8/2022 

Goodlette-Frank ditch being cleaned, thank you commissioner Solis

As a result of another letter sent (see last year's annual letter posted below) to our past county commissioner Solis, you will notice the ditch along Goodlette/Frank Rd. by the water treatment plant being cleaned.  Every year that ditch gets clogged with weeds & debris and  it is the primary course for water to exit our neighborhood (and others), should we experience a high water event.  If by chance you talk with soon-to-be-ex commissioner Solis, please thank him for addressing this concern when I've pointed it out over the past three years.  It is critical for hundreds of North Naples residents to keep that ditch open and flowing, in particular during storm season.  

I hope everyone had a great Halloween, I am confident that we did what we could to keep the American Dental Association well funded!!  Just a quick note to thank everyone for pitching in to pick up the absolute mess that our Halloween guests leave behind annually.  I find it disheartening that we open our community and invite the public to enjoy the neighborhood for the benefit of their children, and they leave discarded trash in return for the hospitality.  I've seen several fellow neighbors picking up the assorted candy wrappers and empty cans, please take the time to thank them and help in their efforts.  It's little gestures that make Victoria Park the wonderful neighborhood that it is today.  

Is that Christmas I see coming.........!!

 6/2020 KIDS FISHING TOURNAMENT POSTPONED

It is with a heavy heart that I announce for the first time in 12 years, for obvious reasons I am going to postpone the semi-annual VPRS Kids Fishing Tournament.  However, I wanted to share some great memories from previous tournaments with the photos below.  Please stay safe and healthy, the tournament will be back and there are more great memories to be made!  I encourage you all to keep fishing, Lake Victoria has recently produced some big fish!!

Victoria Park Strong

As I write this, the world is experiencing something new.  The COVID 19 virus epidemic has reached SW Florida and has dictated changes in all of our lives.  The compromises and sacrifices we are all making are critical, justified and in the big picture, smaller than they seem.  When the young children in the neighborhood are old, they will all remember this event.  If you have children at home, this is a great opportunity to have some quality family time and make some family memories that will last.  

Most of us are not used to the sort of isolation we are currently forced to practice.  I suggest that in the name of social interaction and mental stimulation, we don’t let social distancing prevent us from being good neighbors.  This is Naples Best Family Neighborhood and we can still be neighborly, we just have to do it from afar.  A wave and a good morning is usually good for a smile and most of us know elderly neighbors that would appreciate a visit and greeting, even if it is from 6+ ft away.   We are Victoria Park Strong and we will get through this together, as neighbors. 

Driveway Cleaning

It seems that pressure washing the driveway has become the favorite past time of Victoria Park II residents of late!  Those dreaded letters from the HOA come that direct the homeowner to clean up their driveway are never welcome, but they serve a purpose.  It is a testament to the quality of our neighborhood and pride of ownership that everyone has taken those letters to heart and is doing their part to keep the neighborhood looking good. 

Did you know that you can be fined up to $25,000 for using bleach or other chemicals that wash into a waterway?  When that bleach runs into the storm drain it ends up in our lake where it kills aquatic life.  Please be careful to make sure that you don't let your pressure washing effluent make it into the storm drains.  Honestly, if you use an adequate pressure washer without the bleach or cleaner it will do as good of a job.  The bleach residue evaporates off in a day or two anyway and has no lasting benefit, other than eventually washing into our storm drains and making it's way into the lake and from there into the Gulf of Mexico.  The water that leaves our lake is in brackish tidal water in less than a mile from Victoria Park, let's do our part to keep it clean!!

