14. April 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

Some gardeners are clipper happy and always cutting, sometimes leaving plants in distress they leave so little leaf. Yet others I’ve met are afraid to prune. I’m not sure what they fear, as plants are living and growing and can be cultivated to your desires and needs when pruned appropriately in your garden.

For those of you growing plants like the Yellow Elder, Cape Honeysuckle and Dahoon Holly which bloom in spring, it’s almost time to prune.

It’s especially important to prune plants which bloom on old growth in a timely fashion. It’s those plants whose blooms can be set back and that may even miss their bloom entirely,  if they are pruned too late in the season. For spring blooming plants that bloom remontantly all year or those that bloom on new growth, timing is not as important.

Watch for spring bloomers to have their last flush of bloom, if it’s been over three weeks since the plants last bloom, you can safely assume it is finished blooming for the season. This is then the time to prune those spring blooming plants that bloom on old growth.

If  you are growing small trees as shrubs to keep them low or at eye level, cut them back at the top a few inches shorter than what would be their idea height for your garden. If they are leggy,  and need to be cut so that they will be fuller, be bold and cut them back six to eight inches, or more, if the plant is not pleasing you in its growth, or needs rejuvenation.

If they are are at the right height and not leggy, but growing too full, cut them at the Y juncture close the branch from which they are growing, removing branches to thin the plant.

To fully rejuvenate multibranched shrubs, cut out about one third of their growth at the base of growth at soil level. For the next few years, after each new flush of new branches grows in, cut out another third of the branches, until the shrub is entirely rejuvenated.

Any plants that bloom on new growth can be pruned now as well. Antique roses respond beautifully to pruning and remontant bloomers will bloom beautifully as they always do after they have been pruned.

However, if a plant blooms on old growth and blooms in summer or fall, you will be best served, and able to appreciate their blooms, if you wait until after its last flush of blooms after it blooms in summer or fall.

The beginning of the growing season is always a good time to prune, as you will be able to see the plant flush out with new growth quickly over the course of the summer and fall.

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14. April 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

Join us Saturday, April 17 from 9 am until 3 pm at Birch State Park for an Earth Day Celebration. Native Plant Society, Federation of Garden Clubs and Pink Shovel will be among the there.

Buy native plants and non-pest exotics.

Some of the plants include: Some of the Trees: Clusea, Buttonwood, Bulnesea (also known as Verawood), Dahoon Holly, Miraguama Palm, Florida Thatch Palm, Canary Island Date Palm, Lancewood, Indigo Berry, Mersine guianensis, Crape Myrtle, Seagrape, Lignum Vitae; Some of the Perrenials: Mexican Salvia, Black Eyed Susan, Galardia, Salvia species. Some of the shrubs, subshrubs, cycads and vines include: Yellow Elder, Native Lantana, Dioon Edule, Pandora, Blue Passion Vine.

Hope to see you there. Bring the family. 

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is located at Sunrise Blvd. and A1A @ 3901 E. Sunrise Blvd.

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2. April 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted as I’ve been working diligently on a manuscript for a book I am writing. It’s about time I got back here.

• While watching The Jim Leher Report on PBS today I saw an ad for Earth Grains. I went to the website and made a discovery, as I had suspected I would - that there is some Green Washing going on.  Yes, of course the Sara Lee bread products are made from grains grown on the earth but as you will see if you read the article here, http://industry.bnet.com/food/10001539/sara-lees-earthgrains-smack-down-why-greenwashing-is-hard-to-get-away-with/the company is trying to make us believe that somehow applying the usual chemicals and fertilizers to soil that is being depleted and polluted by these processes is somehow Green, that is, good for the environment, us and is sustainable.

• I hoped for the best while I expected to find the worst. Unfortunately, there was nothing at the earthgrains site that talked about using natural ecologically sound practices or refraining from using genetically modified seed for growing. The genetically modified seed alone angers me. Who wants to eat food which has the herbicides and pesticides genetically implanted in it. It’s just nuts!

• And of course, it’s the way it is these days with industrial foods. So check it out and learn that these breads are no better than others made the usual way. They are not even local.

• If all things are equal, meaning that the crop or food product is produced the usual way, with no consideration for natural organic methods, or the growers don’t use heritage seeds that aren’t genetically contaminated with pesticides and herbicides,  then at least I prefer to buy locally, helping the local economy where I live, and eating food that at least doesn’t have as many chemicals because it doesn’t need to be preserved for storing and shipping until it finally gets to the dining room table.

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6. February 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

This is what I learned when I finally reached someone at Port Everglades to discuss the findings of lead in the water at levels higher than the 15 parts per billion (per litre) Federal regulations allow.

According to Pia Thompson and Jennifer Ganary, who the port director, Phil Allen, directed me to speak with, of the six sites tested at the port which show higher lead levels, the low test was at 52.3 mg per litre and the high at 539 mg. Those are some high numbers.

According to Thompson and Ganary, the only off site areas which rely on water from the 15 distribution sites at the port are the Harbor Shops on 17th Street.

