Plant of the Week

Prairie cord grass
Spartina pectinata Link
other common names: cord grass, freshwater cord grass, marsh grass, slough grass, tall marsh grass, rip gut
Spartina: from Greek spartine, a cord such as that made from the bark of Spartinum. This was probably from the strong, tough leaves.
Pectinata: from Latin, meaning “comblike,” from the toothed edge of the leaf blades
Grass family: Poaceae (Gramineae)

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

June Gardening Tip

Plant sweet corn a second time, about two weeks after your first planting in late May, to extend the harvesting season.

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

Plant of the Week

Spotted St. John’s–wort
Hypericum punctatum Lam.
other common names: St. John’s–wort
Hypericum: the ancient Greek name for this genus
Punctatum: from Latin, meaning generally “dotted,” for the conspicuous marking of black and clear glandular dots on its leaves and flowers
St. John’s–wort family: Hypericaceae (The family name is derived from an ancient legend that the bloodlike spots on the leaves appeared immediately after St. John was beheaded.)

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

May Gardening Tip

Mow your lawn to a height of about two inches. The clippings make excellent mulch for flower and vegetable gardens, as long as you haven't treated your yard with herbicide. Keep the lawn well mowed throughout the season - it's one of the best ways to prevent weeds.

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

Plant of the Week

Illinois bundleflower
Desmanthus illinoensis (Michx.) MacM.
other common names: Illinois acacia, prairie mimosa, pickle-weed
Desmanthus: from the Greek words desme, meaning “a bundle,” and anthos, meaning “flower”
Illinoensis: meaning “of Illinois”
Legume family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

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

Rain Garden Interview: Part 2

Is the rain garden working?

Karen: Yes, definitely. It was a bit startling at first to see the rain garden fill up with water during a heavy rain, but since the water drained very quickly, I could see that the water was percolating into the soil just as planned. The plants within the rain garden seem to have thrived. When I last checked we had prairie smoke, golden alexanders, columbine, wild geranium, black-eyed Susans, prairie dropseed, and little bluestem coming back nicely. We may make some adjustments later this spring if some of the other plants don’t reappear.

After the rain garden was installed, we mentioned some basement water issues we were having on the northeast corner of the Kuhl House (the rain garden is on the northwest corner). Jeremy’s team decided to create a berm on the east side of the Kuhl House in an attempt to redirect rain water away from the foundation. The problem hasn’t gone away completely, but less water is coming into the basement.

Since rain gardens are small-scale methods of managing storm water runoff, it’s difficult to quantify the environmental contribution of this rain garden, but if rain gardens were installed in strategic places around campus, they could really make a difference in the amount of runoff that reaches the Iowa River. Our garden is working in terms of how it is filtering water and as a bonus, it is beautiful to look at.

The Kuhl House also has a small prairie garden. How did this come about?

Holly: After publishing so many books on tallgrass prairie restoration, we were dying to tear out the boring yews and daylilies around our foundation. With help and permission from UI Facilities Management, in 2008 we did tear them out, brought in lots of dirt and mulch, and planted tallgrass wildflowers and grasses. We’re still pulling up daylilies, and we need to rein in our brown-eyed Susans and make sure that the cup plants don’t completely take over, but our garden is just gorgeous all summer long, it’s becoming a haven for migrating butterflies, and we are convinced that the long roots of the prairie plants are helping to keep our basement dry.

How are you maintaining the rain garden?

Holly: Karen and I are weeding and clipping regularly—since I’ve retired and am no longer at the Press every day, it’s a pleasure to be able to partner with Karen in the garden—and we’ll continue to monitor the original plants and add new plants as needed. Facilities Management has been in touch with Jeremy Bril and a plan is underway to add mulch and dig a trench around the berm. We’re interested in looking at other ways to handle runoff from our roof and to make our yard even greener. We are considering the possibility of enriching the soil in the front and back yards with organic matter through deep-tine aeration. Stay tuned!

Karen Copp, associate director, design and production manager, UI Press

Holly Carver, former director, current Bur Oak Books editor, UI Press

May Gardening Tip

Except for preceding seeds, just about everything can be planted outdoors after May 10 in the southern half of the state and May 15 in the northern half. After that, there is nearly no danger of frost,

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