Nice: Laid-back capital of the French Riviera

A hundred years ago, bigwigs from London to Moscow began flocking south to the French Riviera and the sun-drenched city of Nice. They came to socialize, gamble, and escape the dreary weather at home, and ended up creating Europe’s first tourist boom. Today, this classy resort town is a popular fun-in-the-sun destination that caters to everyone.

Tropical Gardening: April showers to bring spring flowers

As the sun gets stronger, many shrubs, trees and especially vines can grow at a rapid pace. This makes vines great for covering unsightly fences like concrete or chain link. Good fences and hedges make good neighbors goes the old saying, and maybe in the old days it was the case. Stone walls are traditional and impressive, but expensive. Today, we have so many choices that an unattractive fence or hedge might create all kinds of neighbor problems depending on type of material used.

Tropical Gardening: Easter lilies may be saved for next year

Easter 2024 has passed but like the Easter lily you received, it may be resurrected after appearing dead. Easter reminds us that life is a cycle of what appears to be death and rebirth. In cooler climates, it is what we learn by observing plants that go dormant in the winter only to sprout anew in the spring. Bulbs like crocus and daffodils are examples.

Springtime in Georgia: Go for the Masters, stay for Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Ever since Bobby Jones organized the first Masters at Augusta National in 1934, the international tournament has become the holy grail of every golfer hankering to play on its hallowed links or at least snag a coveted ticket to walk the 18-hole course alongside the greats of the sport: Woods, Mickelson, Scheffler, McIlroy and Fowler.

Let’s Talk Food: First day of spring

Today is the first day of spring, marking the vernal equinox. The sun crosses the celestial equator going south to north. The Northern and Southern Hemispheres receive roughly equal amounts of sunlight; neither hemisphere is tilted more toward or away from the sun than the other.