I have not seen any documents which show this to be the case.

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21. January 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

I heard the levels of lead in the water which are higher than Federal Regulations is not affecting any residential areas. I’m hopeful this is a fact. I have not yet heard what the parts per billion are that do affect places where we eat and buy food, such as Publix and area restaurants within the vicinity of Port Everglades. I will keep you posted as I learn more.

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19. January 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

In my previous report, I said that according to the letter written by the Port Everglades director to Publix regarding the six sites of the water distribution system found to have levels of lead higher than 15 parts per billion allowed by Federal regulation, that Broward county had 12 months to correct the problem. In a subsequent reading of the letter posted at Publix on southwest 17 street by the Port, I learned, the 12 months allowed was to study the pipes’ corrosion. not to fix the problem.

That begs the question how long before there is a remedy?  How big is the problem?

The letter was dated September 30, 2009. I just noticed it posted last week .

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18. January 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

Still watching the local media online and television looking for the reports that clarify just how much lead is in the drinking water and how many residences and businesses are affected. Nothing to date since I read the letter. I’m wondering now just how long this has been going on, as well.

I’ve phoned the port, the commission offices and emailed the mayor to make an inquiry and learn more about the situation. No answer at the phones as yet. No response to my email yet.

I am beyond surprised that this is not making the news. I keep watching. I’ll share what I learn with you, as soon as I know more.

Stay tuned.

This is the only info that I have found at the Port Authority site: check out the brochure at www.porteverglades.net/water.

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17. January 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

Knowing how dangerous lead can be, as most of us know with all the regulations over the years and the removal of lead from paints and jewelry and children’s toys, it is a puzzle that I have seen nothing in the media addressing the news about the letter written by Broward County’s Port Everglades’ Director stating that six sites at their water distribution center had levels of lead in them higher than allowed by law.

The letter gave few details.

I contacted several news agencies, including local televisions WSVN - Channel 7, the Sun Sentinel newspaper and the Broward edition of New Times when I saw the letter posted at my local downtown Publix at 17 street near Port Everglades.

I still haven’t seen or heard any details about the lead in the water from any of these media outlets.

While I understand that the circumstances in Haiti are devastating and important news, I don’t understand why this other important local news, which could spell danger to an unknown number of people here at home in Ft. Lauderdale,  has not been brought to the public’s attention here locally, as yet.

Surely, putting out at least a notice of some sort, as warning to people in the area would be the right thing to do, until all the details can be learned from Broward County and Port Everglades about the levels of lead in the drinking water system.

The lack of news and details about this finding, is as troubling as the news of the finding of high levels of lead in drinking water distributions systems at Port Everglades.

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16. January 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

Six local sites at the Port Everglades water distribution system are contaminated with lead above the 15 parts per billion allowed by Federal Primary Drinking Water Regulations according to the letter sent out by Port Director, Phillip Callen, to Publix located at southwest 17 street in downtown Ft. Lauderdale.

Local supermarket, Publix, has the letter posted by the grocery carts at the front entrance to their store.

According to the letter 15 locations were tested. The letter also reported that Broward County has 12 months to study the problem and suggested methods for living with the situation.

Recommendations included allowing the water to run before using it; using cold water and not hot; and drinking bottled water.

The letter spawns more questions than it answers.Who are those affected? How many homes and businesses are receiving water tainted with lead? Which ones? How much lead is in the water? Is it 16 parts per billion or 270 parts per billion? Why haven’t the general public been made aware of the problem? Why haven’t these questions been answered?

If as doctors say, no level of lead is a safe level, and as lead has been removed from paints, jewelry and children’s toys because it’s too dangerous to touch or breath - what then are the dangers of bathing in the water, cooking with the water, drinking the water, or washing clothes in the water and watering plants with the water?

None of these questions have been addressed in a public fashion which seeks to inform and provide the citizens of Ft. lauderdale with the information they need to be sure that they are safe from the hazards of lead contaminated water.

News agencies, Sun Sentinel, WSVN - Channel 7 and New Times Broward edition were all  contacted. All said they were not aware of the situation and that they would look into it.

As yet, I’ve seen no news with answers to the questions this news begs.

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15. January 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

Drinking water at Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale has lead levels higher than allowed by EPA regulations according to a letter issued by the powers that be, to at least one business in the vicinity of Port Everglades.

Though I have not received a similar letter and live in the area, I fear that my drinking water may be from this facility.

I have phoned Port Everglades and the Broward County Board of Commissioners to make some inquiries and share the information, and both offices are closed. One message says the offices are closed as an unpaid furlough day due to budget issues. The other message says please call back during office hours despite the fact that this is Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 3:15 p.m.

As I don’t have home numbers of these officials, I have made some contacts to ask that this be investigated so we can learn more about the danger that lurks in our water supply and who is affected.

Channel 7 - WSVN, Sun Sentinel and Broward edition of the New Times have been given a heads up. Watch them to see if they offer up the details.
Stand by for more. I will follow up as I learn more.

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