Heading North

We leave tomorrow for the northern regions. We've had a wonderful time in Florida this winter and a very successful growing season. Check out my previous posts on this garden.

I love Florida in the winter. It is a great place to be to escape the snow and blizzards of the north country. But I am so ready to return home for kisses and hugs. Emails, Facebook and phone calls, not into texting yet, will never replace the actual touch, smell, and loving embrace of my family.
My DH has the back of the blue Dodge truck, named Big Blue, packed with eight flats of vegetable plants..all cold tolerant e.g. cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and more...all ready to share with his brother and our grandson for their gardens.

Spring is such an exciting, hopeful time. Go out and enjoy!



A Visit to a Florida Hydro Vegetable Farm

We visited the Hydro Harvest Farm in Ruskin, Florida, recently. It is an amazing sight to see this unique growing operation on one acre producing veggies that would normally take six acres. The plants are grown in styrofoam containers stacked six high on a pole and watered through a piping system over the top. Enough water has to be delivered to each stack in order to flow through the top container all the way to the bottom. Of course it is all automated, so no standing around with a hose in the farmer's hand all day. The plants are grown in a mixture of vermiculite and perlite, no dirt..soil.

Hydro Harvest Farm sells the home-grown vegetables in their farm market. The prices are understandably a little higher than in grocery stores, but are called organic. People seem to want to buy the products because this is the fifth year for the growing operation whose season is from October-June in Florida.

You're invited to check out my attempt at entertaining you with this movie I made of our visit. Enjoy.

Rain Rain Don't Go Away

One of the delicious salads we enjoyed from our Florida garden this winter.

Yesterday, Monday March 28, the Heavens opened and forgot to close. It rained all day long and not just sprinkles here. Downpours. All day. Three inches of rain! The retention pond behind our house was full to the brim. I have never seen that and this is our fifth winter in this location.

Of course, being Florida in the winter time, we really needed a good soaking. I'm just not sure how much actually soaks in when it comes down so hard and heavy.

Soon my DH will begin tearing out the garden as we will be moving back north. He will need to prepare this one for summer. Funny how we have to adjust our thinking from northern gardening to southern gardening and back again. He is living his dream of gardening twelve months out of the year.

I must say this has been a good winter garden. We have enjoyed cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, onions, radishes, and a large harvest of the sweetest peas we've ever had.--yes, including the northern peas.

When we return to the north country in April my DH starts all over again. He already has seeds started for the northern garden. Stay tuned....

Vegetable Garden View--Florida Garden

Close up of beets, cabbages, lettuce in our Florida garden



Here are the latest photos of our Florida vegetable garden. We have an abundance of lettuces, beets, and cabbage shown here.

Notice the tall broccoli spear in the foreground of the photo. I thought my DH had really missed cutting this sprout, but he tells me he is letting it go to seed so he can collect the seeds for planting up north.

It has been a very cool winter in Florida. But this garden seems to have come through pretty well for us. We were amazed at how the lettuce leaves would actually freeze practically pure ice, then when the day warmed up, the lettuce would come back crispy. My DH placed pine needles under the lettuce plants. It really kept them much cleaner, no sand or dirt to speak of on the leaves when harvested.

One of the wonderful perks of having a garden--the joy of sharing the produce with friends.

Cold Resistant Crops in the Florida Garden

Sorry I haven't posted much on the Florida garden lately. That's because the cold, freezing nights are taking a toll on the garden. We have definitely learned to grow ONLY cold resistant crops. All the beans were bit, but we did manage to get twelve Jade green beans before they were completely done in. No beans next year.

We are amazed at how well the lettuce holds up. Of course my DH covers the garden on those cold nights. Usually Florida doesn't have the hard freezes lasting five hours or more. But not true this year! The lettuces have taken the freeze and actually are growing very well and producing tasty greens. We have romaine, Mighty Joe, Devil's Tongue, and a red bibb that are providing delicious salads for us.

Onions and radishes are producing. The beets are not growing very fast as you can imagine, but big enough to pull and eat. We have also enjoyed cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli...all cole crops and hardy in cold temps.

Our winter garden is not a bust this year, but we have learned only cold resistant crops are suitable for Florida winter gardens in our area.

Frosty Florida

We've had several nights of frost and freezing temperatures. The blankets, sheets, and towels have been put to good use and are doing their job of keeping our veggies from freezing. I am amazed at the resilience of the lettuce and those young pea plants. We have had hard freezes which the weatherman defines as more than 3 hours of temps between 27 and 32 degrees. (Just a note: plastic should not be used to protect plants from freezing temperatures.)

We have given up planting tomatoes and peppers in our Florida garden. This winter is the prime reason. Oh yes, we are trying beans, green, yellow, purple, this year. Believe me they are covered with the thickest blanket we have and so far only some leaves are damaged. I still see blossoms on the stems. Of course we have a lot of winter to go here.

