Featured Content

Featured Publication: Composting Yard Waste

Bloom of the Week: Monkshood

FAQ of the Week: When can I expect the first frost in my area this fall?

Task of the Week: Water young trees, shrubs, and perennials

Problem of the Week: Creeping Charlie

Garden Variety Podcast: Put your vegetable garden to bed

Late Season Harvest in the Vegetable Garden

Most of Iowa has yet to see its first frost of the season, but the final harvest in the vegetable garden is near! Harvesting at the proper time ensures peak flavor and better storage. Learn about what to harvest before freezing temperatures arrive and what can be harvested after.

Garden Trivia

Each fall, many of the deciduous trees in our landscape turn bright shades of yellow, orange, purple, and red. Are these colors always present in the leaves and revealed in autumn when the green chlorophyll dies, or are they created during the process of leaf drop?

Read on to see the answer!

Learn More in These Free Online Gardening Programs

Several free webinars are available to garden enthusiasts and Master Gardeners in October. Learn more and register for Gardening in the Air, offered by Iowa State University and University of Illinois Extension, and the Where Plants Come From webinar from the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture (NICH).

Why Potted Cold Hardy Fruit Plants Need Winter Protection

As container gardening with annuals has grown in popularity, more gardeners are also experimenting with perennial fruit crops in containers. While these container-friendly plants offer space-saving and attractive options, it's important to provide them with winter protection.

Managing Fallen Leaves and Fall Cleanup

Fall garden cleanup helps prepare for winter and the coming spring. When possible, leave the leaves and plant debris to build better soils and support insects and other wildlife. Learn what can stay and what should be cleaned up this fall.

Selecting and Planting Spring-Blooming Bulbs

October is the best time to plant spring-blooming bulbs like tulips, daffodils, snowdrops, alliums, and crocus. Proper selection and planting this fall assures beautiful blooms next spring.

A person using a trowel to plant a spring blooming bulb.

An elephants ear plant in the garden bed.

A Few All-Time Favorites from All-America Selections

Discover a few standout All-America Selections winners that continue to impress gardeners year after year. From eye-catching peppers to seed-grown potatoes, these classics are worth a spot in your garden!

Other Items of Interest

Garden Trivia Answer

Both! The yellows and oranges come from a pigment called carotenoids. The reds and purples come from the anthocyanin pigment. While yellow and orange carotenoids are present in the leaves throughout the growing season and then revealed when the chlorophyll dies, the red and purple anthocyanins are produced in the leaves in late summer and early fall. Learn more in this article: The Science Behind Fall Color.

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Master Gardener Program

Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic

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