image from gardenerspath.com.

      Good morning.  Cold again last night.  We had plants outside but put them away as it was predicted to get down to 37.  During the day on Monday with the wind, and clouds it was cold out.  Soon May 1st and then we can get going in our gardens.  Temperature is 40 at 7:15 AM high today of 78 and low of 40 tonight.  BUT we are in a slight chance of storms this afternoon with hail and wind.  I had moved the tall racks into the greenhouse, they will come out but will go back in when the weather is like “wind and hail.”  Soon we will be filling up the long wagons, and then they can go into the east greenhouse if weather is bad.  Stay safe. 
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We have seed potatoes in Yukon Gold, Kennebec, Red Pontiac, and Norland Red.  5# bags.  Also, I have 3 different kinds of fingerling potatoes.  You slice them and plant them as a disc so out of one potato you can get many. 
“Fingerling” is a popular term used to describe long, thin-skinned, fingerlike potatoes that come in a variety of flavors and colors. ‘Jersey Royal,’ an English heirloom, is renowned for its snowy white flesh and flavor akin to roasted chestnuts. The Dutch red fingerling called ‘Desiree’ has rich yellow flesh and a buttery taste. Blue and purple fingerlings, such as ‘Purple Peruvian,’ have earthy flavors similar to those of mushrooms or walnuts. Because the texture of fingerlings is firm and waxy when cooked, they make an ideal potato for salads and casseroles. Waxy potatoes don’t absorb oil as readily as mealy potatoes, so they don’t go limp in salads or become soggy in casseroles. They’re also great steamed, sautéed and baked.
Interesting about planting potatoes in containers.  Planting potatoes in pots.  I did this last year and got some potatoes.   I wondered if I didn’t water enough as they could have been bigger.  Give it a try, here is how to plant them.  Just a reminder you add dirt as they grow, so they don’t have to push all the way through all that dirt.  As you would hill them in the garden, this will give them more dirt to grow.  Potatoes set on from the potato set to the top of that. 

Growing Potatoes in Containers  by Robin Sweetser
Potatoes can take up quite a bit of space in your garden. One solution is to grow potatoes in containers! Gardeners have had success growing spuds in everything from trash cans to burlap bags. Learn how to plant potatoes in pots and, importantly, how to harvest these tasty little treasures!
You can start growing potatoes in pots in early spring! Wait at least two weeks after the last spring frost in your area. See the Almanac’s Frost Calculator.
Start With Seed Potatoes
If you have never tried growing your own potatoes, nothing could be easier. Pick up some certified seed potatoes at your local garden center. (Seed potatoes are not seeds; they are very small potatoes used to grow potato plants.)
They have many colors and types of potatoes to choose from. Many container gardeners do tend to prefer small “new” potatoes in pots versus large russet types.
Potato varieties are also distinguished from one another by how soon they are ready for harvest. Early varieties are good because you get your rewards sooner but late varieties will produce higher yields if properly cared for.
One rule of thumb is to plant seed potatoes that are about the size of a hen’s egg whole and to cut the larger ones.
Types of Containers for Potatoes
Any large container can be used for growing potatoes as long as it has good drainage and opaque (and doesn’t let light through). Trash cans are great, especially ones on wheels. Just be sure to drill lots of drainage holes in the bottom and a few inches up the sides. The container needs to be at least 14 inches deep with a 10 to 15 gallon capacity. Avoiding getting much larger as it gets difficult to water evenly. You’ll need five gallons of soil volume for each plant. If your container has a diameter of 20 inches, you can assume 4 plants.
How to Fill Containers
To fill your container, you’ll want to use half “soilless” potting mix and half well-rotted compost to enrich the soil. You can find bags at garden centers. Never use fresh manure.
Also, if you’re not planting in the ground, do NOT use soil. It compacts in a container, doesn’t drain well, causes rotting, and often carries weed seeds or disease. Potting mix retains moisture but also drains well; compost adds fertility.
How to Plant Container Potatoes
Position your potato pots where they will get 6 to 8 hours of sunshine a day.
Fill your container with 4 to 6 inches of soil. Potatoes prefer a slightly acid soil so leave out the lime, which encourages scab.
Plant each piece and cover with another 2 inches of soil.
Plant pieces 5 to 6 inches apart and 3 to 4 inches away from the sides of the container. 
As the plants grow, gently add soil around the base of the plants; it is okay to cover some of the leaves as long as the top 2/3 or so of the plant still sticks out of the soil.
It is important to keep the stems of the plant covered as they grow because your potatoes grow on short runners which are called stolons that are formed on the sides of the underground stalk. The longer the stalk the more potatoes you’ll get, especially if you are growing a late season variety.
How to Feed and Water Container Potatoes
Water whenever the top 1 to 2 inches of potting soil feels dry to the touch, and apply enough water for some to escape out of the bottom drainage holes. The aim is for “moist,” not soggy.
After the plants have blossomed, potatoes will start to form.
When to Harvest Potatoes in Containers
If you can easily dig around the plants without disturbing the roots too much you can pick some of these small new potatoes to eat. They’re tender and delicious!
Or, wait until the tops of the plants completely die down in the fall to harvest the full crop. Or harvest after the first frost in the fall.
If you wish, you can gently tip the entire container or trash can onto a tarp, then gently sift through and unearth those treasures. Do this in a shady area as tubers should not be exposed to light. Don’t be too rough; potatoes can bruise.
Also, do not wash your potatoes until you are ready to eat them or you risk rot. Just brush off most of the soil before storing in a dark, cool place such as a basement or root cellar.
For a minimum amount of effort you can treat your family to the gourmet delight of home-grown potatoes. Their flavor and texture is far superior to store-bought spuds.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/growing-potatoes-containers
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