Cane Toad Eradication

I went out in my driveway at 9:30 last night and noticed a couple of medium sized Cane Toads (Buffo's) sitting under my mailbox light, apparently eating bugs attracted to the light. Then I noticed that there were 3 of them under my neighbors mailbox light. So I went and grabbed my daughters "Air Soft" plastic BB gun and proceeded on a Cane Toad hunt. On my street alone I killed 14 Cane Toads, mostly small to medium sized, but undoubtedly Cane Toads, all of which were within 10 ft. of a mailbox light. A couple of months ago there was a post about all of the tadpoles in the lake. Well those tadpoles are growing into little Cane Toads and if you are a dog owner, that could pose a serious threat to your dog. I pass this on because at this stage of their life they are apparently attracted to the mailbox lights and they make a pretty easy target for an Air Soft gun or a shovel for that matter. Remember, these are non-native, invasive creatures that can throw the natural ecosystem out of balance, they should be killed for the well being of our local environment as well as the safety of neighborhood pets. Therefore, if you are so inclined, check out your mailbox light tonight. There's a good chance that you will have some unwanted guests on the ground around the light and now is the time to eradicate these invasive intruders! Happy Hunting!!

Clean up the neighborhood!

There are a lot of factors that come into play when a prospective buyer is looking at a home and trying to establish what the value of that home is to them.  One of those factors is the quality of the surrounding neighborhood and how the people within that neighborhood maintain their homes.  Victoria Park residents have always done a great job of keeping their homes and yards well maintained and many of our new neighbors are updating and improving the homes they buy and that helps to add value to all of our homes in the neighborhood.  However, there is one home in the neighborhood that is currently doing a terrible job of maintaining the exterior of their home and unfortunately it is the first home most people see when the enter the neighborhood.  The first home on the left as you enter the community on Nottingham Dr. still has their Christmas lights up and it's May!!!  Their mailbox has no door and the yard is mostly weeds that are rarely mowed.  If anyone that reads this blog knows the owner of this home and can please mention to them in a courteous manner that they are doing a disservice to everyone in the neighborhood, we would all appreciate it.  Unless those are their Mothers Day lights, there is no excuse for still having your Christmas lights up in May!!  This is Naples Best Family Neighborhood, it takes everyone's cooperation to look our best and so let's take some pride in how we present the community to others, please!!!

WEEDS ARE OK!!

Just a quick note to remind everyone that it will take a group effort from EVERYONE in S.W. Florida to correct our water situation and it must be corrected.  I don't care what your line of work is, if we don't figure out how to reign in the effects of Karenia Brevis (Red Tide) and the BlueGreen Algae it is going to cost everybody.  I recently watched a neighbor on Chelford Ct. use his hose to wash all of his lawn clippings down the storm drain.  That is a NO-NO!! When I asked him to stop he got mad and called me names.  It's too easy to blame the golf courses and Big Sugar.  Yes, they have done more than their share of damage to our environment, but we all need to modify how we live if we are going to put an end to this catastrophe.  I urge the residents of Naples to learn to live with a few weeds in their yard, rather than using fertilizers and weed & feed that will end up in the storm drains and in turn....the Gulf of Mexico.  Many people don't realize that our storm drains bring water into the creeks that feed the rivers that end up in the Gulf.  If you see someone contributing to the problem, be as polite and diminutive as you can....but please ask them to stop.  WE HAVE TO MAKE A CHANGE OR WE WILL LOSE THE MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE WE HAVE!  We have an inexplicable fascination with grass.  We feed it, we water it, it grows and we cut it...repeat.  If you water them, weeds will grow, they're green and they don't require fertilizer or weed & feed to grow.  The root of the evil is that there is too much nutrients and organic material making it's way to the sea and anything we can do to minimize that nutrient contribution will help.  We were fortunate enough to live in a Florida that has amazing environmental resources for us to enjoy and appreciate, let's not ruin it for future generations.  Do it for the kids, please.

5 Positive Trends for Buyers & 5 Positive Trends for Sellers in 2019

NABOR® Year End 2018 Market Report was Good for All!

Naples, Fla. (January 18, 2019) - The Naples area housing market ended 2018 with impressive annual activity statistics in all areas of the residential real estate market including an 11 percent increase in total closed sales and a 14 percent increase in inventory compared to 2017. Sales of homes over $1 million continued to drive the market in 2018, especially in the condominium market where closed sales of condominiums over $1 million increased 37 percent! According to the Year End 2018 Market Report released by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island), inventory at the end of 2018 was the highest on record in six years. 

