Plant of the Week

Yellow coneflower
Ratibida pinnata (Vent.) Barnh.
other common names: drooping coneflower, gray coneflower, prairie coneflower (also applied to R. columnifera), weary Susan, grayhead coneflower
Ratibida: The origin of this name is not clear
Pinnata: from Latin, meaning “featherlike”
Daisy family: Asteraceae (Compositae)

Photograph by Thomas Rosburg, Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie: The Upper Midwest, Second Edition

April Gardening Tip

In early April, start plants indoors from seeds to set out unprotected in mid-May. These include tomatoes, peppers, marigolds, snapdragons, petunias, and other bedding plants. If you use frost-protective devices, such as Wall O' Water, tepees, floating row covers, or cold frames, you can set out your tomatoes, peppers, and other heat-loving plants mid-month.

Veronica Lorson Fowler with the Federated Garden Clubs of Iowa, Gardening in Iowa and Surrounding Areas