The trees are putting on rather a dazzling show this year.October brings us the terrific colors, the fiery red, gold and yellow leaves of the trees, burnished tall yards, and even the weeds are colorful.And we garden enthusiasts commemorate completion of the season
, with just a twinge or more of nostalgia for the spring daffodils and lilacs, summer’s tomatoes and huge sunflowers, and, naturally, Iowa sweet corn.A concern I have been asked recently is what is the brilliant red vine and leaves climbing up some trees? Is it poison ivy? Toxin oak? Sumac?Frankly, I have not gotten close enough to inspect the variety of leaves as the majority of these host trees appear to be dead and are deep in a gorge. If you must get close keep in mind the stating, “leaves of 3, leave it be.” Poison oak and ivy both have three leaves.Poison Sumac is a shrub, a tree really, and it, too, can cause a rash. It is a stunning red in the fall but it does not climb up. It is tall and easy to appreciate without touching.My last guess would be Virginia Climber, which has 5 long leaves and often has small blueberries. This plant climbs up by cup-like projections from the leaves that bond securely to the tree.It has those lovely little blueberries.
Don’t eat them. They are dangerous. And the sap from the leaves can trigger a rash.If you are walking, hiking with children, do warn them that these vibrant vines are pretty, but not so friendly.Inspiring garden task at Iowa City school Mentioning children, the majority of take to gardening with much enthusiasm, it seems. And why not? It is a genuine method to get filthy, to have fun with the pipe and to witness
tiny seeds pressing through the ground and developing into big flowers and veggies. Krishna Kapoor is an alum of Weber Elementary in Iowa City, and now is at West High School. Kapoor looked for, and won, a $750 award from Witinok Science Education, an award provided to science education efforts in the district. Kapoor and her friend Zoe understood they wished to find a”cool project, “she stated, that involved Weber Elementary.They decided to do a garden. Within a week, boards had been bought, made into four garden beds by the West High store
class, the soil added by Green Method Landscaping and plants offered by Iowa City Landscaping.Kapoor is excited by what the children can do. She described the program for this academic year.”We are fulfilling in Weber twice a week with various ages and classes. We are teaching lessons about garden health, plants in the garden, recycling, composting, an.d more. Activities include working in the garden, determining organisms in the garden, producing recycled art, and more active games like’think what crop is in package? ‘and ‘recycling relays ‘.”This is a challenge to work with the children, however she said enthusiastically,
“We will continue to deal with trainees through the year to teach them more and truly make them feel like a part of
the garden. Our ultimate goal is to make these trainees understand that they can be a part of developing change regarding the climate.”Her words once again are motivating:”We wish to promote little actions that they can take to live greener lives. In the future, we want to create more diverse lessons and include more volunteers/schools.”More: At Iowa City elementary school, two former trainees teach
lessons about nature in new garden Perfect time to plant milkweed seeds for spring So here it is mid-October currently and it is nearly time to clear the garden and take in the house plants. Nevertheless, it is not too late to plant spring bulbs and this is the perfect time to plant milkweed seeds to assist increase the Emperor butterfly population.Joan Van Hulzen and Twila Finkelstein,
who live at Vintage Co-op in Coralville, discovered an area on the premises to plant the seeds straight from pods gathered on a walk. As the pods dry on the stalks, the wind will take much of the seeds and spread them. Nevertheless, milkweed does not like to compete and does not normally win against yard, tree and weed roots.It is best to clear an area, till up the soil a bit and lay the seeds on the top of the ground