"Prices held steady in 2018 with just a 3 percent increase in median closed price," said Brenda Fioretti, Managing Broker at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty. "However, for homes over $300,000, the median closed price actually decreased 1 percent."

Upon reviewing the YE 2018 Market Report, Fioretti concluded that there are many positive trends for both home buyers and sellers in 2019. The top 5 positive trends for home buyers and sellers are:

Single-family homes in the Naples Beach area (34102, 34103, 34108) reported the highest median closed price increase (14 percent) in 2018 compared to 2017. But that's most likely due to closed sales of a few multimillion homes that took place last year including a $48.8 million transaction in June for a home in Port Royal.

 The median closed prices listed on NABOR®'s market reports do not reflect average sales prices. Rather, the median closed price demonstrates a rate wherein half the closed sales were purchased for amounts below the figure (median) and half the sales were purchased for prices above it. As such, of the 662 single-family homes located in the Naples Beach area that sold in 2018, the median closed price was $1,268,000 in 2018 compared to the 652 single-family homes that sold in 2017 where the median closed price was $1,117,000. Incidentally, closed sales in this area increased only 2 percent.

Conversely, closed sales of single-family homes in the Ave Maria/Immokalee area increased 233 percent to 143 homes in 2018 compared to 43 single-family homes in 2017. Median closed prices for single-family homes in the Ave Maria/Immokalee area decreased 4 percent to $245,000 in 2018 compared to $255,000 in 2017.

According to Kathy Zorn, broker/owner, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Pristine, many small builders are listing their newly constructed homes on the Southwest Florida MLS (multiple listing service), which is reflected in the increased inventory statistics in all price points and in all geographic locations. "Inventory for single-family homes under $500,000 increased the most in 2018, which is good news for buyers who don't necessarily require a home within walking distance of the beach. In fact, the highest increase in inventory for 2018 was 34 percent, and it appeared in the under $300,000 single-family homes category."

While the Ave Maria/Immokalee area also reported the highest increase in single-family inventory (40 percent) among all geographic areas tracked, the single-family home inventory in Central Naples (34104, 34105, 34116) increased 38 percent to 391 homes in 2018 from 283 homes in 2017.

As pointed out by NABOR® President Jeff Jones, Managing Broker for Engel & VölkersNaples and Bonita Springs offices, the 3 percent increase in overall pending sales for 2018 concerned him at first as it looked too low compared to activity in other areas of the report. However, after much discussion with several broker analysts also reviewing the annual market report including Mike Hughes, Vice President and General Manager for Downing-Frye Realty, Inc., it was determined that, according to Hughes, "the smaller-than-expected increase was because many closings for a large percentage of homes under contract in the 4th quarter of 2017 were delayed while repairs from Hurricane Irma damage took place."

The NABOR® Year End, 4th Quarter and December 2018 Market Reports provide comparisons of single-family home and condominium sales (via the Southwest Florida MLS), price ranges, and geographic segmentation and includes an overall market summary. NABOR® sales statistics are presented in chart format, including these overall Year Ending 2018 (single-family and condominium) findings: 

Even though the Southwest Florida MLS system is not as widely used by REALTORS® working in commercial real estate in Naples, the data collected does help agents gauge this sector of the market. According to Wes Kunkle, President and Managing Broker at Kunkle International Realty, "Vacancy rates for commercial properties are low right now. I'm seeing most vacancy rates well under 5 percent."

Historically, commercial real estate activity is directly affected by the residential real estate market. When nearly 1,000 more homes are sold annually compared to a previous year, as was the case between 2017 and 2018, it is realistic to expect the number of businesses will increase to meet the needs of those new consumers.

Dozens of new commercial properties are in various stages of development across Collier County, many of which have large grocery store anchors.

Naples 3Q Housing Market Remains Strong

Naples, Fla. (October 19, 2018) - One year after Hurricane Irma, overall closed sales in Naples increased 62 percent to 644 homes in September of 2018 compared to 398 closed sales of homes in September of 2017. According to broker analysts, this impressive increase in month over month sales is a result of the effect of the hurricane when homes sales halted following the massive storm.

