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After the Freeze By Adam Porter with Anne Pidgeon One day last week I walked out my front door and looked around at the carefully cultivated shrubbery crawling up the latticework that frames our front walkway. What was once lush and green was now dry and brown. After a moment, I felt a little like “Bones” McCoy addressing Captain Kirk. “Dead, Jim. They’re all dead…Don’t ask me what to do, I’m a writer, not a miracle worker.” Later that same day, I was chatting with my mother – yes, I do still call her on occasion; she has a grandbaby she must receive regular updates on, after all. I told her about the unfortunate demise of my yard décor. Yes, my wife could name them, but, to me, they’re all simply “nice plants.” Mom expressed sympathy, and then started in on her own tale of lament. Her yard is typically overrun by a rainbow of color and life. This morning, despite her best efforts and multiple blankets, all was brown, limp and dry to the touch.
Friends, this is not the Florida we were promised! What are we to do with the retched landscape where our beautiful gardens
once were? Rip them up and start over? Not so fast, says our resident horticultural expert, Anne Pidgeon. This month, WE asked Anne what to do. Turns out our prize little patches of land may be only mostly dead. Here is what she had to say: “Oh the wrath of Mother Nature! First a scorching, unrelenting summer. Then a very brief autumn. Finally, sudden and lingering freezing temperatures.
February 2010
Homestead had an unheard of 28 degrees F. Key west had floating fish and chilly iguanas falling out of the trees. Everything is now brown and dead-looking. Royal palms, Christmas, and Bottles are droopy and forlorn. The vegetable crops are burnt and dead. But, all things considered, there may be higher prices on produce at the supermarket, but some of your plants may still After The Freeze To Page 3
Unmatched Spectacle and Genuine Heart Thrive Under the Big Top
Article by NOKP Staff When John Ringling brought the circus to Sarasota in 1927, the town was transformed physically, mentally and artistically. What was once a wide spot in the road between the bustling port cities of Tampa and Fort Myers became the Circus Capital of the World. Today, it is nigh impossible to talk about Sarasota without speaking of the daring and artistry it has produced and exported for nearly a century. This is the birthplace of international circus royalty, a place defined and, in some cases literally, built by the circus community. It was once home to the Clown College, an institution whose exclusive entry requirements were once described as “tougher than the Ivy League.” Many of the art form’s most venerable and renowned artists have made this town their home. Now, some of these dynamic, creative folks have made it their mission as well.
Inside
Photo by Barbara Banks
Pedro Reis, Dolly Jacobs-Reis
“Not only do we want to raise the perception of the circus arts,” says Circus Sarasota Founder and CEO, Pedro Reis, “We also work to give back to our community through programs that enrich, educate and entertain.” Mr. Reis is a lifelong circus artist and aficionado. His love for the circus arts began as a kid on a trapeze at a YMCA summer camp in his native South Africa. It continued to grow as he toured the world as a flyer, and it buoyed his spirit when a fall
Nik Wallenda ended his career in the air. This lifelong love for the circus and his adopted community led Pedro and his wife, the dazzling Queen of the Air, Dolly Jacobs, to form Circus Sarasota nearly 13 years ago. “After my accident one door closed, but another opened.”
Crossword..................... 21 Just Ask Anne...........1 & 3 Jim & Nell Taze Horticulture Column 33573............12,13,14 &15 Contract Bridge............ 21 Deputy Rob .................... 6 Day Trips.......................... 3 Sudoku........................... 21 Community Alert Ed Dixon Golf................................ 10 CARE................................ 8 Horoscopes................... 23 ? for Catherine................ 9 Bulletin.......17, 18, 19 & 20 Solutions to Puzzles....... 23
Says Reis, “The circus gave me – and countless others – awe inspiring role models and a positive, productive life. We work every day to keep that legacy alive.” That work includes producing spectacular shows in Sarasota Big Top To Page 3
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