Johnson County Master Gardeners of Iowa

08/24/2026

How interesting!

08/19/2026

This easy way to plant carrots is worth saving for next spring.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpwCm0-pSsw/?epik=dj0yJnU9bHdGN3o1LWFRRGp2QkhVZkFscy0zaE5rckV5RWtMd1omcD0wJm49am1KTE1KTVpYTVhrOXpKZm9leVpwZyZ0PUFBQUFBR3FGcmFN

08/19/2026

Check out the Midwest Garden Gal's recipe for cut flowers. It's pretty good.

No special occasion required. Grab your snips, wander through the garden and gather whatever makes you smile. A few fresh-cut blooms can turn an ordinary afternoon into a small celebration. 🌸

Today’s bouquet includes zinnias, yellow coneflowers and turtlehead. For filler, I used the blue-green foliage from my baptisia plants. I’ve used baptisia foliage in cut bouquets for years—it’s gorgeous, abundant and one of my favorite filler plants.

To help garden bouquets last longer, here’s the homemade cut-flower food recipe from page 131 of my book, Cheap Tricks Gardening:

🌸 1 quart lukewarm water
🌸 1 teaspoon sugar
🌸 1 teaspoon regular, unscented household bleach
🌸 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice

Add each ingredient separately to the full quart of water and mix well.

You’ll find this and plenty more practical, budget-friendly garden tips in Cheap Tricks Gardening:

https://www.midwestgardengal.com/books/cheap-tricks-gardening/

Plant joy. 🌱

08/18/2026

Are you wondering what native plants to add to your Iowa landscape? The Washington Post has an answer for you. Read on:

Pick your state to get recommendations for native plant species that will help your local butterflies, moths, bees and birds.