"The September Market Report shows how resilient and desirable our market is," said Lauren U. Melo, PA, Licensed Real Estate Broker with Florida's Realty Specialists. "A three percent increase in pending and closed sales, year over year, is strong considering the reduced sales activity during the troubled period following the hurricane. This was when many sellers were making repairs caused by the hurricane. The September statistics show that our market is in a good position to see positive activity for the fourth quarter."

Overall pending sales in the third quarter are up 20 percent, closed sales are up 13 percent, the median closed price is up 3 percent, inventory is up 4 percent, and the days on market decreased 1 percent; all indicators that the third quarter real estate market in Naples remains strong.

"Luxury properties are driving the market in the third quarter," remarked Coco Amar, Managing Broker of John R. Wood Properties. "Third quarter pending sales in the $1 million to $2 million price category are up 18 percent and in the $2 million+ category they are up 50 percent compared to the pending sales in the third quarter of 2017."

According to the 3Q 2018 Market Report released by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island), closed sales of homes between $300,000 and $500,000 increased at a higher rate (24 percent) than other price categories during the third quarter. Sales of homes between $1 million and $2 million increased 18 percent to 122 homes for the third quarter of 2018 from 103 homes for the third quarter of 2017. Overall closed sales in the $2 million price category increased 20 percent in the third quarter of 2018 to 79 properties from 66 properties sold in the third quarter of 2017.

Most remarkable in the 3Q Market Report was the strong activity in the condominium market where pending sales increased 21 percent and closed sales increased 20 percent compared to the third quarter of 2017. The single-family home market also saw a strong increase in overall pending sales activity which was up 20 percent and its closed sales activity was up 6 percent.

"Even though the overall median closed price for the 12-months ending September 2018 increased 5 percent to $344,000 from $329,000, median closed prices for homes below $1 million saw no change in price, compared to 12-months ending September 2017," said Brenda Fioretti, Managing Broker at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty. "In fact, only homes priced between $1 million and $2 million in the 12-months ending September 2018 saw an increase, which was 3 percent to $1,375,000 from $1,340,000. The median closed prices for homes over $2 million decreased 4 percent year over year to $2,991,00 from $3,100,000."

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS CHECKLIST

Hi Neighbors,

I know that most of you have probably seen lots of these, but it would be irresponsible of me to not include one here for my neighbors, given the potential significance of not being prepared that many experienced last year.  That being said, please take the time to look this over and make sure you have everything you might need in the event of a storm hitting the area. Hopefully it's all for nothing, but we should all take a tip from the Boy Scouts and BE PREPARED!

In areas where hurricanes can strike, it's a good idea to have a closet or a place set aside for storm preparedness storage. There, you can keep items you'll need in case disaster strikes suddenly or you need to evacuate.

It's also important to know the difference between a watch and a warning, and when they are issued for tropical storms and hurricanes.

A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions -- sustained winds above 73 mph -- are expected somewhere within the warning area, and it is time to finish preparation to protect people and property. "Because hurricane preparedness activities become difficult once winds reach tropical storm force, the hurricane warning is issued 36 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical storm-force winds" -- 39 to 73 mph, the National Hurricane Center says.

Hurricane safety: When the lights go out

A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible in the watch area, and is issued 48 hours before the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds.

A tropical storm warning means tropical storm-force winds are expected somewhere in the designated area within 36 hours. A tropical storm watch means such conditions are possible within 48 hours.

What to do as storm approaches

-- Download an application to your smartphone that can notify people where you are, and if you need help or are safe. The Red Cross has a Hurricane App available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store as well as a shelter finder app. A first aid app is also available.

-- Use hurricane shutters or board up windows and doors with 5/8-inch plywood.

-- Bring outside items in if they could be picked up by the wind.

-- Clear gutters of debris.

-- Reinforce the garage door.

-- Turn the refrigerator to its coldest setting in case power goes off. Use a cooler to keep from opening the doors on the freezer or refrigerator.