     image from publicdomainpictures.net

      ​Opening weekend for the greenhouse, but not very nice weather.  Cloudy, windy, cool and chances of storms.  I know there will be nicer days to come to the greenhouse.  All plants inside for the weekend.   Perennials are coming next week because I waited for this weather that was predicted. 
I am not complaining as we need rain and moisture, but don’t need storms.  Stay safe all.  We are open 9-6 Monday through Saturday, 1-6 on Sunday.  We have seed potatoes, onion sets, just got in onion plants, fingerling potatoes are here.  Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower look good.  Bulk vegetable seeds. Annuals are looking awesome, and some are still growing.  Here we go another year…35 years for doing this.     What can I say!  Glad to be doing this and helping with your garden needs.  Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa [email protected] 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from TheSchottishsun 

     Good morning, it is cool out at 36 degrees at 7:30 AM, but clear, blue sky and not much wind.  Going to be a great spring day. High of 61 low tonight of 35.  Miracle house “ Greenhouse” is loving this sunlight and when the temperature is around 80 degrees.   It is a challenge to keep it that way with lots of fans.  Slowly, I am getting the front of the greenhouse cleaned up and ready for the garden center stuff.  If you drive by, we have the flats on tall racks yet, not putting them on the long wagon racks till after this weekend, with the storms and rain being predicted.
It is my opening weekend, but the weather will play a part in my gardening and yours.  Stay safe.  Open Saturday 9-6, Sunday 1-6 starting this weekend.

