I was told by a neighbor that I can use club soda to kill fire ants by pouring about two cups directly in the center of the mound. He said the carbon dioxide in the water displaces the oxygen, which suffocates the queen and the other ants, killing the whole colony within about two days. Is there any legitimacy to this? ...more

December 31, 2009

At Monday night's Avon Park City Council meeting, Rene Green, finance director, stormed off after a heated debate with council members on code enforcement's budget for demolition. ...more

December 30, 2009

I promised myself last winter that I wouldn't go through this ever again: running around in the dark; covering plants when it's cold and windy; moving dozens of pots indoors or, at least, into the lanai; and losing sleep over which of my pretties would make it through a frost or freeze. ...more

December 27, 2009

I've always had a tendency to lump poinsettias into a category with other popular Christmas gift plants, such as holiday cacti, amaryllis, paperwhites and orchids. Even if they never bloom again, I tell myself, they're worth the investment, because they're so beautiful and last much longer than cut flowers. ...more

December 6, 2009

About 100 people attended the inaugural Dirt Bag tour Oct. 31 at the Riverview Flower Farm. ...more

November 11, 2009

When Penny first started planning our Oct. 31 field trip to Riverview Flower Farm, we thought we'd be lucky to get 10 gardeners to come along. ...more

November 8, 2009

Volunteer Way food bank officials are sporting green thumbs to combat hunger during the recession. The first shipment of plants and seeds for a large-scale hydroponic garden at the food bank are scheduled to arrive Wednesday. ...more

November 4, 2009

Try something different for 4th of July. ...more

July 1, 2009

A collection of advice on kitchen questions. ...more

February 11, 2009

If ever there was a day to cut out of work early and get home before the sun goes down, today's the day. When the sun drops, so will the temperature, and covering plants is a whole lot easier without mittens on your hands. ...more

February 4, 2009