We are about 40 miles north of Tampa, not exactly a tropical climate here compared to southern Florida and the Keys. But we do enjoy not scooping snow, driving on ice, or blasts of blizzards. So I will refrain from whining about the freezing temps anymore and rejoice in the fact that we have beat Mother Nature's cold temps---so far.

Season's Greetings

Season's Greetings to One and All!

I never imagined that our home-grown cabbage and a pot of red poinsettias would be sitting on the table together as we enter the holiday season in December. My husband's dream has been to garden twelve months out of the year. This year I can say he has done that! The veggies in the bowl are from our Florida garden--spinach, cabbage, lettuces, kohlrabi, and broccoli. What a delight to have our own vegetables in the winter. Not only does it save money on the grocery bill, but it also provides fresh, healthy meals for us.

I am trying more recipes again and will give you a report on the results. I am planning to take the recipes from the blog, add some more favorites, and put them in a free recipe book to share with readers. Now if only I can figure out how to do that!! It will be in ebook format so you can print whichever recipe you want to try and there will be no postage to pay to get it to you. Do you have a favorite garden vegetable recipe you would like to share with the readers? You are welcome to send it along to include in the ebook.

Wishing for you all the true gifts of the season--hope, joy, love, and peace.

Florida Garden Update Fall 2010



I am happy to report that our Florida garden is growing very well. The plants that were a snack for the bunny are continuing to grow and look very healthy. Hmmm. maybe rabbit saliva is good for plants??

The garden consists of three raised beds each measuring 6' x 10'. In the foreground are the hardy, cold crops of Winner, Golden Acre, and Charmant cabbage, Gypsy broccoli, Snow Crown cauliflower, Early Vienna kohlrabi. My DH planted Red Derby lettuce and Romaine, Ruby Queen beets, and spinach.

In the background is a bed of plants which are not so cold hardy and can be covered when the frosts come this winter. And yes, nights get cold north of Tampa in December and January. Last year was a disaster. You can see the green, red, and purple bean plants looking so healthy now. The Crista tomato plants are taking a set back, so keep your fingers crossed. My DH also planted German radishes.

He reports that about half the garden is planted.

The weather has been very warm for a week into the 90's during the day and only cooling off to the low 70's at night. This is unusual weather for this time of year and has broken records for the high temps. Maybe that's why everything is looking good and popping up quickly.

Here we go again planting with high hopes for a successful growing and harvesting season.

Planting the Florida Winter Garden 2010-2011

I have missed posting to this blog because we were on the road to Florida where we spend the winter. Endeavoring to keep my DH's dream of gardening twelve months of the year, he again started the plants for the FL garden while we were in Michigan this fall.


Cabbage, broccoli, lettuce plants ready for planting in FL Garden. Cover crop of perennial rye growing in the MI garden in the background.



The day after we arrived in FL, my DH put the plants in the ground. The soil in the garden is so improved after all the horse manure he dumped in before we left this spring. This is the third season for our FL garden.  He brought the electric fence along to string around the garden after laboring on the small plot.

They snatched the heart of the Romaine lettuce right out of it.

 Just as the rabbits in Michigan loved his plants, so it goes with the Florida rabbits. Not even the electrified fence stopped the hungry bunnies from eating the delicious broccoli and Romaine lettuce plants.

Rabbits munched on the broccoli plant.

DH added a fence, but again the bunnies got over or under the fence and around the electric fence to get their evening meal. He is going to raise the wire and try cayenne pepper to stave off the attack.

Do you, dear readers have any suggestions? Keep your fingers crossed...



This is my DH's new idea for our Florida garden. (Do gardeners ever stop trying to improve their gardens?) He traded some handyman work for these steel planters. He is planning to use them as raised gardens next year. Before we leave for the North this spring, he will clean out this year's garden, then fill the planters with a mixture of soil and horse manure.

We have two 6'x10' planters with 10 inch sides with a walkway between them. DH painted them Rustoleum hunter green and they are shiny and attractive.

BTW, he installed the planters around the present garden. As you can see, the plants held up pretty well under the freezing temps. We have cabbage, romaine lettuce, several lettuces, and onions in this planting. The other planter has tiny lettuce plants that he just transplanted from the cells and cauliflower and broccoli.

Freezing Florida Temps and Gardens Update

It will be weeks or months before the orange farmers will be able to assess the extent of damage done to the Florida orange crops by 13 days of freezing temperatures.

In our garden the freezing Florida temperatures killed off the sprouts of carrots and radishes and mature cabbage heads. We have been enjoying broccoli, a bit discolored, and onions and radishes, and nice heads of cauliflower. Many of the large leaves were burned, but evidently the heads were protected enough not to be ruined.