Larry and I were coming home from a school program, and we saw the pink moon.  Hopefully you did too.  It was truly the color in the picture.  Nature is just awesome with what it gives us.  Here is some information about the pink Moon in April.
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Prepare for the Full Pink Moon!  By Catherine Boeckmann
You can see the full Moon in April on Tuesday, April 23. It reaches its brightest point at 7:49 P.M. Learn why we traditionally call it the “Pink Moon” and some fascinating facts and folklore.
When to See the Full Moon in April 2024
Venture outside on Tuesday, April 23, to catch a glimpse of April’s full Pink Moon. This full Moon reaches peak illumination at 7:49 p.m. Eastern Time.
For the best view of this lovely spring Moon, find an open area and watch as the Moon rises just above the horizon. At this point, it will appear its biggest and take on a golden hue!
Why Is It Called the Pink Moon?
The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from various sources, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not only to the full Moon.
Although we wish the name “Pink Moon” had to do with the color of the Moon, the reality is not quite as mystical or awe-inspiring. In truth, April’s full Moon often corresponded with the early springtime blooms of a certain wildflower native to eastern North America: Phlox subulata—commonly called creeping phlox or moss phlox—which also went by the name “moss pink.”
Thanks to this seasonal association, this full Moon came to be called the “Pink” Moon!
Pink moss phlox, or “moss pink,” lends its nickname to the April Moon.
April Moon Facts and Folklore
A full Moon in April brings frost. If the full Moon rises pale, expect rain.
According to folklore, the period from the full Moon through the last quarter of the Moon is the best time for killing weeds, thinning, pruning, mowing, cutting timber, and planting below-ground crops.
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty, Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from study.com

