How to Garden in Florida

I grow what I love - which is anything that is interesting, floriferous, edible, smelly - (in the good way.) If it gets flowers and won't hurt me, I want to grow it. I still grow some plants that were my dad's - and he stopped growing things a really really long time ago. It's kind of cosmic, really.

I moved from New Jersey (The Garden State) to Florida (Land of the Flowers) more than 15 years ago to be able to garden year-round. I rented houses for years, happily gardening in pots on patios. Eventually I bought a house, seeing in its ratty lawn the garden wishing to be set free. That garden now surrounds my house, the lawn mulched out of its miserable existence.

I became a Master Gardener, got my nursery license. I sold plants at regular plant sales from my home. I was always a gardener - Joni Mitchell’s “ Lady of the Canyon” who grew stuff. I've always tried to grow everything.

I'll show you my clipping: I considered it a RAVE review for being a great gardener - under arrest, but a great gardener… (notice the askew ceiling segment and gigantic cop.)

I've mostly cleaned up my act, but am still pushing the green stuff. My customers are as varied as the plants we can grow here. My customers are retirees yearning for the peonies and irises of home, but dazzled by the possibilities of our glorious climate. My customers are young couples just getting started gardening. Some of my customers are garden club members visiting my garden to see what can be grown here and some come for one last spree before they travel back up north.

I encourage them all - and you - to try something new. Gardening in Florida, we can grow our houseplants in the ground, for heaven’s sake! Geraniums can thrive for years planted in the right spot.

We can’t grow peonies, but we’ve got the beautiful Angel Trumpets (Brugmansia and Datura,) and sages and jasmines galore. I’ve got some water irises blooming in my pond and walking irises (appropriately) by a path. They’re different from their northern cousins, but they’re wonderful just the same.

We’ve got pinks: begonias and Lisianthus. And blues: Plumbago and Blue Daze. We've got orchids blooming under our Oak trees. We've got sunlight on the sand and plenty o' nuthin' and so much more.

I encourage you all, whether gardening here in Florida or where-ever, to just keep an open mind. Be brave. Go for quantity and you’ll end up with quality. Plant everything you like. Move it if it isn’t thriving. Give it away if it’s still not suiting you or if you have extras. Compost it if its not fit for human consumption. (My garden looks great. You don't see the plants that didn't make it. )

Plant til the sweat runs down your legs and the fire ants run up. Run to the shower. Wait 'til its cooler and plant some more! You’ll end up with plants that fit your style and your location. You'll end up with a garden. Who could ask for anything more?