Gardening

Optimizing outdoor space is a great way to add square footage to your home this fall

It’s time to get out of the blazing sun and see which plants can join us

This month is a time of transition in the garden

Take measures to protect your plants from the coming chill

Florida-Friendly Landscaping principles can guide our planting and our gatherings

Nature has been put at a distance, enjoyed in small doses outside the day-to-day demands of our civilized world.

Bromeliads are colorful tropical plants that are easy to cultivate and care for, but too often overlooked by beginning gardeners. Sally Gawler, president of the Indian River Bromeliad Society, wants to change that. So do a growing number of members who meet the second Monday of every month at the Garden Club of Indian River County to learn from horticultural experts, exchange ideas and share bromeliad success stories.

Ingrid Biesaart found the house of her dreams. Or maybe the house found her. Her priorities were clear when she started house-hunting by herself in 2007.

The month of May in Vero Beach might well be considered the beginning of summer, especially from the gardener’s perspective.

September in Florida might be likened to late winter in the North.

Imagine a pristine white cottage with a clay pot of bright crimson geraniums sitting at the base of a newel post.

As I put this column to bed, it is early December and we have been having unusually cool weather as the wind has been steadily out of the north, which brings to mind one of the worst fears of Florida gardeners. Freeze.

It's that time of year when high season is becoming low as the temperature and humidity are moving in the other direction. And, once again, those of us who are year-rounders much concentrate on the positive aspects of summer in Florida.

This title is also the title for a poster contest that the Sebastian Tree Advisory Board conducted for elementary students this past year in honor of national Arbor Day. The contest was judged by art students at Sebastian River High School and prizes were donated by local merchants.

Some people abhor the thought of a black tie affair and avoid such events as they would a plague.

Remember on Monty Python when they used to say: “And now for something completely different...”

Vero Beach is unique for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it straddles the Carolina temperate zone and the Caribbean subtropical zone.

It’s not a pleasant subject but hey, somebody has to do the dirty work.

Don’t hedge me in.

At this time of year, as the temperatures begin to rise, we start thinking about spending more time in our air-conditioned digs.