By John Sheda —-   My grandma taught me everything about Christmas when I was a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: “There is no Santa Claus,” she jeered. My grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. [...]

Horticulturists Richard Jauron and Willy Klein of Iowa State University Extension provided the following timely tips on preparing perennials for the winter: Many perennials make it through winter just fine with no special attention. But in Iowa gardens, some perennials require a little attention just before the ground freezes. How should I prepare mums for [...]

Just a reminder that the indoor, winter farmers markets are already  under way.   Winter markets in Eastern Iowa include: —-  Urbana: Community Room below City Hall, 906 West Main St.; 9 to 11 a.m. on the second Saturday of every month from Nov. 10 through March 9. —- Springville: Community Center, 265 Broadway St.; [...]

Gardeners with spring fever, like me, can get a jump-start on the season by starting seedlings indoors. One of the workshops I attended last weekend at the Winter Gardening Fair covered seed-starting techniques. Linn County Master Gardener, Zora Ronan, who taught the session, said you just need to count backwards to know when it’s time [...]

School lunches have been in the spotlight nationwide and we’ve all heard about the challenges in making them healthier for our children. An initiative in Iowa City will help schools move in that direction. I wish I could be in two places at once this Saturday, as the Iowa City event is at the same [...]

School lunches have been in the spotlight nationwide and we’ve all heard about the challenges in making them healthier for our children.  An initiative in Iowa City will help schools move in that direction. I wish I could be in two places at once this Saturday, as the Iowa City event is at the same [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — You don’t need acres of land to create your own wildlife habitat. Susan Day, a backyard bird and habitat expert, says even small yards can attract songbirds, butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife to enjoy. “It doesn’t have to be a 3-acre yard,” says Day, 58, an author and photographer who will be keynote [...]

It appears the worst of the storm that’s on its way to Iowa this weekend might spare Eastern Iowa. Precipitation will develop later today as the storm moves into the region from the west, according to KCRG-TV9. Light rain and a light mix develop tonight, continuing through Saturday. Some light snow accumulations are possible, but [...]

Sun Prairie’s version of Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil is predicting an early spring. Jimmy the Groundhog did not see his shadow Thursday morning in Sun Prairie. And, according to legend, that means that there will be an early spring this year. WISC-TV says the annual Groundhog Day event was held in Cannery Square in downtown Sun [...]

After two winters of being stretched along Interstate 35 between Des Moines and Ames, the cable barriers that are now along Interstate 380 through most of Cedar Rapids faced the first test of winter amid Thursday’s all-day snowstorm. “The DOT made a decision a couple of years ago to have these cable median barriers,” said [...]