Fish dying in a South FLorida canal

From today's Miami Herald:

State fish and wildlife officials hope to discover Mondaywhat is killing scores of fish in a Broward County golf course lake and canal.

Blue gill, smallmouth bass and grass carp were discovered floating in clusters among the weeds and lily pads at the Woodmont Country Club in Tamarac this past weekend.

Officials said they suspect the fish deaths could be caused by fertilizer or pesticides used on the golf course. The dead fish are creating quite a stink, and officials are asking residents to stay away from the water.

Authorities hope to have the canal cleaned up by the end of the day.

''It's not a health hazard, but you don't want to leave dead fish floating around,'' said Andy Berns, a spokesman for the City of Tamarac.

Florida Fish and Wildlife is conducting a study to determine what exactly killed the fish.

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Hmmm..the Florida Fish and Wildlife is on the case. Interesting.

In all seriousness, the fertilizers we use are hurting fish and even coral reefs off the coast. If you planted native trees and LESS GRASS, we'd have a healthier environment.

A Great Blog about Volunteering at Fairchild

Check it out!

I've often thought of volunteering there. Perhaps I should make time for it!


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Maybe I should send the stoners from craigslist who want salvia over there :)

DF

Less yard, more plants

After visiting Northern California, I realized that many people there have much smaller yards than we do in South Florida. Perhaps this is confined to the Bay Area, but I think it has positive environmental effects.

We need to consider this in South Florida.

I had an idea. We should try to make a website for concerned citizens where we can discuss sprawl in Dade County.

They'll plant a tree for free!

Just register for stumbleupon (a totally awesome way of learning about new websites) and they'll plant a tree for you.

Check it out here:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/earthday/

Beautiful foxtails

Working on MiamiPlantDelivey.com

Here's a picture I found from a few years back. I think mostly all of those pine trees have been sold, but there's a new crop coming up.

Battery powered lawn mower

Perhaps you may be in the market for a battery powered lawn mower. The video is awesome! When my lawn mower kicks the bucket, I'm going to look into this.

Bananas reaching $1 a pound

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/opinion/18koeppel.html?em&ex=1214193600&en=d126069861c0a339&ei=5087%0A

With bananas reaching such high prices, why not grow your own bananas in the backyard? In fact, they are so easy to grow it isn't funny!

Give me a call 786-877-4573.

Wow. Just wow.

Florida is home to 14 of the largest companies in the landscape industry, according to a list of lawn and landscape firms published by trade publication Lawn & Landscape.

Together, the companies on the publication's Top 100 list generated $7.1 billion in revenue in 2007. That represented 7.7 percent growth over 2006, slower growth than the year before. For 2008, the companies project an average 6 percent growth.

South Florida-based companies that made the list include Vila & Son Landscaping of Miami, which reported $64.5 million in 2007 revenue and Tropics North of Homestead, with $42.5 million. Miami's Dixie Landscape had $32.7 million and Stiles Landscape of Fort Lauderdale had $20 million.

Landscaping classes?

I've got a few ideas for fun and profit.

I was envisioning a landscaping school where people could learn more about what plants go with what plants! Also I thought it would be cool to teach people how plants grow.

Also I'm working on a landscaping application that would teach residents of South Florida all about plants and trees. Seems like a cool idea.

Not big profit...but big fun!

I did two jobs this week for old customers for not a lot of money, but they were fun!

My two employees performed well today. We did 104 green island ficus and sod work with soil work. Two separate jobs.

We were working out there in the mid-day sun. Hot as hell!

Nearly three years...Plants From Paradise is growing up. I've learned a lot. I've got two great employees. I've got a powerful truck, a 20' trailer, a 10' trailer. Some capital to invest and everything is paid off.

So I've had success. It's been fun, most of all. Perhaps there are many other ways to a great fortune. But I'm in love with the act of planting trees.

Academics and physical activity. The contemplative and the active. Yin and yang, I suppose.

Can bamboo help reduce global warming?

Check it out while it's still up.

Not only do the hairy plants capture carbon, they "collect dust and dirt out of the air and make the rain fall more gently on the ground," says Gib Cooper, a nurseryman in Gold Beach, Ore., and executive director of Bamboo of the Americas, a conservation-action organization. "I hate to say it: The world's population and economy are going to outpace whatever we try to do. But bamboo will help."

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It's nice to feel like you are doing something to help the earth. The enormity of the situation shouldn't make us give up hope though. We can all help in our own way. Planting bamboo is a wonderful idea.

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"Unlike cotton, bamboo doesn't require pesticides to flourish. It needs modest amounts of water to thrive — some species rise a foot a day during growing season — and its root system can help stabilize hillsides and prevent erosion. When you harvest some of a stand's canes, the underground rhizomes survive and continue to quickly produce mature culms, unlike trees that die when chopped down."

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I planted buddha belly in my backyard. FPL should plant it along the canals.

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Plant some bamboo!

TREEmendous Miami

Check out a great charity in Miami-Dade:

TREEmendous Miami!

Maybe PlantsFromParadise should give them a helping hand?

Finished taxes

2007. My third time filing for Plants From Paradise.

In terms of money, 2006 was my strongest year...07 was even behind 05.

What does this mean? I know that I haven't been advertising enough for Plants From Paradise, but that's okay. I have customers who call me back years later. I have a long-term view of this and I'm not out to grab a quick buck. In 30 years, I'll be known as an expert of plants in South Florida.

We the Best

So when the other landscaping company leaves you high and dry, who you gonna call?

Me.

Markus.

Earnest.

"We the best."


Who else will make a terrible job look presentable???? 786-877-4573.

I'm back in landscaping!

Always have a contract...don't leave Dade county unless it's a sure thing!

From my last job:

• Don't leave Dade county unless the price is substantial.
• Always agree on EXACTLY what is to be done.

So I had to return to Broward to remove VINES from a fence. Mistakes happen in business...gotta move on!

My plan? Put an advertisement in the Crossings Signal.

Square watermelons

Look at the beautiful oak behind my grandparents.

Energy conservation

http://www.dreamingreen.org/

This charity seems beneficial. Helping schools become more energy efficient is a noble goal.

Trust me, as a teacher I know schools could save a bit of money on electricity! We keep ac so cold that teachers bring in space heaters.

Idiotic.

A hobby or a business?

Perhaps when I first started off with Plants From Paradise I jumped too quickly at some jobs.

http://selfmadechick.com/2007/12/31/5-things-i-had-to-unlearn-to-become-self-made/

is a great post from a...self made chick, I suppose...about how to become successful.

Self-promotion IS key. No one wants to hire an insecure whiner. Confidence is the key.