Enormous sinkholes opened up as result of the farmer's watering their strawberry crops. The wells are now dry in the surrounding property. They had to water too long. Never have the farmers had night after night of spraying their crops to keep them from freezing. The freezing temps lasted all night, so the farmers kept the water going every night. This was an unusually long cold spell. Now the farmers may be liable to replace all the dry wells in their neighbors' property---a very expensive proposition.

I must tell you the cold snap froze our enthusiasm for gardening this winter. My DH lost cabbages that he had started the seeds in August. At the end of the season, as you all do, we will have to re-visit the gardening experience here and the timing for crops. I know this is an unusual occurrence, but right now it is very disheartening. I am sure I will feel better when I bite into the cauliflower and cheese sauce tonight.

Freezing Florida Temps and Gardens

Yep, that's right. Freezing Florida temperatures. And not for a night or two. No-o-o-o, it has been over a week of below freezing temps in Florida. The orange, strawberry, and blueberry farmers are getting no rest because they are up all night monitoring the temps. They turn water on to spray the plants and cover them to make a thin layer of ice which somehow, is more safe than letting them freeze. I need to do more research on this because I know the farmers do this up North also to save the apple crop, etc.

We have covered our little garden, and yet, the lettuce (Romaine) froze. Icy leaves under the cover. However, they thawed and returned to edible lettuce. Yes, we ate them and they tasted fine and fresh. Our neighbor pulled his radishes, frozen, put them in water, and they were fine too. Incredible isn't it?

Dec. 21 my DH planted carrot seed in the ground. During this cold snap, we were amazed to see the little green sprouts in the row. Evidently the ground is warm enough for them to germinate. However these last few days will be the test to see if the above ground small leafy plant will continue to grow or to freeze and die. If the plants make it, we also are curious to see if the carrots will be stunted by the cold temps.

This is our first attempt at raising carrots in Florida. We're probably nuts to try it, but that's what gardening is all about--experimenting, improving, always trying something new. I'll give you a report in about 60 days.

Last night was the coldest night yet--we had 10 degrees on our thermometer low and we are about 40 miles north of Tampa. However it is going to warm up to 52 today and by the weekend it will be 72. Hurry up weekend!

Update on the Florida Garden

This has been an unusually wet year in Florida. With the nice rains and the horse manure that my DH worked into the garden, the plants are loving it. We have had delicious Romaine lettuce, green onions, and radishes to make colorful, tasty salads. I have added raisins to the salad bowl giving it a sweet sparkle in every bite.

Today my DH started Mighty Joe lettuce, Raptor MI romaine lettuce, Red Derby MI bibb lettuce, Hybrid spinach, and corn salad seeds in a flat. He will transplant the seedlings to the garden in about 14 days. Are you familiar with corn salad? He has never grown this variety of, we think, some kind of lettuce. It is supposed to spice up a salad. Give us 44 days and we can tell you how it is....

The broccoli heads are forming and the cabbage heads look very good. Last summer, after having so many great heads of cabbage, I thought I would never eat another serving of cole slaw again. However, at this point, I can hardly wait to cut the first crisp head and chop it up in the blender to make slaw!

One week from Christmas. Christmas in Florida is very different from the Christmases I have experienced in the northern winters. Palm trees lighted, warm sunny days, and walking around the neighborhood in shorts to view the lights are just a few of the examples of a Florida Christmas. But no matter where you celebrate Christmas, I wish you the joy, love, and peace that comes with the birth of Baby Jesus.

Merry Christmas!!

Horse Manure, Yes!

Mission accomplished: The horse manure is in the garden.
My DH worked it into the ground today.

Beautiful horse country near Masaryktown, FL. This is beautiful, rustic country.

Not your Disney view of Florida.

My DH and friend who has a garden too pitching the poo into the back of our truck. Big Blue.

I wonder if this pretty white horse made a contribution to our collection?

Picturesque tranquility.

As you can see, our little Florida garden is growing even in the 90 plus degree temperatures. The lettuce, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes and onions make up the garden this year. We had the cold winter air (yes, it's true, even in Florida) that ruined tomatoes and peppers last winter. My DH is only going with cool weather crops.

When we arrived this plot was nothing but tall waist-high grass and weeds. But my determined gardener worked in the heat to get this plot ready for planting. No luck getting together with a horse stable owner to get a load of manure. So he has not amended the soil this year. Last winter he added peat moss.

We will cut some lettuce this week. It will be interesting to see if it will be bitter or not with all the heat. Today the weather is finally cooling off....all things are relative. Eighty degrees is cool now. LOL

Heat and Lettuce

It is hot here in Florida...high 80' and nighttime temps in the 70's. Very unusual for this time of year. What is it going to do to our lovely lettuce plants? Will the heat make them bitter? Aaarghhh.