      Good morning, cloudy sky this morning temperature is at 50 degrees at 8:00 AM, high of 65 degrees and low of 45 degrees.  Cloudy today, but still a lovely day.  BUT we will have wind out of the NW, because of a cold front coming thru.  What else but WIND?  Stay safe.
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Learn How to Identify Stinging Insects  by Robin Sweetser
Bzzz… Here’s a secret: all “bees” are not created equal. Bees, wasps, and hornets may look alike and belong to the same order of insects called Hymenoptera, but they are different insects. How can you distinguish between a bee, a wasp, and a hornet? Let’s take a look!
Bees and wasps took separate evolutionary paths over 100,000,000 years ago. Bees are vegetarians, collecting pollen to feed their young, while wasps and hornets are carnivores, feeding on other insects. The main thing that they do have in common is that only females can sting.
What’s the Difference Between Wasps, Bees, and Hornets?
Hornets
All hornets are wasps, but not all wasps are hornets. In the U.S., we have no native hornets. Our main hornet is the European hornet, which was introduced to New York in 1840. It looks like a large yellowjacket—about ¾ to 1½ inches long—and nests in the ground or in hollow trees.
Beneficial Insects in the Garden
Native Bees: The Best Pollinators for Your Garden
Another “hornet” we commonly encounter is the bald-faced hornet, a type of paper wasp closely related to the yellowjacket. They are black with white markings on their face and abdomen. You have probably seen their huge, gray, basketball-sized nests swinging high in a tree.
A new hornet that was recently introduced to the West Coast got a lot of press a few years ago. The Asian giant hornet is also called the “murder hornet” for the way they attack honey bee colonies, killing the bees by ripping off their heads, eating the honey, and stealing the larva to feed to their own young. They are the giants of the wasp world, measuring 2 inches long. In Japan, they are called sparrow wasps since they resemble small birds in flight. Their sting is very painful to humans, and about 50 unlucky people a year are killed by the deadly neurotoxin contained in their venom.
Wasps
Although there are many solitary wasps, such as digger wasps and mud daubers, most wasps are considered social, meaning that they live in colonies with a queen, female worker bees, and drones, like honeybees. Solitary wasps nest in the ground or in natural cavities, while social wasps attach papery nests made from chewed fibers to tree limbs or the eaves of your house.
The honeycomb structure of a large, above-ground paper wasp nest. Although they look like yellow jackets, they are not! Yellowjackets are much smaller.
The yellowjacket is a social wasp that will nest above or below ground. In the fall, all the social wasps die off—except for the fertilized queens. They overwinter in protected spots such as hollow logs, under loose tree bark, or in a soil cavity and emerge in the spring to start a new colony. Solitary wasps depend on their larvae to mature in spring and start a new generation.
Are Hornets and Wasps “Bad Bugs”?
No! Wasps are very important, playing a vital ecological role in controlling pests. Social wasps are predators, collecting insects such as caterpillars, grubs, grasshoppers, aphids, and flies, which are stung, paralyzed, and put into the egg chambers for newly hatched larvae to eat. Wasps also prey upon spiders; the blue mud dauber’s preferred meal is the black widow!
Since wasps prey on some bad bugs, they should be considered beneficial to gardeners. Adults feed on nectar, doing some accidental pollinating simultaneously, so they are minor pollinators.
On the other hand, they are drawn to meat and sweets and scavenge whatever they find, so they can be a nuisance for outdoor dining and will congregate around trash cans. If you encounter them, don’t swat at them or act aggressively, or you risk being stung. They will also sting to protect their hive. If you should accidentally mow over a ground nest—run! Unlike honey bees, who can only sting once, wasps are capable of stinging multiple times.
Bees eat pollen and nectar, feeding it to their young. This makes them important pollinators. Bees look furry because they are covered with branched, feather-like hairs that pollen clings onto. Bees are not aggressive and only sting in self-defense. In fact, the male bees have no stinger. With the exception of honey bees and bumblebees, most bees are solitary and live in underground nests. Each female takes care of her eggs and gathers pollen to feed the larvae when they hatch. There are about 4,000 species of bees native to the U.S. and Canada
Identifying Bees, Wasps, and Hornets at a Glance
Bees have a wide, hairy body and stout legs and lose their stinger when they sting.
Wasps and hornets have skinny bodies with narrow waists. Their bodies are mostly hairless and can sting multiple times.
Of course, there are many kinds of bees. Most of us grew up learning about the sophisticated social structures of honey bees and bumblebees, and we’ve come to think that their lifestyle represents all bee behavior. The truth is that the world is home to more than 20,000 species of bees, and a whopping 90% of them do not live together in hives.
Our native solitary bees—such as mason bees and leafcutter bees—which are most vital to our flowers and food. Learn more about these amazing heroes of pollination—and see how to bring these docile native bees to your garden.
The Life Cycle of Bees, Wasps, and Hornets
Whether bee, wasp, or hornet, the basic life cycle is the same—egg, larva, pre-pupa, pupa, adult. Fertilized eggs produce female bees, while unfertilized ones produce males. Eggs are placed in individual nest cells and provisioned with a food source for the newly hatched larvae to eat—a loaf made of pollen and nectar for bees or a paralyzed insect for wasps.
Some eggs hatch in a few days, while others wait until the next season to emerge. The larvae eat, grow, and molt their skin up to 5 times. The pre-pupal stage can last a long time. An egg laid in the spring can take all summer to reach the pre-pupal stage, and then it can stay that way all fall and winter. Some bees remain pre-pupal for several years! The pupa looks like an adult but is pale in color and has no wings or hair. In a short time, it chews its way out of the nest as an adult.
Wasps, Bees, and Hornets are Beneficial
Most bees, wasps, and hornets are beneficial. Both wasps and hornets are real workhorses for pest management in the garden and farm, feeding on the “bad” insects that destroy crops. In fact, if you were able to see many of their nests, they’re stocked with paralyzed adult grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, and sawflies. Learn 10 Ways to Help Pollinators
Also, if you look carefully at the garden, wasps are very helpful pollinators! They are usually solitary and non-aggressive, busily hovering and moving from flower to flower. There are so many Beneficial Insects in the Garden!
None of these beneficial insects should be killed unless their nest is close to humans and is creating a hazard. For example, we had bald-faced hornets make a nest next to our front door, and every time the door opened or closed, they were ready to fight! Needless to say, that nest had to go. We waited until after dark when the bees had all returned to the nest and sprayed an aerosol wasp killer into the entrance hole. After a few days of seeing no activity, we were able to remove the nest.
For ground-nesting wasps and hornets, locate the entrance hole, spray into the opening, and plug the hole with a large rock. Don’t try to burn or drown a nest with water. That just makes them mad! When attempting any eradication of nests, be sure to dress appropriately, covering your eyes and all bare skin (just in case). Also, be sure to have an escape route planned!
Otherwise, pause before you kill these insects; remember that they are a beneficial part of our ecosystem and especially critical for pest control in our gardens, public lands, and croplands.
Do you see wasps, hornets, and bees in your garden?
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/wasps-bees-and-hornets-whats-difference
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from emilerichards.com.

