“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.” ~Gertrude Jekyll
Beautiful, diverse, and ever-changing Florida. I chose to live in this incredible paradise nearly thirteen years ago. I fell madly in love with the temperate climate, the beaches, and the wildlife. This was despite the fact that it actually snowed here the first time I came to visit in January of 2010. We were absolutely not prepared. We came packed for the warm, sunny weather that we were dreaming of. Coming from the frozen tundra that is Upstate New York, that was still okay. I knew that it was a rarity, so I chose to let it slide. I longed for the sun. The blue sky. The flora and fauna that I could immerse myself in all year long. As opposed to suffering endlessly (seemingly) through each winter that felt as if it was getting longer every year.
Even though the temperatures dipped low enough to bring the fleeting precipitation to a flurry, it practically melted before it hit the ground. Regardless, I was still able to sit and walk on gorgeous beaches and gaze at the glorious blue sky. That visit was brief but I knew then that this was going to be my forever home.
The climate here does allow us to garden all year long, this is true–to an extent. In reality, most things are best left off the table during summer. Like many others, however, I didn’t heed such warnings. I may never fully do so. I have been growing here in the summer since I started over three years ago. I lament everything I lose each time. However, I feel it is a learning experience–each season, each new thing, all experiments. Of course, I do take the lessons I learn and apply them to each new endeavor. Each season, I learn more and look forward to learning, even more, to bring into the next season.
Hopefully, by following along, you might be able to learn a little something else as well. I know, in my learning process, I did not have much in the way of advice for our particular area here. I happen to live in Zone 10a. If you are not yet familiar with zones, you can learn more about them here. Actually, for the first few months, I thought I was in Zone 9b! Of course, it really didn’t make that much of a difference. Nearly every resource I have checked indicates 10a so I have just stayed with that.
If you are in Florida, I have found the University of Florida/IFAS to be the best place to find, at any time, what we can be growing, here. It is a super helpful resource that not only tells you what to grow when (in Florida) but also has in-depth information on each fruit/vegetable. This even includes potential pests and how to deal with them. You may have to click on a few separate pages to get more information but it is well worth it.
Even in knowing our zones, we need to also take into consideration climate differences. For example, much of the information based on zones that I have learned from has been on California Channels. Same hardiness zone, but often quite a different climate. They have vastly different elevations and their seasons are a little more distinct than here. By learning more about zones and climates I was able to become a successful Southwest Florida Gardener!
In addition to zones and climate, our amazing little paradise here has very different soil. There is a lot of rich soil to be found in areas of California. Most of our soil is exceptionally sandy. That which is not overly sandy is still not very helpful for various reasons that I am sure we will address in another post. We have to get all of our soil from elsewhere–at least to start. This is where composting is a tremendous help and really a game changer–anywhere, but especially here. Composting and vermicomposting are seriously life-changing for the ecosystem you want to create. It sure was for me. I am also going to be starting to ply my yard with wood chips. Looking into some things for that, also, I did just buy a chipper so that should be helpful too.
I hope to be able to shed some light on some of these and many more topics so that we can all grow together. We can create our own little ecosystems in our yards–no matter how big or small it may be. Most of us can grow things here–even if it is inside or on a patio, lanai, or balcony. Right now I have things growing inside my kitchen and in my lanai while I get things in order to rebuild from the storm. I wasn’t at first. Not until I allowed myself to realize that I HAD to rebuild. I am very well aware that my garden hasn’t been just a blessing for me but also for my family and for all the little critters who have graced my yard since.
I will be sharing a bunch of experiences from the past three years in my previous garden, while I rebuild. This way I can chronicle what I have learned and help to inspire others who live in a similar climate. I’ll never forget when I tried to go to a workshop when I was beginning to set it up. It was a gardening workshop. One of the folks setting it up said that I probably wouldn’t have much luck growing vegetables here. I knew better. I once knew a couple of incredible women (in two separate areas) that I worked with who grew plenty of vegetables here. Well, not exactly here, a bit of a different area about a half hour south of me but still in 10a. Anyway, I didn’t listen to the gentleman who said I wouldn’t have much luck. I wanted to do it so I set out to do so.
We also have many critters here. Having my fence (which I no longer have for the foreseeable future) was extremely helpful but I knew it wouldn’t be enough. So, I built an enclosure, you can read about it and see it here. The way I went about doing it should have kept out most of them, and to an extent it did. Regardless, many of those critters climb or fly. I was still glad for the enclosure, at least it slowed some of them down if nothing else.
So, if you want to try your hand at gardening in a challenging environment–or even if you live in an easier climate, maybe you can learn a little something here. Just remember, there are challenges in every garden, in every zone, and in every climate. Sometimes, in the garden, you just have to Let it Bee…
