To divert the water's of the Weeki Wachee or any other river for human consumption has been proposed, but it would upset the ecology irrevocably as many species of saltwater fish require freshwater to spawn in. ...more

April 2, 2009

Water management district officials might sound like a broken record, but their mantra is true. Florida is in the middle of a serious drought. This precious resource is in short supply at the moment and it may only get worse. While it can seem unfathomable that a peninsula would face a drought, it's the reality of living in this state. ...more

January 28, 2009

In an effort to combat a tight water supply, the Southwest Florida Water Management District has prohibited the resodding of lawns in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. ...more

November 20, 2008

New rules imposed Tuesday that essentially bar homeowners from replacing sod on their lawns come at the best time of year to put in new sod, when the grass would require less water than in the summer. ...more

November 19, 2008

QUESTION: "I am asking for your advice to rid my shrubs of what my agricultural county agent has told me is a 'fungus'. The shrubs are large, about 8 ft tall, and I let them grow at will with not much trimming as a divider in my huge backyard. The leaves look similar to Red Tip, but are not red. ...more

September 14, 2008

As it does about every two months, a 400-foot barge that hauled molten sulfur from Texas made a slight side trip Wednesday to The Florida Aquarium to disgorge 300,000 gallons of saltwater. ...more

April 10, 2008

Wherever possible, I prefer to find organic solutions to garden problems. Several readers have asked me about using vinegar to eradicate weeds. ...more

February 24, 2008

Former Chicago Sun-Times publisher F. David Radler was given 29 months in prison and a $250,000 fine Monday for his role in stealing millions of dollars from Hollinger International shareholders. ...more

December 18, 2007