-- Fill a bathtub with water.

-- Get a full tank of gas in one car.

-- Go over the evacuation plan with the family, and learn alternate routes to safety.

-- Learn the location of the nearest shelter or nearest pet-friendly shelter.

-- Put an ax in your attic in case of severe flooding.

-- Evacuate if ordered and stick to marked evacuation routes if possible.

-- Store important documents -- passports, Social Security cards, birth certificates, deeds -- in a watertight container.

-- Have a current inventory of household property.

-- Leave a note to say where you are going.

-- Unplug small appliances and electronics before you leave.

-- If possible, turn off the electricity, gas and water for the residence.

List of supplies

-- A three-day supply of water, one gallon per person per day.

-- Three days of food, with suggested items including: canned meats, canned or dried fruits, canned vegetables, canned juice, peanut butter, jelly, salt-free crackers, energy/protein bars, trail mix/nuts, dry cereal, cookies or other comfort food.

-- A can opener.

-- Flashlight(s).

-- A battery-powered radio, preferably a weather radio.

-- Extra batteries.

-- A first aid kit, including latex gloves; sterile dressings; soap/cleaning agent; antibiotic ointment; burn ointment; adhesive bandages in small, medium and large sizes; eye wash; a thermometer; aspirin/pain reliever; anti-diarrhea tablets; antacids; laxatives; small scissors; tweezers; petroleum jelly.

-- A small fire extinguisher.

-- Whistles for each person.

-- A seven-day supply of medications.

-- Vitamins.

-- A multipurpose tool, with pliers and a screwdriver.

-- Cell phones and chargers.

-- Contact information for the family.

-- A sleeping bag for each person.

-- Extra cash.

-- A silver foil emergency blanket.

-- A map of the area.

-- Baby supplies.

-- Pet supplies.

-- Wet wipes.

-- A camera (to document storm damage).

-- Insect repellent.

-- Rain gear.

-- Tools and supplies for securing your home.

-- Plastic sheeting.

-- Duct tape.

-- Dust masks.

-- An extra set of house keys.

-- An extra set of car keys.

-- An emergency ladder to evacuate the second floor.

-- Household bleach.

-- Paper cups, plates and paper towels.

-- Activities for children.

-- Charcoal and matches, if you have a portable grill. But only use it outside.

What to do after the storm arrives

-- Continue listening to a NOAA Weather Radio or the local news for the latest updates.

-- Stay alert for extended rainfall and subsequent flooding even after the hurricane or tropical storm has ended.

-- Use the Facebook Safety Check to let family and friends know you're safe.

-- If you evacuated, return home only when officials say it is safe.

-- Drive only if necessary and avoid flooded roads and washed out bridges.

-- Keep away from loose or dangling power lines and report them immediately to the power company.

-- Stay out of any building that has water around it.

-- Inspect your home for damage. Take pictures of damage, both of the building and its contents, for insurance purposes.

-- Use flashlights in the dark. Do NOT use candles.

-- Avoid drinking or preparing food with tap water until you are sure it's not contaminated.

-- Check refrigerated food for spoilage. If in doubt, throw it out.

-- Wear protective clothing and be cautious when cleaning up to avoid injury.

-- Watch animals closely and keep them under your direct control.

-- Use the telephone only for emergency calls.

Sources: American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Hurricane Center

The National Flood Insurance Program passes for another 4 months

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides up to $350,000 of flood insurance coverage where required for a federally backed mortgage in 22,000 communities nationwide. It also provides an alternative to taxpayer-funded disaster assistance, which averages $5,500 per household but more often means an SBA loan that must repaid with any underlying mortgage. While there is a growing market for private flood insurance, for many, the NFIP continues to be the primary source of asset protection against flooding, the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States.

