2019 garden calendar showcases garden beauty through the seasons

AMES - Gardens are integral parts of home landscapes, providing beauty in the form of colorful flowers, fruit, foliage and bark. The 2019 Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Garden Calendar showcases the beauty that can be found in gardens in backyards and public spaces.

The 2019 Garden Calendar is titled 'Gardens Through the Seasons” and uses stunning photography to showcase gardens throughout the year.

'This year's theme focuses on the fact that there is something going on in the garden throughout the whole year, not just in the spring, summer and fall,” said Richard Jauron, horticulture specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. 'Gardening is a year-round activity.”

A garden's beauty is also enhanced by snow, blue skies, birds and butterflies while providing fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables. The calendar's photography underscores how gardens can be enjoyed throughout the year, not just during the growing season.

'When selecting plants for the garden, we often choose plants that provide interest from spring to early fall,” Jauron said. 'But holly with its red berries or a birch tree with its exfoliating bark are attractive additions to the garden in winter and keep it interesting throughout the year.”

The large calendar grid also offers space to create a gardening journal to record the progress of one's own garden. Monthly tips provide timely information for fruits and vegetables, lawn care, trees and shrubs and much more. Whether it be flowers, fruits, vegetables, trees or turf grass, this annual calendar provides tips on a variety of topics so one can easily know what task should be completed next in the garden.

Calendars can be purchased through the ISU Extension Store or at an ISU Extension and Outreach county office.