Gardening Tips

Good afternoon! So glad you decided to stop by this week to see the latest info we have for you!

This week I wanted to share some information that will help you with your gardening.Whether you're  planting the herbs and vegetables in a pot/container or the garden .…here’s the tip of the week. 

Your plants will need light, water and food. Plant food or fertilizer comes in many different forms with so many different choices where do you even begin to figure out what is best for your situation ? Let’s just simplify some basics. The three basic ingredients in fertilizer is Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash. The numbers listed on the packaging will appear as a set of numbers like 15-15-15. This is the percentage of the three ingredients.

 Just remember, UP, DOWN and All Around 

·         What is the nitrogen needed for? It’s the up. It promotes plant growth and greening thus providing more foliage, color and density.

·         What does the phosphorous do? This is the “down” number. It stimulates cell building and root growth, and is particularly beneficial in helping seedlings, flowers and vegetables to develop.

·         What does the potassium do? It assists plants in forming starches and proteins thus promoting plant hardiness, disease resistance and a tolerance to drought and cold. It’s the “all-around” number.

So, as you pick out the fertilizer you need, you’ll see 10-60-10 and know that it is high in phosphorus which will help with flowering and roots. Starter fertilizers will be made specifically to stimulate new plantings or seeds. Too much fertilizer can be harmful and kill your plants. So, a little is better than over doing it. You might try one that is time released so that every time you water, slowly the nutrients will be dispersed. You can find time released fertilizers that can last as long as 6 months or more. Water soluble fertilizers work well for a short period of time, but seem to last just a few weeks. Organic fertilizers are also available and I’ve used blood meal (has nitrogen) and bone meal (has phosphorous) with great success. Of course, read the packaging to decide what will be the best rate of application and product for your particular needs.

Thanks again for dropping by and be sure to check back next week for more information and discoveries. Happy gardening!

 

It is our pleasure to provide this information. If you are traveling to the Tampa area for an military housing or are in need of corporate housing please consider Avenida Suite - Tampa.

Events in Tampa March 22-28

Well…Spring arrived yesterday and I hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far!

This week I listed a few cool events for just a few bucks…Really ? Well…admission is free and you’ll spend a few dollars if you want to go on the rides or decide to eat…but hey…where can you have so much fun on such a small budget ?

Have a great time out and we’ll see you next week for more fun activities, events and discoveries around the Tampa Bay area!

Tampa Bay Seafood Festival: Great seafood and live music by "The Sauce Boss" Bill Wharton, Les Dudek, the Bobby Friss Band, Johnny G. Lyon Band, Shakes Society, Tampa Taiko Japanese Drumming, KJ and the Ballistics and Mo' Gravy. Also an interactive Road to London Fan Zone with meet and greets with Olympic and Paralympic athletes and Team USA giveaways. Proceeds benefit the Friends of Tampa Recreation for aquatic programs. Free admission. Curtis Hixon Park, 600 N Ashley Drive, Tampa. 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.

Hyde Park Village Art Festival: This juried outdoor art showcase features 150 artists from 30 states, showing works in a vast array of media including paintings, sculptures, photography, ceramics, glass, handmade jewelry and mixed media. Free. Hyde Park Village, 1621 W Snow Circle, Tampa. (561) 746-6615. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Campfires in the Park: Bring lawn chairs and blankets and find a spot by the campfire for a family-friendly night Friday at Largo Central Park. At dusk, they'll be showing the inspirational movie Soul Surfer, based on a true story about a teenage surfer girl who goes back into the ocean after losing an arm in a shark attack. Drinks and concessions will be available for purchase at the park, 101 Central Park Drive, Largo. Free.

Chasco Fiesta: A nine-day festival featuring a Native American Pow Wow, carnival midway, festival food, vendors, live music nightly and other events that raise money for numerous local nonprofits. Held in and around Sims Park in downtown New Port Richey through March 31, the festival managed to survive steep budget cuts this year that forced organizers to shave two days off the once 11-day event. Wednesday's lineup features "A Grateful Nation" — a concert hosted by the Sand Soldiers of America to honor the military, first responders and their families. A full schedule of events is available at www.chascofiesta.com. Free admission, fee for food and rides. Sims Park, 6341 Bank St., New Port Richey. (877) 424-2726. 5-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, 1-8 p.m. Sunday, 5-10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday.

