EILEEN WARD

• Gardening: Helping yards survive hot, dry weather Published 05/01/2013 at 8:25 a.m.

  Well it looks like we are going right from winter, of which there wasn't much, to summer. We seem to be in a summer-like rain pattern. The recent rains and late fertilizing, due to cold March temperatures, had lawns, shrubs ...

• Gardening: Prepare your lawn for drought and save our valuable water resources every day Published 04/19/2013 at 4 a.m.

  You may have noticed that your lawn is drying out much faster these last few weeks. April is a very dry month averaging only 2.03 inches of potential rain fall. Add to that fact the higher temperatures and wind and ...

• Gardening: The 411 on IPM – Integrated Pest Management Published 04/10/2013 at 10:23 a.m.

  The harmful effects of pesticides and other toxins on our environment are increasingly in the news. Because of our tropical climate we have more pests and diseases than most areas and therefore use more pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers. A new ...

• Gardening: It's time to fertilize lawns, plants and trees Published 04/05/2013 at 4 a.m.

  April has arrived. It's time to fertilize lawns, plants and trees. While this was a very warm winter some winters are very cold and this fertilization helps plants recover from any cold damage done in the winter months. In fact, ...

• Gardening: The pH of your soil can affect your yard Published 03/14/2013 at 7:59 a.m.

  The pH of your soil can affect plant growth and health. If you have an area in your yard that doesn't seem to respond to your fertilizing efforts, check your soil pH. Soil pH is the measure of acidity (sourness) ...

• Gardening: Planting the proper tree Published 03/07/2013 at 7:19 a.m.

  When deciding to plant trees on your property proper tree selection is very important. You should plant the right tree in the right place. Always consider the mature size of a tree when planting. Pay particular attention to the location ...

• Gardening: Spring fertilizing is important Published 02/27/2013 at 2:41 p.m.

  March is here. It is usually the start of our dry season but, unfortunately, we have been in a dry season for a while. Spring time can be very hard on our lawns and shrubs as the temperatures will begin ...

• Gardening: The calm before the storm Published 02/20/2013 at 3:24 p.m.

  Toward the end of February temperatures will begin to warm a little. However, as we just saw, temperatures in the 30s and 40s are still quite common. The little rainfall we get in February will come off the Gulf of ...

• Gardening: Snails and cutworms Published 02/06/2013 at 9:56 a.m.

  It is nice to see the flower beds full of annuals like begonias and petunias in yards around the island. The impatiens are noticeably missing this year due to a mildew disease which has prompted a warning about planting them

• Gardening: 16 known elements required for healthy plants Published 01/30/2013 at 5 p.m.

  There are 16 known elements required for healthy plants. Three of these, carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) all can be obtained directly from air and water. The other 13 elements are supplied through the soil. These are

• Guest Commentary: Nuisance, swale parking in Olde Marco Published 07/19/2012 at 11:12 a.m. 12 Comments

  The problem of nuisance, swale parking by restaurant patrons in Olde Marco is not a new one. In the early ‘90s the Snook Inn expanded it’s outdoor seating and the Old Marco Pub opened. Patrons of the Snook Inn and ...

• Gardening: Recovering from a rough winter Published 03/11/2011 at 2:22 p.m.

  Wow, another cold winter! Not quite as bad as last year but cold enough to damage the more tropical plants in our landscapes. On Marco Island some of our more tropical plants like the Ixora and Croton lost leaves in ...

• Guest Commentary: We’re not ‘landscaping’ Key Marco Published 01/10/2011 at 3:20 p.m. 12 Comments

  It is time to tell the other side of the Key Marco story. Permits were issued by the then Community Development Director for the work that was done on the Indian mound (Tract 2) and in a Native Habitat Park ...

• Guest Commentary: An update on the tide leveling culverts on SR92 Published 10/14/2010 at 1:22 p.m. 2 Comments

  I have been working for the past year to locate and open the existing tide leveling culverts under SR92 to restore flow back to the mangrove die-off area near Goodland and Key Marco. After receiving permission and permits to clean ...

• Guest Commentary: It’s time to help the mangroves Published 04/13/2010 at 11:16 a.m. 6 Comments

  A little over a year ago I wrote a report on the dying area of mangroves between Marco Island and Goodland. Rookery Bay staff reported that part of the problem could be clogged or collapsed culverts under C.R. 92 which ...

• Gardening: Simplicity equals good design Published 08/20/2009 at 7:01 p.m. 1 Comment

  When it comes to landscaping, simplicity equals good design and low maintenance. Low maintenance landscapes are designed so that every shrub, tree and flower-bed will all have definite functions. It is best not to over plant and to eliminate as ...

• Gardening: Help your trees weather the storm Published 08/13/2009 at 8:03 p.m.

  With hurricane season upon us, you should know how to minimize wind damage to your landscape. Trees and shrubs can grow too large or unbalanced to be able to withstand windstorms, so it is wise to learn how to prune ...

• Gardening: Who’s feeding on your lawn? The sod webworm Published 08/06/2009 at 7:37 p.m.

  Several kinds of caterpillars may cause damage to all of our turf grasses. These caterpillars are the immature or larval stages of moths.

• Gardening: Are you ready for August? Published 07/30/2009 at 8:36 p.m.

  August is here and temperatures this month will have highs of about 90-95 and lows in the mid-70s. With more than eight inches of rain this is usually one of the wettest and most humid months.

• Gardening: Another DRY summer? Published 07/23/2009 at 7:42 p.m.

  If you are one of the people who say it’s summer so I can turn off my sprinklers, this column’s for you. In spite of the fact that we are in the rainy season, signs of water stress are on ...

View all stories for this staff member.