Northwest Iowa — Are you running out of gift ideas? Is one of your intended gift recipients a gardener? Iowa State University Extension and Outreach may have some ideas for you.
Master Gardner Beth Doran tells us that the 2019 ISU Garden Calendar is titled, “Gardens through the Seasons,” and showcases gardens throughout each season – winter, spring, summer, and fall. Stunning pictures capture everything – vegetables, flowers, birds, shrubs, and trees.
The calendar also contains helpful hints listed by the month they should be performed, and there is space for the gardener to journal their own gardening progress. The 2019 Garden Calendar may be ordered online at https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/4127 or at an ISU Extension and Outreach County Office. At $7, she says the calendar is a bargain for any gardener.
Doran tells us another gift idea — the popular ISU Master Gardener Program. The core curriculum consists of 40 hours of plant education offered in the fall and covers topics ranging from flowers and vegetables to landscape plants, wildlife management, plants diseases, insects and more.
The ISU Master Gardener Program costs $195, which includes a training manual and a full Saturday of hands-on workshops at ISU. However, the majority of the instruction will occur at a local county extension office. Doran says she thinks the best part of this program is the personal knowledge you will walk away with concerning your own garden, such as dealing with wet weather, weeds and rabbits.
If you prefer something not quite as comprehensive, a day out with your gardener at the Siouxland Garden Show might be more your speed, she says. The 2019 garden show will be April 5 and 6 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Sioux City.
According to Doran, the annual show features expert gardeners speaking about what’s new for 2019 – new annuals and perennials, the latest garden vegetables, unusual patio plants, new techniques in food preservation and improving the landscape around the home. There is also a trade show offering everything from seed to plants to culinary delights. Daily admission is only $5!
Doran says if you are still looking for that gift, don’t forget to check out your local farm supply and garden centers. They offer a nice selection of plants, seeds, containers, tools, and clothing for the gardener.