     Good morning, Earth Day it looks like.  Besides, being a spring like day  Temperature at 8:30 AM is at 47 degrees high today of 66 degrees low of 42.  Partly cloudy skies and chance of rain.  Now doesn’t that sound like spring.  Enjoy this spring weather.  Stay safe.
It took me 3 hours to water ½ of greenhouse yesterday.   BUT can I tell you the plants are growing and looking awesome.  Now I want to clean up the front of the greenhouse turning it from a growing greenhouse to a garden center for selling.  I take before and after pictures for you.  Wish me luck! As I always have this to do the final time before we are open.  Official we are open Friday April 26th.  Trees and shrubs are coming today, perennials order now waiting for Swifts to deliver for this weekend.  Opening we will be here for 78 days in a row.  As always gardening for you. 
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Earth Day quiz give it a try. 
Find the answers to these five questions at the end of the page! (Don’t peek!)

1. How much of the plastic that we discard every day is recycled?

    2.What is one way to leave our soil and farmland in better shape than we found it?
    3.How much time in nature allows the average person to feel an improvement in physical and mental well-being?
4. What do bees collect from flowers?
5. How much edible food is wasted?

Answers to our Earth Day Quiz
 Only 9% of the plastic we discard every day is recycled. Most end up in landfills, where they may take 1,000 years to decompose and increase toxic waste in our water and soil.
Here are three ways to leave the soil as good as we found it: reduce tillage, use crop rotation practices and compost!
Only 120 minutes per week (or less than 20 minutes per day) can contribute to a measurable improvement in physical and mental well-being!
Bees collect both nectar and pollen from flowers to feed their colonies. The bees then move the pollen from plant to plant, which allows the plants to make new seeds. Neither would exist without the other.
About 25% of food is never eaten due to being less than perfect. Food waste is a massive issue as it wastes water, energy, land, labor, and financial capital. Find new ways to put food to use!
Every day is Earth Day!
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/content/earth-day-date-activities-history
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Doughety Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from Wily.com. 

       Whoops I forgot to post yesterday.  Unbelievable work to do to get ready for the greenhouse opening.  Larry worked on cleaning up the front of the old store.  It looks good.  I am working on the greenhouse turning it from a growing greenhouse to a retail greenhouse.  IT is slowly coming.  Larry needs to cut down a tree that died by greenhouse and cut off some branches.  As always when you have one job, you need to complete 2 more to be able to do that.  We had to move pots around the camper which is a club house for our grandkids, and an office for me in the summer. Today’s project for Larry work on those trees.  I will be working on more cleaning and watering and hopefully a little more planting. 
Weather wise it is cooler out with temperatures around freezing this morning.  We are having cloudy skies so will keep it cooler today.  Enjoy your weekend, and hopefully you can work a little in your gardens doing what you have to do.
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What will our weather be like in May?  Here is what the Old Farmers’ almanac says. 
What weather can we expect for May 2024? Looks like spring continues with a warm, wet May.
May Forecast 2024
Overall, May looks to be warm across much of the eastern U.S., including the Great Lakes, eastern Ohio Valley, and much of the South. We expect below-average temperatures from the Plains to the Upper Midwest. Just as on the East Coast, the West Coast of the U.S. and much of the Rockies will be warmer than average, along with Alaska. Near-normal temps will prevail in Hawaii.
Along with this warmth in the eastern U.S., we do expect a wet May, which could mean a good amount of thunderstorm activity. Near- to below-average rainfall is expected from the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley westward to the Upper Midwest and Heartland, as well as the northern Plains and northern Rockies. Wetter weather will get suppressed farther south from the southern Plains back through the Desert Southwest. The West Coast will generally be on the drier side.
What do you think about this forecast?  We will see if it is correct. 
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/may-forecast
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from Britannica. 

