Catch The Action
JULY ON THE WATER July is the month summer weather settles in bringing hot humid days, often with little wind until early afternoon as a sea breeze kicks in, followed by thunderstorms. Most anglers opt for an early start to take advantage of calm seas and avoid the mid-afternoon heat and storms. For those looking […]
Mrs. Lott’s Orchid Moves To Orchid Lane
VANILLA DILLONIANA IS CURRENTLY BLOOMING AT EDISON AND FORD WINTER ESTATES. Now appearing on Orchid Lane at Edison and Ford Winter Estates, Vanilla dilloniana is making its debut. This is no ordinary orchid – if there even is such a thing? Sometimes called Dillon’s Vanilla or Mrs. Lott’s Orchid, this extraordinary example of a leafless […]
Catch The Action
JUNE ON THE WATER June begins the slowdown in Southwest Florida as many people have left the area for the summer. This is good for fishing as there are far less boats on the water and less fishing competition. As always when fishing, there will be good and slow days. With the summer heat the […]
Lily Talk
GLORIOSA LILY IS A NON-NATIVE, VIGOROUS VINE THAT GROWS FROM A CORM. Mina Edison loved lilies – European Madonna lilies in the Moonlight Garden, waterlilies in her specially constructed lily pond adjacent to the Caloosahatchee River, a host of crinums outside her winter home, to lilies-of-the-valley and trout lilies scattered throughout her Glenmont gardens. Despite […]
Catch The Action
MAY ON THE WATER May is a month that ranks high for anglers fishing in the coastal waters of southwest Florida. It could be our best time of the year for chasing big fish. Tarpon season is at its peak. If you want to hook into a big tarpon, this is the time to do it. Large schools […]
What’s Blooming at Edison and Ford Winter Estates: Aralias
S. ARBORICOLA CAN BE USED AS A NATURAL LOOKING HEDGE. When contemplating a plant genus to write about, I tour the gardens at Edison and Ford Winter Estates with open eyes, looking for that specimen that does one of two things – catches your breath or blends into the landscape, hardly noticed. To me, the […]
Catch The Action
APRIL ON THE WATER April may be our top month fishing in the coastal waters of southwest Florida. As we transition into spring, our waters are warming, baitfish have moved in, and fish are hungry. The weather is stable for the month with light winds and mild sunny days, plus not much threat of daily thunderstorms. Also, […]
What’s Blooming At Edison And Ford Winter Estates
PANDANUS: FROM WORLD’S OLDEST PLANT FOSSIL TO YOUR KITCHEN One of the largest plants growing at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates greets visitors along the main allée, just outside the Edisons’ home. Heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian, this unusual plant has made a full recovery, testament to its resilience to wind, water, and salt. […]
73rd Annual Hibiscus Show/Plant Sale
SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1 TO 3 P.M. The James E. Hendry (JEH) Chapter of the American Hibiscus Society announces its 73rd Annual Hibiscus Show/Plant Sale on Saturday, April 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2439 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers. This free hibiscus show is the oldest, largest and best attended of […]
Latania Palms
Nearly a thousand miles east of the coast of Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean, sits an archipelago of islands collectively known as the Mascarene Islands. Their isolated nature and lack of humans until about 1507, allowed these volcanic islands to enjoy a vast biodiversity of flora and fauna. Since either the arrival of the Arabs […]