National Day of the Cowboy, July 24

It was a tough and lonely job, but the historic American
cowboy endured it with courage and a song. Using and
modifying traditions passed on from Mexican vaqueros and
the Spanish before them, the cowboys became a basic part
of American Western heritage and legend.

On the National Day of the Cowboy, we celebrate their
contributions to the pioneering spirit of America.

As the cities of the American East and Midwest grew
in the mid-to-late 1800s, the need for food, especially for
meat, grew along with it. Then the great roundups and cattle
drives became a part of our Western heritage. The cowboys
worked long days and nights tending their herds despite
dangers from terrain they had to cross, unhappy Indians
and fierce outlaws whose goal was to steal the herds.

As the railroads developed, the need for long cattle drives
decreased. Over time, the cowboy techniques of riding and
cattle-handling became the focus of today's rodeos.

Take a look at Cracker westerns: books about the 'cowboys' on Florida's frontier. A few titles by Lee Gramling: Ghosts of the green swap, Ninety mile prairie, Riders of the Suwannee. You'll find them in the Florida section.

Florida gardening

Xeriscaping is a practice of landscaping with drought-tolerant plants, which conserve water and save maintenance time. The name comes from the Greek word zeros, which means dry.

Using this theme, you place plants that need more water closest to the house. Those that need little or no irrigation can be planted farther away or at the lot's farthest points.

Xeriscaping makes use of many plants you may already have, such as cactus, asparagus fern, camellias sasanquas, and Shumard oaks. A full list of drought tolerant plants for Florida can be found at  http://www.floridata.com/lists/drought_tolerant_plants.cfm

Container plantings and annuals need more water and should be planted closest to the house and the water source.

To xeriscape more of your property, consider increasing the size of a patio, creating a stone walkway, or turning one or more sections of your lawn into an area for attractive, drought--resistant bushes and plants.

Spring is the time to plant and we have books to help you. There are many books on gardening in Florida in the 635.9 nonfiction section of the library.

Florida books

From north to south, our state is diverse. We have a large variety of books that reflect that diversity.

James Grippando has written a series of thrillers taking place in Miami with his continuing character, lawyer Jack Swyteck. Born to Run and Last Call are two recent titles.

Brit Montero is a continuing character in a series written by Edna Buchanan. Like the author, Brit is a journalist working (and sleuthing) in Miami. Two recent titles by this author are Love Kills and The Ice Maiden.

Carl Hiassen is a well known journalist and author who books have a humorous slant to very real Florida issues. He writes frequently on the environment and politics making his point with humor. Skinny Dip and Nature Girl are just two of his books.

If you like historical fiction set in Florida, try some cracker westerns.
Herb Chapman and Lee Gramling write books about Florida in the 1800s. The authentic historical details portray Florida homesteaders settling and trying to make a life in early Florida. Give Riders of the Palmetto Plains, Thunder of the St. Johns, and Wiregrass Country a try.

All of the books mentioned along with many others can be found in the Florida section.