Ecological Education

by Shay Magaraci | Oct 22, 2019 | Education, Horticulture

An Ecological State of Mind When I first interviewed for my role at the Garden a year and a half ago, I was thrilled to hear about the ecologically sound practices the horticulture team deploys. With my background in ecology, I felt right at home. As I got to know...

Succulent Care Secrets

by Shay Magaraci | Oct 7, 2019 | Horticulture

Secrets to Strong, Healthy Succulents Richard and Cynde Schreiber first started growing succulents and cacti when they lived in Yuma, Arizona in the 1960s. When they moved back to Iowa, they brought their love of desert plants with them to a four-season climate. To...

Lycoris: A Pleasant Surprise

by Shay Magaraci | Sep 17, 2019 | Horticulture

A Cold-hardy Botanical Garden Favorite Whether you know them as “surprise lilies,” “naked ladies,” or “spider lilies,” the genus of lycoris is sure to impress onlookers in any Iowa garden. Relatives of amaryllis, lycoris put on a late-summer show without leaves to...

5 Flower Shapes to Generate Interest

by Shay Magaraci | Aug 12, 2019 | Garden Design, Horticulture

How Flower Geometry Inspires Garden Design According to Leslie Hunter, Botanical Garden horticulturist, designing a garden can be an exercise of joy and madness. Attempting to coordinate size, shape, color, bloom time, fragrance, light and moisture requirements all...

Plants We Love: Mangave

by Shay Magaraci | Aug 6, 2019 | Horticulture

Mad About Mangave First, a pronunciation guide: man-gah-vay. Think agave and you’ll get it right every time. In fact this hybrid group between two genera (that’s what that little x stands for in front of their botanical names) owes half of its genes to a variety of...

Turn Up the Heat on Summer Produce

by Shay Magaraci | Jul 29, 2019 | Horticulture, Recipes

Maximize Your Summer Harvest July and August come due with exhilarating freshness. The harvest is hot and weedy, but that heat is the secret to summer cooking per chef-owner Lisa LaValle of Trellis, the Botanical Garden’s acclaimed in-house café. The chef-gardener is...