New yard and garden website offers timely info and answers

Information is now listed by topic and is more accessible on mobile devices

Home gardeners and homeowners can find timely information on the Yard and Garden website – launched this spring by the horticulture team with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

The new website replaces Horticulture and Home Pest News, which was the go-to site for home gardening news for many years.

The biggest improvements are how content is organized and improved accessibility for those using mobile devices.

“The new website now features content organized by topic area and a fresh new look that works very well on mobile devices,” said Aaron Steil, consumer horticulture specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “This is important, because nearly three-quarters of our website visitors are using mobile devices.”

The popular website logged 3.2 million visitors last year and continues to be a destination for those looking for answers to common home gardening questions.

Topics in the menu bar include trees, flowers, edibles, lawn, houseplants, basics and problems. The site also covers timely topics and yard and garden news.

“All of these changes should make it easier for Iowans to find the information they are looking for,” said Steil. “This information is also valuable to county extension offices, which depend on the website to answer yard and garden questions within their counties.”

Steil encourages visitors to bookmark the new site or update existing bookmarks, for easy access. (Links to the old website will redirect to the new site.)

Gardeners can also sign up for the “Iowa Gardening News” newsletter, which provides timely information and reminders all year.

For more information, Steil can be reached at 515-294-8953 or [email protected].