However, as currently structured, the NFIP is not financially sustainable over the long run. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the program is not charging enough in premiums to cover expected claims in catastrophic loss years, and has already borrowed over $30 billion from taxpayers to make up the difference. For these reasons, NAR supports a strengthened NFIP coupled with a robust private market to offer choices and maintain access to flood insurance in all markets at all times. NAR believes:

• NFIP reauthorization should be long term.
• Flood mapping should be done at higher resolutions with a streamlined and less expensive appeal process.
• Premiums should be more accurately priced to the property specific risk, but any rate increases should be gradual and phased in over many years.
• Private flood insurance options should be encouraged where cost effective, provided that NFIP remains a viable option for property owners.
• To keep rates affordable, the federal government should also provide pre-disaster risk mitigation options – including guaranteed loans, grants and buyouts for property owners to build stronger or relocate to higher ground.
• There should be better oversight and training of insurance companies marketing NFIP policies, and an adequately supported FEMA Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate to assist policyholders with flood map and rate disputes.

BUFO TOAD EXTERMINATORS

Just a quick note to provide an endorsement for Victoria Park Resident Landen Grey and his TOAD TRAPPERS business.  Landen and his father Tim started a Bufo Toad exterminating business and they have been well received by their neighbors.  Bufo Toads are an invasive species that is poisonous to pets and Landen is offering a service that does its best to exterminate the toads from a given property.  The local paper did a story on Landen that was picked up by the Associated Press and now Landen is a rock star Toad Exterminator!  I cannot personally speak to Landen's services, but I have heard numerous endorsements of the job he does and I know him to be a very polite young man.  If you would like to hire Landen he charges $5-$10/yard and he can be reached at TOADTRAPPERS@GMAIL.com.  But you better plan ahead because he is a very popular young man these days.  Great job Landen!!

Friday, July 13, 2018

How To Update Your Yard On A Budget This Summer

It can be easy to put off making changes of any scale to the garden until you have a chunk of time and a generous budget for it. Our recommendation: Don’t wait. There are plenty of simple updates you can do yourself now that will make a big difference in the appearance of your outdoor space.

1. Invest in one or two knock-your-socks-off containers. Color grabs attention and can be a useful way to draw one’s gaze away from areas of the garden that need more work. Add a burst of color to your entryway with a pair of containers planted with summer bloomers or vibrant foliage plants. Here, a deeply saturated combination of bronze and burgundy coleus, red-flowering begonia, brightly striped dracaena, and lime-green sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas, USDA zones 9 to 11) form an eye-catching entryway duo.

2. Try troughs. If building a raised bed (or hiring someone to help) seems like a larger job than you’d like to commit to this summer, invest in a few galvanized troughs for a prefab equivalent. Traditionally used as livestock water troughs, galvanized tubs can be purchased from feed stores and, once drilled with drainage holes, make great raised beds for small lots. Place them in a spot that receives full sun, and you’ll be able to grow an entire small-scale kitchen garden of tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes, eggplants, peppers, strawberries and herbs.

3. Tuck away your grill. Think you don’t have room for a barbecue? Steal a small-space trick from Aloe Designs of Vancouver, British Columbia, by half-burying a small charcoal-burning grill in the ground. Sure, you’ll need to bend down a bit to stoke the coals and turn over the sausages on the grill, but think of it as an updated version of an at-home campfire.

The grill is nestled in gravel and surrounded by low-water herbs like thyme, lavender, golden sage, purple sage and hyssop. Be sure to set plants at least 18 inches away from the grill.

4. Hang a hammock. Even just looking at a hammock from across the yard is enough to make you feel more relaxed. Adding this playful, swinging seat is an easy and inexpensive way to tempt you to get out and enjoy your garden this summer. Make use of two mature trees as supports or opt for a hammock that comes with its own stand.

5. Repurpose a pallet as a vertical garden. A vertical garden can be a great way to increase planting space without taking up room. Save money on pricey vertical planting systems by repurposing a cheap wooden pallet as a living wall.

To re-create the pallet garden from this London terrace, mount a pallet against a wall or fence and line the horizontal slats with landscape fabric (stapled to sides to secure) to form planting pockets. After filling the pockets with potting soil, plant with herbs, flowers and vines of your choice. Vertical gardens in full sun dry out quickly — choose drought-tolerant plants like succulents and Mediterranean herbs, and either hook up to a drip-irrigation system or plan on watering frequently by hand.