Good morning and it is frosty here this morning.  The temperature is 33 degrees at 7:30 AM, but there is a blue, clear sky.  Warm up to 50 but there is going to be N-NW wind up to 40 mph so that will make it cooler. We are protected with the greenhouses at the south end of town.  It will be comfortable in the greenhouse for sure.  Plants will like it. 
Now, in addition to the work I am doing, Larry needs to cut down a couple of ash trees close to the greenhouse.  We must move the camper which I use as an office in the summer.  AND if you know me, I have pots and stuff around the camper to move.  I must admit at the end of the day of cleaning, planting and moving stuff I am tired and muscles are a little sore. In the morning, I feel refreshed and ready to do it all over again.  That is my blessing of gardening.    So grateful that I can do what I can do, after having 4 joints replaced.  I appreciate all that I can do. 
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One of my favorite bushes is a butterfly bush.  It is hard for this bush to come back every year even thought it says zone 5 hardy.  It isn't that expensive; it grows quickly so if you have to plant every year as an annual it is ok.  

Planting, Growing, and Pruning Butterfly Bushes
Catherine Boeckmann
The butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) is a fast-growing shrub with masses of showy, fragrant flowers that attract pollinators. Planted in spring or fall before frost, this perennial will bloom from summer through autumn. Learn how to grow a butterfly bush (and learn if you should plant a butterfly bush).
About Butterfly Bushes
Also called “summer lilacs,” Buddleia are hardy to Zone 5 and remain evergreen from Zone 8 south. Growing 5 to 10 feet tall, this large, arching shrub produces an abundance of flowers—long, spiked trusses—in mainly purple and pink colors. The shrub grows well in perennial gardens or as a shrub border, and the flowers are good for cutting.
 
Don’t prune at the wrong time. Butterfly bush growth appears on new wood, so pruning should wait until the new wood is ready to grow in spring. Also, be patient with this shrub as it may not leaf out in the spring until after other perennials.
Note: The butterfly bush does provide adult butterflies with nectar similar to that of many flowers. However, it is not a “host plant” for butterfly larvae; if you want the butterflies to stay, be sure to add native host plants such as milkweed, aster, and dill.
Caring for Butterfly Bushes
Water freely when in growth and sparingly otherwise. In the summer, water if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
Avoid fertilizing butterfly bush; too much fertility promotes leaf growth over flower production.
Remove spent flower spikes to encourage new shoots and flower buds.  In addition, it is important to deadhead the flowers just as they start to wither so that this invasive plant doesn’t spread volunteer seeds. Deadheading of this invasive is now required in many states.
Each spring, apply a thin layer of compost, then 2 to 4 inches of mulch to retain moisture and control weeds.
In cold, Northern climates, spread mulch up to 6 inches deep around the trunk to nurture it through the winter.
Buddleias are very late to break dormancy, so don’t be in a hurry to assess winter damage.
The bush should bloom abundantly even in its first year. In warmer climates, the bushes will grow into trees and develop rugged trunks that peel; peeling is normal.
In the northern limit of their range, they behave as herbaceous perennials, dying back to the root in cold winters.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/butterfly-bush
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from Pinterest. 

