If you're really looking to embrace the Florida life, there is no doubt that you've entertained the idea of getting a swimming pool. While there are some great benefits to pool ownership, there is also a responsibility that comes along with it. Fortunately, it's not very difficult to maintain a pool, and it's so simple that some people find it sort of meditative.

However, making a few extra steps to ensure that your pool is in good working order makes a big difference. Not properly maintaining a pool can cut its life span in half, or even shorter, and considering that a pool pump can easily account for half of a home's energy bill, it's a good idea to keep it running smoothly. Many Floridians have already invested in solar heating for their pools,

While Florida got its name from being a "festival of flowers," many residents are more appreciative of its fruits and veggies. Due to its tropical climate and the growing "foodie" trend, Florida is a great place to grow food, and several people are opting to forgo the traditional lawns and landscaping for gardens and edible plants. With a wide variety of annual and perennial plants, edible landscaping can help residents create a beautiful, abundant, and tasty Florida yard.

Whether you want to help save the planet or save money on your grocery bill, growing your own food may be the way to go. Commercial gardens use up to two to three times the amount of water as a home or community garden, and according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, every

While Siesta Key has gained some notoriety lately from the television show that bears its name on MTV, life is not always like what you see on television. Although Sarasota does have beautiful beaches, an active nightlife, and plenty of watersports, with a median age of 62.8, it's not entirely the 20-something playground it's made out to be. However, with over 6,000 residents and over 2.2 million visitors a year, it's still a really wonderful place to live and visit.

Of course, it wasn't always so. Up until the 20th century, the barrier island was mostly inhabited by wildlife and the occasional fisherman, and went by a variety of names, like Sarasota Key, Little Sarasota Island, and Clam Island.

After the Siesta Inn opened in 1906, guests,

While Florida got its name from being a "festival of flowers," many residents are more appreciative of its fruits and veggies. Due to its tropical climate and the growing "foodie" trend, Florida is a great place to grow food, and several people are opting to forgo the traditional lawns and landscaping for gardens and edible plants. With a wide variety of annual and perennial plants, edible landscaping can help residents create a beautiful, abundant, and tasty Florida yard.

Whether you want to help save the planet or save money on your grocery bill, growing your own food may be the way to go. Commercial gardens use up to two to three times the amount of water as a home or community garden, and according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, every

The eight-mile island of Casey Key is an exclusive tropical paradise featuring beautiful estates with mansions, modern homes, and old Florida charm.

While it is now considered home to some of the most coveted properties in Florida, Casey Key was once considered uninhabitable. Wild and overgrown, the island, formerly known as Chaise's Key, was surveyed and mapped out by John Casey, who was also commissioned to convince the Seminoles to relocate. Since Casey's map was published in 1856, the eight-mile-long island has been transformed into a lush tropical paradise where the rich and famous go to relax.

Casey Key Road is the only street, twisting its way through a subtropical canopy of old-growth oaks, pines and lush vegetation. However, although

In the last century, Bird Key has proven to be one of the most incredible metamorphoses in Sarasota. In the early 1900's, Thomas Martin Worcester purchased the 12 acre island for $25 as a gift to his wife, Davie Lindsay Worcester, after she visited and fell in love with it. It took three years for him to build their dream home, New Edzell Castle, but, sadly, Mrs. Worcester died before it was finished.

In the 1920's, the island was purchased by John Ringling, who connected it to the mainland. Ringling had visions of it becoming President Harding's dream home, and even named the streets of nearby Lido Key after a number of his other favorite presidents. Unfortunately, President Harding passed away before ever making his home there.

In the late

Over the course of decades, The Landings has grown to encompass so much of what Sarasota is about. With over 700 residences ranging in style from single-family homes to villas in the trees, this community seems to offer a little something for everyone.

Located just west of the Trail near Proctor Road, The Landings is ideally situated just a few minutes from both downtown Sarasota and the pristine beaches for which our area is so well-known. A gated and deed-restricted community, The Landings features meandering roads that wind among large shade trees, tranquil lakes, an assortment of nature trails, and a true appreciation for Florida's natural beauty. Nowhere is this more evident than among the 76 multi-level townhouses designed to coalesce with

Although the beaches hold incredible appeal for people who want to live on the Gulf Coast, there is also a great allure in the charm of Old Florida. Even the words “old Florida” conjure images of large oak trees with Spanish moss tinsel and sipping lemonade on the porch. If you're interested in simpler days, before the world got so consumed with hustling and bustling, perhaps you'll want to consider life in one of these Old Florida homes.

Starting with the oak trees, the mature landscaping at 1336 46th Street in Sarasota surrounds the main house and guest apartment/studio. In the midst of this canopied, fenced-in oasis, the main house has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, central air, and wood laminate flooring, while the guest apartment is a 15' x 23' open

As you may have noticed, things get a little hot around here in August. This month, you've got plenty of great opportunities to really heat things up, and the added bonuses of getting to cool down.

The first week of August is smoking with the Florida State DanceSport Championships on August 2–7 at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota! To celebrate its 44th anniversary, the DanceSport series has added Country Western Dance, Pro Open Showdance, Rising Star, and Open Grand Championships to this year's events. 

On August 4-7, the annual Sarasota Slam Fishing Tournament is taking place at Marina Jack with Billfish, Wahoo, Tuna, Grouper, Snapper, Trout, Redfish, Offshore, and Inshore Divisions. The tournament is full of events, starting with the Sponsor Party

July is a great time to be on the water in Sarasota, and the first weekend of this month gives you a few choices for how you'd like to experience that water. You could watch the Sarasota Offshore Boat Races (including Superstock & AquaX Races) by setting up anywhere on Lido Beach as the boats run from New Pass to Big Pass, but remember your binoculars to really see what's going on. Or, on July 4, you may prefer something like the 3rd Annual Myakka River Kayak Festival and 4th of July Jam Blast at Snook Haven, where you can also watch performances by Steve Arvey and Treble Hook’s Florida Folk and Medicine Show. Either way, July just keeps heating up from here.

Of course, on Independence Day, there are a number of places to watch the fireworks,