Demonstration garden field days begin July 26 at research farms

AMES — Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms will host gardeners looking for planting ideas at field days beginning July 26.

“This year’s Home Demonstration Garden Field Days are devoted to children and cats,” said Cindy Haynes, associate professor of horticulture. “We wanted to get more children involved in gardening and what better way than to feature several flowers and vegetables named after storybook characters.”

Another section of the gardens showcases summer squash with feline-friendly names like cougar, jaguar and leopard. A variety of “bumpy” pumpkins, sunflowers and many new flowers and vegetables also will be featured.

Haynes said this year’s wet weather will provide a good test for blight-resistant tomatoes planted in the demonstration gardens. A new variety of sweet corn, a seedless cucumber, peppers, coneflowers, hollyhocks and canna also will be on display.

Many of the farms plant and maintain vegetable and flower gardens, with help from the Iowa State horticulture department, to give people gardening ideas and display new varieties available in Iowa.

The public is welcome to attend the field days, which are free and take place rain or shine:

FARM—DATE—TIME

Northwest — Rock Rapids (Lyon County Fairgrounds)—July 26—6 p.m.

Armstrong*, Lewis—July 28—6:30 p.m.

Northeast, Nashua—July 30—4 p.m.

Muscatine Island, Fruitland—Aug. 2—6:30 p.m.

McNay*, Chariton—Aug. 3—6:30 p.m.

Northern, Kanawha—Aug. 4—6:30 p.m.

Southwestern Community College (Creston)—Aug. 5—6:30 p.m.

Horticulture Station, Ames—Aug. 11—6:30 p.m.

A tree care and management field day will take place Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm near Sutherland.

Check for the latest information on the research and demonstration farms web site at:  www.ag.iastate.edu/farms-/fielddays.php

When attending a field day at a farm with livestock, marked with an asterisk, visitors are asked to follow these guidelines:

• There is a five-day waiting period prior to visiting Iowa State livestock farms after returning from travel outside the United States.

• If you have visited another livestock farm, you are asked to change clothing and footwear.

• Visitors are not allowed to bring food to the farms.

If you have any questions about the guidelines, call the Research and Demonstration Farms office at (515) 294-5045.