Welcome to the Department of Horticulture at
Iowa State University

HORTICULTURE STUDENTS COMPETE IN LANDSCAPE CONTEST

Nine horticulture students competed at the national Professional Landcare (PLANET) Student Career Days in Atlanta March 28 and 29. The annual event is sponsored by national and regional companies within the landscape industry, and brought together 850 students from 64 colleges and universities. Iowa State's top finishers included: Derrick Peterson, seventh in safety management; Shane Mariet eighth in compact utility operation; Bryce Frost, Luis Alvarez and Cody Cook, 10th in landscape plant installation; and Mariet and Ryan Abbas 14th in truck and trailer operation. Ann Marie VanDerZanden, horticulture, led the team.

2008 ISU Shade Tree Short Course Was a Huge Success

The 52nd Annual ISU Shade Tree Short Course (March 11-12, 2008) featured great weather (for a change), an excellent menu of topics and speakers, and a robust audience of approximately 550. The topic of global climate change took center stage during the opening general session. Dr. Bert Drake from the Smithsonian Institution and ISU’s resident climate expert Dr. Elwynn Taylor presented somewhat opposing explanations for the recent warming trend, but reasoned debate and respectful discourse is what the STSC is all about. As always, there was a workshop for every imaginable interest, from plant pathology and entomology to landscape design and photography. There even was a presentation on the rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina.

Next year, the STSC will be teaming-up with the Iowa Nursery & Landscape Association in a joint conference and trade show (February 25-27, 2009). This exciting and mutually beneficial partnership will bring additional participants and a broader range of workshop topics to this grand old extension program.

ISU turf team brings home 7th win in a row.....

Horticulture turf students returned from Orlando, FL last week where 27 of our students competed in a GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl with 92 teams from around the country. Congratulations to the ISU turf team for receiving 1st place.

Horticulture students.......

Student Study Abroad Opportunity - Spring 2008

Service Learning through a School Garden Program in Uganda

Dr. Gail Nonnecke, Professor in the Department of Horticulture, co-led a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences study abroad, service learning course to Uganda in June/July 2007. A bi-national team comprised of university students and faculty from Iowa State University and Makerere University in Uganda worked in school gardens and taught agriculture classes in elementary/middle schools. University students and faculty worked with school children and their teachers in school garden plots in the Namasagali Primary School and the Nakanyonyi Primary School in the Kamuli District. The Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods at Iowa State University and VEDCO, a nongovernmental organization in Uganda, Volunteer Efforts for Development Concern, were partners in the program. Primary school children benefit from the program by learning agriculture, food, and nutrition skills and by taking their new knowledge to their families and home gardens and farms. Food produced in the school gardens is used in school lunch programs in a district that has significant malnutrition. University students learn cross cultural and interdisciplinary methods of solving real world problems. This year's program included two horticulture undergraduate students, Susannah Stofer and Lisa Wasko. The 2007 study abroad course was the second year of the study abroad program that was initiated in 2006 when Lee Beck, a horticulture major, participated. Students interested in this program or other study abroad opportunities in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences may contact the college's study abroad office at 111 Curtiss Hall, Ames IA 50011, Shelley Taylor, Director, (e-mail at: sztaylor@iastate.edu), or may view their website at: http://www.agstudyabroad.iastate.edu/homepage.htm


View slideshow

Home Demonstration Garden Field Day held at the Armstrong Research Farm in Lewis, Iowa

Dr. Cindy Haynes, Associate Professor of Horticulture reported there were approximately 200 people in attendance at her annual Home Demonstration Garden Field Day held June 13, 2007 at the Armstrong Research Farm. The purpose of this field day is to display and discuss different cultivars of annual flowers and vegetables and maintenance techniques for the home garden. This year the focus was on cool-season plants such as lettuce, cabbage and pansies. They also taste tested 8 different varieties of strawberries.

Emilie Justen, Horticulture Graduate Student speaking to the crowd about growing and tasting greens like spinach, mustard and lettuce.

Richard Jauron, Extension Program Specialist and Emilie Justen, Graduate Student sampling different strawberry varieties.

Coming Soon... New Department of Horticulture Greenhouses!

You remember the Department of Horticulture greenhouses don't you? Well, the site of countless VEISHEA plant sales, Horticulture Club projects, and laboratory sessions is due for a major facelift. In fact, we are currently in the initial stages of designing and fundraising for a brand new greenhouse complex. After all, a portion of the greenhouse range was constructed way back in 1913!

Keep an eye on this web site for new developments, updates, photographs to update you, and ways you might get involved in raising the necessary funds to complete this important and exciting project.

Letter to Horticulture Alumni and Friends with details regarding our new greenhouses