Note: Avoid using pallets with mold or rot and check for an HT stamp on the pallet, which means it has been heat-treated (rather than treated with chemicals).

6. String paper lanterns for an outdoor party. Create ambience with inexpensive lanterns hung from wires crisscrossing above the patio or from the branches of mature trees. Some lanterns contain glowing lights; others can be mixed with a string of cafe lights hung nearby. In dry-summer climates, you can leave them up through the season. In other regions, bring lanterns that aren’t water-resistant indoors if rain is predicted.

7. Plunk a seasonal container in established beds. There’s no need to make major changes to existing landscaping to update the look of your front garden. Instead, drop a large container planted with summer flowers into the bed. If your existing irrigation system doesn’t reach the container, add a drip line for the pot or plan on watering by hand as needed.

Two container combinations to try:
- For sun, plant North American native purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, zones 3 to 9) with billowing Latin American fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus, Zone 6).
- For shade, plant delicate Chinese foxglove (Rehmannia elata, zones 7 to 10) with silver-leaved, blue-flowering ‘Jack Frost’ brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’, zones 3 to 8).

8. Repurpose a trellis as a tool rack. Just like in the house, clutter in the garden can be distracting and make it difficult to find a tool you need. Organization systems don’t have to be expensive — you can often repurpose materials you have on hand — and can help keep garden areas neat and organized.

For example, have a garden trellis do double duty as a support for vines and a rack for tools. In this urban garden designed for outdoor cooking, an overhead trellis doubles as a rack to hold pots and pans. Pots are easily accessible for the nearby wood-burning pizza oven or can hang on the rack to dry, keeping countertops clear.

If your garden needs lean more toward potting than cooking, set a simple metal trellis behind a potting station or outdoor work table to act as a tool rack for hand tools like trowels, clippers and pruners.

9. Put together a living centerpiece. Far more long-lasting than a bouquet of fresh flowers, a succulent centerpiece can grow for years in the right spot on your patio. For the best results, choose a relatively shallow planting vessel and pack it with a variety of slow-growing succulents, such as small-scale echeveria, hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum spp., zones 4 to 9) and stonecrop (Sedum spp., zones 3 to 8). Most succulents grow best in bright, indirect light and in soil allowed to dry out between waterings.

10. Transform your tiny terrace with containers. On a balcony or a paved urban lot, containers can be the best way to increase growing space. Plus, growing plants in containers allows for a flexible design that is easy and inexpensive to change.

In tight spaces, don’t overcomplicate things; choose a set of three to five neutral pots and stick to a rough color palette for plantings. For example, this skinny London garden relies on trio of zinc pots and a built-in planter to provide space for planting. The plants — including olive trees, fragrant confederate jasmine, golden sage and lavender — fall into a color palette of green, gray, chartreuse, white and purple for a fresh, Mediterranean feel.

NEW KING OF THE POND CROWNED!!!

Congratulations to Leo Koepke who won $100 and this spring's Kids Fishing Tournament

with a 21" Largemouth caught on an undisclosed "secret lure"!

Renovated Dock in Victoria Park II and Kids Fishing Tournament this Saturday!

Kudos to the Board of Directors that contacted me about the neighborhood dock on Lake Victoria.  I put them in touch with Kyle of KW docks that lives in the neighborhood and Kyle did a great job updating the dock!  A big thanks to Kyle and his team the dock looks much better and more safe, the old dock was starting to get a pretty significant lean to it and there were safety concerns. 

Besides, we all want to make sure the ducks have a safe and updated place to poop!!!

Come down to the lake and take a look at the new dock this Saturday, 6/9 from 8-11 a.m. and check out the 11th semi-annual Kids Fishing Tournament!  $200 in prize money is available to lucky Victoria Park anglers 15 years old and under!  Sign up starts at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Sometimes the kids catch lots of big fish,

sometimes the kids only catch a few small fish...

but we always have fun!