EWEileen Ward

1. Article · Jul 26, 2026 · Eileen Ward, Columnist

   Gardening: Ixora in their full-flowering glory in Southwest Florida (opens the original)

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   The ixora are in their full-flowering glory right now. During the summer months the ixora is one of the most colorful flowering shrubs in our landscapes. The growth habit of the ixora is upright, compact and well branched. Texture can range from course to medium fine depending on the variety. The leaves are shiny, green and leathery. They are opposite or whorled, and oblong to four inches with short petioles. Stems on new growth are reddish and older bark is dark brown. There are four varieties

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2. Article · Jul 19, 2026 · Eileen Ward, Columnist

   Gardening: Summer, rains and sprinklers (opens the original)

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   If you are one of the people who say, "it's summer, so I can turn off my sprinklers," this column's for you. In spite of the fact that we are still in the rainy season, signs of water stress can appear quickly on lawns this time of year. This situation occurred on Marco Island last week. While this has been a fairly wet summer we have also had dry periods between rainstorms. And this can happen at any time during the hot summer months. Water is needed in large quantities by your lawn. And it is

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