EILEEN WARD

• Gardening: The return of the royal palm bug Published 05/25/2012 at 2:17 p.m.

  I’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to Switzerland. Spring was just budding forth when I arrived so the fields were full of wild flowers, tulips and daffodils. The climate there is similar to Vermont where I was born and ...

• Gardening: Rains are good, but they bring a pest Published 04/26/2012 at 1:49 p.m.

  The recent rains may have been enough to be somewhat of a relief for our parched lawns. While this rain will help to slow the damage caused by the drought it is also going to cause a population of chinch ...

• Gardening: Bougainvillea in bloom Published 04/12/2012 at 2:17 p.m.

  When the bougainvillea is in bloom, everyone wants to know what the beautiful flowering plants seen all over the island are. This plant is without a doubt one of our most bright and colorful tropical plants.

• Gardening: The water we need to feed our lawns Published 04/06/2012 at 9:43 a.m.

  It’s spring and we need rain. This much needed water would help to refresh our drought stricken lawns and gardens. It would also activate the fertilizer applied this spring which will add strength to help them better survive the rest ...

• Gardening: Preparing for summer growing season Published 03/30/2012 at 8:26 a.m.

  After our colder winter months it is time to start thinking about pruning the shrubs in the yard to remove any cold damage or just to renovate, reduce size and prepare them for the summer growing season. We were lucky ...

• Gardening: Many methods to manage pests, less pesticide Published 03/22/2012 at 3:26 p.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 lot ...

• Gardening: The fruit of our labors Published 03/15/2012 at 2:47 p.m.

  So many fruit trees are flowering and setting fruit right now. Citrus, mango, avacado, pineapple, and many more. Two of my favorites are the jaboticaba and surinam cherry.

• Gardening: There are poisonous plants on Marco Published 03/08/2012 at 3:29 p.m.

  Many shrubs and trees we plant in our landscapes can be poisonous to humans and animals. Some are toxic if ingested and others may be irritating to the skin.

• Gardening: Winter recovery calls for fertilization Published 03/01/2012 at 2:03 p.m.

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

• Gardening: Spring harkens hot and dry ahead Published 02/23/2012 at 3:34 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.

• 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 ...

• Gardening: Take advantage of the rain; protect from the dry Published 07/16/2009 at 8:28 p.m.

  Second only to August, July is one of the hottest months with high temperatures averaging 90 degrees and lows averaging 75 degrees. We can expect at least eight inches of rain making July usually a very wet month as well.

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