It is our pleasure to provide this information. If you are traveling to the Tampa area for an military housing or are in need of corporate housing please consider Avenida Suite - Tampa.

Winter Weather

Well, I hope everyone is having a great week so far!

Have you been thinking, “This Winter has sure been a strange one? “. Well, we are not alone! Not just here, but across the country, records are being made. This week, I’m posting some interesting information to read from NOAA.

Thanks again for stopping by and be sure to check back next week for more tips and information in Tampa!

 Now we have the official word on just where the winter of 2011-2012 will rank in history. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced that this was fourth warmest meteorological winter on record across the contiguous United States and the warmest since 1999-2000. (Note: The meteorological winter is December, January and February combined)

Only the winters of 1991-1992, 1998-1999, 1999-2000 were warmer. All of this is based on records dating back to 1890’s.

New Mexico was the only state that had winter temperatures below the 20th century average. 

Where did your state rank this winter? 

States with a top 5 warmest winter: CT, DE, IL, IN, MA, ME, MO, MI, MN, ND, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, WI, VT, VA 

               Cities with a top 10 warmest winter (not a complete list) -

Baltimore: 7th warmest	Green Bay: 2nd warmest	New York City: 2nd warmest
Boston: 2nd warmest	Hartford: 2nd warmest	Providence: 2nd warmest
Chicago: 9th warmest	Kansas City: 7th warmest	St. Louis: 6th warmest
Cleveland: 7th warmest	Milwaukee: 5th warmest	Washington, D.C.: 3rd warmest
Fargo: warmest on record	Minneapolis: 4th warmest

It is our pleasure to provide this information. If you are traveling to the Tampa area for an military housing or are in need of corporate housing please consider Avenida Suite - Tampa.

Concerts and Events for March

Well, it’s March already and the concerts and events are looking awesome for this month! Some are in Tampa and others in the surrounding areas. What a great time to take a drive, explore a new city and enjoy some Celtic dance steps, catch some baseball, or a little candy for the ears!

Thanks so much for stopping by and be sure to check back next week for more fun, info and discoveries in the Tampa Bay area!

Thu 03/08/12
The Women of Ireland - Celtic Goddess
Show Starts: 8:00 pm 
Venue: Van Wezel Hall
Address: 777 N. Tamiami Trail
City: Sarasota, FL - Phone: (941) 955-7676

Thu 03/08/12
John Leguizamo
Show Starts: 7:30 pm - Tickets: $32.50
Venue: Carol Morsani Hall at The Straz Center 
Address: 1010 N WC MacInnes Place 
City: Tampa, FL - Phone: (813) 222-1000

Fri 03/09/12
Cadillac Bombers
Show Starts: 10:00 pm
Venue: Two Buks
Address: 1915 N. Hercules Dr
City: Clearwater, FL - Phone: (727) 442-0812

Fri 03/09/12
2012 Strawberry Festival - Featuring Music By:
Toby Mac, Cornell Gunter's Coasters, Bobby Hendrick's Coasters & The Platters
Music Starts: 3:30 pm 
Venue: Florida Strawberry Festival
Address: 303 North Lemon Street
City: Plant City, FL - Phone: (813) 754-9194

Fri 03/09/12
MLB Spring Training Action: Atlanta Braves at New York Yankees
Game Starts: 1:05 pm 
Venue: George M. Steinbrenner Field - Venue Parking: $10.00
Address: 1 Steinbrenner Drive
City: Tampa, FL - Phone: (813) 879-2244

Sat 03/10/12
Gasparilla Music Festival - Featuring:
Deer Tick, Rebirth Brass Band and Others
Doors Open: 11:00 am - Tickets: $20.00
Venue: Curtis Hixon Park 
Address: 110 West Gasparilla Plaza 
City: Tampa, FL

Mon 03/12/12
MLB Spring Training Action: Philadelphia Phillies at Pittsburgh Pirates
Game Starts: 1:05 pm 
Venue: McKechnie Field 
Address: 1611 9th Street West 
City: Bradenton, FL - Phone: (941) 747-3031

It is our pleasure to provide this information. If you are traveling to the Tampa area for an military housing or are in need of corporate housing please consider Avenida Suite - Tampa.