Do you ever feel like gardening in# Florida doesn't make any sense?

I mean, the seasons are flipped.

Our soil is basically# sand and everything, and I mean everything, want to eat your plants.

It turns out# Florida plays by a completely different set of rules than the rest of the country.# But trust me, once you learn our rules, it's so worth it.

I've been gardening here# for over a decade, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Here are my top 10# lessons that change the way I garden in Florida.

Number one, our Florida seasons.

And we have# special seasons here.

When I started growing vegetables and herbs, I had to really understand# that Florida seasons are flipped.

In the northern states, the growing season starts from spring.# But down here, forget spring planting.

Our best growing season actually runs from September to# April.

This is very important when you're trying to figure out what vegetables you want to grow.# During the fall and winter, I would stick to cool season crops like broccoli and lettuce or carrots.# But during spring, look for warm seasoned crops like eggplants and tomatoes.

Yes, and tomatoes are# my favorite.

If you don't know where to start when it comes to your gardening journey, try herbs.# I find herbs to be relatively easy.

I love to grow herbs in a container.

Here I have basil,# I have mint, I have parsley, and I've noticed throughout the years that herbs only like morning# sun or afternoon sun, but not both.

Number two, plant hardiness zones.

I enjoy plant... and annuals in my garden, like this wild coffee behind me, which bring a lot of wildlife and# color.

But what I didn't realize is that not all plants thrive in your region.

That's why it's# important to look at your plant's hardiness zone.

The plant hardiness zones are based on average# minimum temperatures.

Here in Florida, they range from zone 8A around the Panhandle all the way to# 11B down in the Keys.

I like to think of hardiness zones as plants' home addresses.

If you buy a plant# that's better suited in cooler zones up north, most likely it will not do so well.

So, keep in# mind the zone of the plant.

For example, this lily of the valley behind me, which is one of my# favorite trees.

She comes from zone 3 to 8, and I live in zone 10.

So, as you can see, she's showing# signs of she's struggling.

There's discoloration and there's curling on the leaves.

So, be mindful# of what plants you're purchasing and their zones to make sure they grow happy and healthy.

Number#three, I've learned that I do not like to garden in the summer.

As you can see, the heat, the# sweat, the humidity, and let's not forget the bugs make growing very difficult and honestly, not very# fun, especially for beginners.

And you're dealing with having to overwater your plants because the# water is sort of evaporating.

So, embrace that fall through spring window because that is truly# when Florida gardening shines.

And when summer arrives, I've learned to just take a step back and# give myself and my garden a break.

Instead, I like to use the time to improve my soil, which leads me# to my next point.

Number four, soil.

I've learned##that time will m... is sandy or limestone based just like what I have# here, which means they're very low in nutrients and doesn't hold moisture.

But that doesn't mean# that you can transform your soil into something that will allow your garden to thrive.

One thing# that you can do is composting.

As you can see here, I love to compost.

I find this practice# works really well for my soil.

Compost allows us to reintroduce really good nutrients into our# soil.

And the best part about it is there are so many ways to compost.

Today I have the three bin# system, but you can actually go online and see all the options we have.

The idea is to grab your food# waste and toss it into a compost bin.

Over time, your food waste with cardboard, with paper, and# even your yard waste will convert into beautiful compost that you can reuse for your garden.# And let's not forget mulching.

Over the years, I've learned that mulching is a critical part of# our Florida ecosystem.

Number one, mulching allows us to protect our soil, allows us to protect from# erosion.

It helps block the weeds out, and over time, mulching actually breaks down and provides# our soil some nutrients.

A key thing to remember is particle size matters.

When you're buying# mulch, usually big particle mulch is good for your landscape, while smaller mulch or finer mulch,# something like pine needles or straw, actually helps in your vegetable garden.

This allows it#to break down faster and give your vegetables a#little extra boost.

Number five, fertilizers.

And yes, I know# this is a hot topic cuz we all want these beautiful lushy plants.

