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A mix of clouds and sun. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 72F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Some clouds. Low 64F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Casey Allen, florist and owner of the Trendy Tulip in Independence, was the guest speaker at the March Garden Club meeting. Casey sells many plants at her shop that grow vigorously in low light conditions.

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Casey Allen, florist and owner of the Trendy Tulip in Independence, was the guest speaker at the March Garden Club meeting. Casey sells many plants at her shop that grow vigorously in low light conditions.

Following the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Conservation Pledge, club members listened as guest speaker and local florist Casey Allen shared some of her experiences and knowledge in caring for houseplants that don’t require high lighting to flourish. On March 22, seventeen club members and guests met at the Falcon Center to learn about a few plants that fit that description. Casey, opened the doors to her business, the Trendy Tulip, two years ago after serving as a floral manager at Hy-Vee for thirteen years. After completion of a two-year course of study, Casey became an Iowa Master Florist. Besides designing floral arrangements, Casey loves outdoor gardening, too, and grows 75 different varieties of hostas at her home. She even used her talents one year in decorating a parade float for the Rose Bowl. Casey’s shop offers a variety of florist services and also provides a consignment outlet for creative local citizens who share their talents in providing her store with a variety of soaps, candles, sewing projects, and wooden and metal craft items. She invites people to come take a look in her store to see the wide assortment the shop has to offer.

The Trendy Tulip offers several indoor plants for sale. Some plants such as African Violets, do best in moderate light. However, other plants she sells prefer indirect light, such as those areas that are not directly in front of a window, diffused light that comes from behind a curtained window or basement window, or even a room with high humidity but little natural light such as a bathroom. Casey brought in several low-light plants to the meeting as examples for the club members to see and ask questions about. The pothos, also known as Devil’s Ivy, comes in both green and variegated varieties. The Philodendron plant has many different species. The Chinese Evergreen is a slow-growing plant that is often considered a good-luck plant. The Bird’s Nest fern with its crinkled leaves is native to Australia and southeast Asia and gets its name from looking like a bird’s nest. The glossy leaves of the ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamifolia) will be completely fine in very low light or even rooms with no light at all as they will accept fluorescent lighting as a substitute for natural day light. Best be cautious in bringing this plant into homes with indoor pets. It could be toxic to them. Another easily recognized plant comes in many sizes, variations and names! The spikey leaves of the Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Dracaena) also is referred to as Snake plant, Devil’s Tongue, Bowtie plant, Viper’s bowstring hemp, among other names! The Peace lily is a familiar low-maintenance plant. This plant is frequently given as a funeral memorial gift and is well known for its dark green leaves and white flag-like flowers. The most common mistake is over-watering. The peace lily, as well as, many succulents, don’t mind a little bit of neglect. All these plants thrive in low light so now everyone can have some green beauty in every corner of your home.

Hostesses Jean Rouse and Ruth Hamilton provided festive table decorations celebrating the upcoming Easter season and also provided the group with tasty treats of spring. Roll call was answered by naming a unique houseplant each member has grown. Goldfish plant, rattlesnake plant, burro’s tail, rabbit’s foot fern, and other interesting plants were called out. The Independence Club welcomed Mary Jane Svoboda as a new member. The secretary’s report was approved and filed. Treasurer Linda Bowden explained various expenses in her monthly report. She reported that $400 was given to the Independence High School’s Dollars for Scholars and a second $400 scholarship was also presented to the Jesup High School Dollars for Scholars organization. These scholarships are funded from the proceeds of the annual Garden Club’s Plant Sale which will be held this year on May 14 at the Falcon Center.

Shirley Bergman, District 2 Director, reminded the group that the Decorah Club is looking forward to hosting the District 2 annual meeting on May 6. The meeting in Decorah will feature “Growing Grapes and Making Wine,” “The Seed Saver Story,” and a tour. Registration is due April 20. The state of Iowa will be the hosts for the Central Region meeting for the fall of 2023.

Dan and Becky Alberts recommend for “Tips and Tricks” that gardeners hold off planting cucumber seeds until after June 15. The benefits of procrastinating the time for germination will be fewer problems with both blight and bugs! (Gotta try that one!) They also say gardeners who don’t wish to deal with home canning tomatoes but want the fresh taste of home-grown, should try freezing. Simply core, leave the peels on, and pack away into the freezer. The skins will easily slide off when ready to use.

Joellen Yeager gave the monthly Conservation Report by reporting that this year Arbor Day will be celebrated on April 29. The traditional day is set aside for planting trees. Joellen recommends that before planting, improve the longevity of the tree by doing a bit of research first. Mistakes can be avoided by checking to see if a tree will do well in the soil conditions, the wetness of the proposed site, and the mature space requirements. Don’t set the new tree too deep or too shallow. Avoid mounding mulch high around the trunk of the tree. Consider expanding the different species growing in a neighborhood to help avoid the risk of potential damaging pests and diseases. A video for helping to select a tree and increase diversity has been posted by the Iowa DNR: iowa dnr.gov/urbanforestry. Don’t forget to call Iowa One Call — 811- before digging at least 72 hours in advance to avoid accidents where utilities are located. Jesup city residents are encouraged to fill out an application for the free bare root 18 inch tree seedling as part of a grant with the Iowa DNR and U.S. forest service. Trees obtained through this program must be planted on the recipients’ private property and must be planted within Jesup city limits within one week of being picked up. The seedling cannot be resold. All applications will be reviewed and seedling distribution will be subject to availability. Delivery date will be between April 18-22. The city is working to grow and expand its tree canopy coverage and would like to give citizens an opportunity to help in this mission.

Independence area citizens are encouraged to save and donate for the plastic recycling effort. Plastics include: grocery bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, plastic shipping envelopes, Ziploc, and other food storage bags, cereal bags, salt bags, pallet wrap and film, wood pellet bags, and produce bags. All plastic used has to be clean, dry, and without food residue. (list courtesy of Bulletin Journal) See if the city can save enough plastic to be rewarded with a new bench made from recycled materials!

Ruth Hamilton was responsible for February’s floral arrangement for Lexington Estates. Donna Harms will provide the arrangement for next month. The April meeting will be a road trip to visit Yoder’s South Bend Greenhouse at 1709 Fairbank Amish Boulevard on April 26. Bring a lunch, beverage, and chair. Those wishing to carpool can meet at 12:30 at either the Independence or the Jesup Methodist church’s parking lots. Linda Yoder will share questions and answers on green house growing and provide suggestions for attractive container combinations. Plants and hanging baskets will be available for purchase. The Independence Garden Club welcomes new members or guests. Contact President Ruth Hamilton hamiltonfarm1864@gmail.com for more information. Come join the fun!

A mix of clouds and sun. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 72F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.

Some clouds. Low 64F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Partly cloudy skies. High near 85F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 20 mph.

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