The fern family was the first plant family on Earth more than 360 million years ago. There are over 12,000 species of this non-flowering plant occurring all over the world. They are so primitive that...

The other day I received an email from Mike Mulligan with the latest book title suggestions. Like me, his taste leans toward esoteric , but we both enjoy a good best-seller as long as it's tempered...

The totem pole was already guarding the front screened-in porch when Mally Weaver bought her property at Tamarac Park in 1983. She says she filled cracks and repainted it many times before shipwright...

A two-acre utopia in the back roads of Sugarloaf Key is home to Jackie Thomas and her delightful garden of bromiliads. Thousands of bromeliads are housed throughout her yard and propagation shed for...

You have religiously, year after year, followed all the advice for hurricane preparation. The hurricane shutters or plywood sheets have been tried and are ready. You have plenty of batteries to...

Lady Elizabeth Noel, the Duchess of Portland (1636-1680) whose husband was the Governor of Jamaica, was the eldest daughter and co-heir of Wriothesley Baptist, 2nd Earl of Gainsborough. If you care...

A few weeks ago I began the arduous task of weeding out my bookcases. Many style books sent to me for review have become dated. Even though trends do come back, some simply lose their appeal. I...

The National Key Deer Refuge on No Name Key is 84,351 acres of public park land, but unlike many parks, it is devoted to wildlife first and people second. That means no bathrooms or picnic tables....

Two weeks ago, I wrote about painting a small area. By coincidence, or perhaps due to the time of year, I received an email from the paint company, Farrow & Ball. You don't have to leave home to...

A few years back, Joe and Sandra Vizzini got "the Old Town itch." They had owned a townhouse in Truman Annex since 2004, but decided an old house in Key West was more in keeping with their...