In September of 2024, we put in a paver patio to create some outdoor dining in our backyard. We ended up with a bunch of fill dirt and decided to put it to use in a raised, galvanized planter. Our garden began and we were quickly hooked.

Now, everytime before we leave for school and work, as well as when we get home, we head out back to check on the plants and see what’s new that’s growing.

Zone 9b

I follow the University of Florida agriculture page. They publish infographics each month letting gardener’s know what to plant for the season and the zone. I used narrowed down their infographics to make an annual calendar (pictured above) for our family that is full of variety and foods we will actually eat.

This isn’t my first garden, but I’ve learned to adjust my expectation to what will grow here and not just what I want to grow. Otherwise, gardening can be very disappointing. Here is their website: Gardening Solution.

Plant Needs

When planning a garden, it is important to consider the plants’ needs for the amount of sunlight, amount of water, and drainage needs of each. Using my planting schedule of recommended plants from the University of Florida, it becomes really clear why Florida is called the Sunshine state. If it won’t do well with 6+ hours a day, it probably won’t grow well here. Most of the plants listed in the Full Sun category actually prefer 8 - 10 hours of sunlight. Fall and winter crops can be affected by the heat rather than the amount of light they receive each day.

The Nitrogen Cycle in the Garden

After watching Common Ground, a documentary on regenerative farming, I realized soil health is going to be a big deal moving forward - especially if I plan to use the same raised planters. I started to research options for rotating my plants and discovered it all comes down to nitrogen levels in the soil.
Being in Florida, our soil is very sandy. I know this is going to be an ongoing battle. Thankfully, bunny poop is a cold compost, which means it can go straight into the garden.

I read that nasturtium and cosmos flowers do well in zone 9b summers and reinforce the soil. I’m still debating if I’m going to use these in the rotation or more of a companion plant.

That’s my plan for reinforcing my soil. Stay tuned (I’ll shared updates here).

Our Seeds

For convenience, I currently get my seeds from Amazon. I do plan to take advantage of the free seeds offered at our local library. I also like to let my plants bolt/bloom so I can harvest and save these seeds, too.

Bell Peppers, Butternut squash, