorporate flowers in their work. This was the follow up to her book Bringing Nature Home. It…

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Houseplant, Split-Leaf Philodendron

Will the Split-Leaf Philodendron be the 2018 Houseplant of the Year? As the obsession with fiddle-leaf fig trees winds down, I believe next in line for the ranking of number one houseplant is the split-leaf philodendron or Philodendron bipinnatifidum. Recently featured on HGTV’s Fixer Upper, Season 5, Episode 4, The Scrivano House, the plant has…

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Indian Creek Nursery – Omaha, NE

One of my favorite little spots in Omaha is the back greenhouse of Indian Creek Nursery in Omaha. The business was established in 1966 and is located at 303 N Saddle Creek Rd. The greenhouse is a year-round oasis where I can always find something interesting. I stopped in for a visit today while finishing…

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