hi, thanks for the good id ! :) i don't know if i have a lousy camera or I'm just lousy with the camera

The broken chair could be used to shade plants as well as kitties. If it will stand up, you could use it to hold a trailing/vining plant. I don't own any cats, but there are stray cats around and I see them in my front yard often and occasionally on my front porch where my house plants live when it's warm enough. I've never noticed them messing with the plants or the dirt. If you had enough uncovered surface area, they might want to use it for a toilet. When I have squirrels digging in my pots, I get a pack of plastic forks & stick enough in the dirt (with the tines sticking up about 1/4 to 1/2 inch) that they don't want to step in the pot anymore. Would probably work for cats too. The other questions I can't answer since I'm not familiar enough with your climate. There are balcony gardening, container gardening, and "small spaces" forums, if you'd like to check them out also.

What I wouldn't have given to spend February in FL when I lived in IN. You will be pretty far south--my sister lives down there, so you will be a little warmer. We do have cold fronts come through, but they don't last more than a few days. It will seem warm to you because you'll be acclimated to the cold. As far as clothes, just bring what's comfortable. Most restaurants are very casual. There is a boat from Ft. Myers that takes you down to Key West. I think it's $90 per person, but Key West is something else! You can stay a few days or go back to Ft. Myers that evening. If you like to fish you may want to take a charter boat out. That's really fun. Or take a gambling cruise out. They usually have a buffet meal and lots of slots. LOL! Or you can just bask in the sun and relax with a Pina Colada. I hope you enjoy your time here. Please do go to the bird sanctuary Joan/MN mentioned. We saw the most beautiful sight there one evening. A tree was full of roseate spoonbills and it looked like the whole tree was covered in big pink flowers. (Take your bird book along.)

I'm no expert, but we have dogwoods at our Minnesota lake cabin that seem to thrive on neglect. Ours do get some sun, but have survived some dry summers in sandy soil with no extra watering.