Personally, over the# years, I've learned to stay away from fertilizer.

And it's a personal choice.

Sometimes I will# fertilize and I'll tell you what I use.

But key things to remember about fertilization is# don't forget to read the labels.

The labels give us really precise information about how# to use it and how much to use.

Number two, make sure you pay attention to your surroundings.# I am surrounded by water.

And that's probably one of the reasons why I tend to stay away from# fertilizers because fertilizers will leak into the water.

And if you really want to fertilize,# I would recommend slow release.

Slow release allows your plants to get a gradual amount# of fertilizers for a long period of time versus regular fertilizers.

You might be into a situation#that you might burn your plants or just feed them#too much.

Number six, your garden is made up# of many mini ecosystems.

Think of your garden as divided into multiple squares.

Every square# is different and requires specific conditions.

For example, this area of my yard floods, which# means I have to add plants that do well with lots of water, but this area stays relatively dry.

So,# understanding your mini ecosystem can help you be more intentional with what you plant.

Number#seven, your garden is never stagnant, so don't be#afraid to change it.

I'm a big advocate of moving# gardens around.

I do think that gardens are like a form of art that you can shift them and make# sure that all the plants are happy.

This area, for example, I've moved it around three times.# I used to have a pond, but it was difficult for me to maintain the pond.

So, I decided to take# it out and start focusing on more native.

So, like I said, don't be afraid to change.

Plants# are resilient and they'll bounce right back up.

Number eight, plant natives.

I started gardening# because I really wanted to invite wildlife and pollinators into my space.

And I think the best# way to do that is to buy native plants at the stores.

Many of us go straight to exotic plants# because they're vibrant or they're showing.

But don't overlook our native plants.

Take our state# wildflower, the coreopsis.

The yellow just brings a smile to my face.

Or our native fire bush,# which they're always full of butterflies.

Plus, natives have grown here naturally for thousands# of years, which means they know how to handle Florida's climate.

It's a perfect starting point# for beginner gardeners.

They're drought tolerant, so you don't need to water them very often.

And# once they get established, they help provide food and shelter for our beautiful wildlife.

These# species bring biodiversity into your space.

They're beautiful, and there's nothing better to# know that you're doing something to protect our Florida ecosystem.

It's also great for pest# management.

Don't you love native plants?

Number nine, gardening helps you disconnect.# It's a great opportunity to get off my phone, to go outside, to take a deep breath of fresh air.# It also gives us help when it comes to exercising.

So, that's a plus.

So, when you stressed out or# had a busy day, going outside actually slows us down.

It actually brings some inner peace.# then that's the reason why I enjoy being outside a lot.

I get itchy if I don't go.

It also# reminds us how beautiful our ecosystem is.

So, don't forget to take the time to walk out# and enjoy what we have.

Number 10, I didn't##realize how many free resources we have here#in Florida.

The University of Florida has an IFAS extension in every county.

Their website# has tons of great information and they have a Master Gardener Volunteer Help Desk that# you can call for any gardening questions.

If you're looking for native plants, the Florida# Native Plant Society and Florida Wildflower Foundation are amazing resources.

And there's# so many more.

I've left a few in the description below.

And if you're still not finding what# you need, don't forget our public libraries.

I hope these lessons inspire you to start your# own Florida garden.

I know sometimes the first step can be intimidating, but trust me, when# you start seeing your beautiful flowers pop up in your garden or you're harvesting your first# vegetables or you're seeing wildlife flutter across your yard, it'll all be worth it.

For me,# gardening is everything.

It's taught me so much about our states and how to protect it, and I# want everyone to experience that.

If you want to learn more, check out my previous videos.# We go into native plants, vegetable garden, container garden, and so much more.

Remember,# when we plant native, you're not just gardening, you're helping Florida thrive.

Stay rooted, and#I'll see you next time.

To keep building your#native plant garden, check out the video below.

Yes, click right here.

I see you, right here.