Good morning, and a change is here.  The cold front has moved in so it is cold wind from the N NW.  The temperature is still at 52 high today of only 57 with a low tonight of 43.  Have you seen what the next 3 nights will be?  Lows 32, 29 and 28.  Yes this is normal spring weather.  GOOD news we all got rain.  Hopefully the storms didn’t affect you at all.  Stay safe, and stay warm
      Busy in the greenhouse, 4 of us planting and it is coming.  Still have plugs to plant yet.  It was not so warm as the day before.  Furnace running now to keep us comfort and for the plants to continue to grow.  
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     What is blooming in the yards this spring?  How about Dogwoods?
Dogwoods are arguably the most spectacular flowering trees. A native tree with several seasons of interest, dogwoods bloom in the spring, leaf out in the summer, and bear red berries and foliage in the fall. Learn how to plant, grow, and care for flowering dogwoods.
About Dogwoods
Dogwoods are a group of shrubs and small trees in the genus Cornus. They are native to eastern North America, from Canada to Mexico, and are the state flower of North Carolina and Virginia. They are also the state tree of Virginia.
This article will focus on the famous and beautiful flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, which is hardy Zones 5 to 9. These small trees make excellent specimen plantings in the landscape. They often bear short trunks, a spreading crown with multiple branches, and long-flowering pink or white flowers.
In the wild, these are understory trees that thrive below the canopy of larger trees. They enjoy the shaded environments of the forest, striving to get a bit more light. As understory trees, they prefer partial sun and some shelter from the wind. They’re often found in moist environments, near rivers, but they do not like wet feet. Keep their natural habitat in mind because they don’t like to be out in the open.
Native Americans treasured dogwood for its hardwood, which they used to make pulleys and spools; the bark and roots were also used for medicinal reasons.
When do Dogwoods Bloom?
Flowering dogwoods bloom in the spring before the leaves emerge, often in April or early May.
The pink, white, or red colors last for about two weeks in springtime. Light green leaves emerge and turn darker green in summer.
Then, leaves turn reddish in the fall, which brings showy red berries. The fruits are not poisonous but bitter and inedible to humans and beloved by birds and wildlife.
Enjoy is all I can say.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/flowering-dogwood-trees
Till next week, this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from Pinterest 

What a change this morning.  The temperature is at 50 but it is cloudy, rainy and windy out.  We had rain during the night and we are in for having severe weather today.  Lift warm front is lifting through.  Stay safe you all. 
5 fans went yesterday, and it was still very warm in the greenhouse.  Plants happy but hard on the ones planting.  Watering so important when it is so warm.  Looks like a couple of days of rain and cloudy weather.  So completely different for planting for sure.
I do believe lots of corn was planted before this rain.  Time for all of us to start the growing season.  For me, cleaning, organizing what the help plants, where to put it and of course the watering.  I like to do it when the plants are young so I can see if they are ok. I hope to do some planting myself today.
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Question asked of me, so I reached out to a gardener that went to school for horticulture “my expert.” 
Why does a gardener’s daffodils not bloom? Question asked to me.
They may be crowded. I planted 10 in a circle but when I dig them up after 5 years I have over 100 bulbs! Tell them daffodils are low maintenance, not no maintenance. 😉 They need to be thinned out after the foliage dies back around June. Replant 10 (easy number to remember) back in original hole, dry the rest for a few days and store in a paper bag until this fall to plant around the yard.
I will check with the one that asked the question if this gives her any help. 
All stay safe with this severe weather we are in.  Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from clipart-library.com 

       What a lovely morning, temperature at 8:30 AM is at 54 degrees high today of 73 and low tonight of 50.  BUT with this warming weather we are in a slight risk of storms tonight and tomorrow.  2 fronts are near us so that will lead to storms.  Predicted though one to two inches of rain, and that will be nice.  I have noticed when the farmers are working up the ground the dust is flying behind them. 
Today three of us planting, and it will be warm in the greenhouse today.  Yesterday I didn’t turn any fans on, and it was 107 when we came home from church.  I worked later in the afternoon to water and clean up for more planting today.  I worked on bookwork instead which needs to get completed too. 
The planters are finishing up on zinnias and will start on big bronze leaf red begonias.  They are great as a plant in containers and landscape.  I know pictures I will try to get today.  With these warm temperatures lots of watering for me to do, but the plants are growing in this miracle house.
I am open every afternoon Monday thru Friday this week.  I will have one more weekend off before the last weekend of April, then I will be here every day till the end of June.  Onion sets, seeds potatoes, bulk seeds, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower can go into the garden.  It will look like work in progress as I am busy planting and making room for the plants.  Up front looks like we are working and not open.  BUT we are here in the afternoon. 
Enjoy this weather, farming community and all the workers stay safe.  Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365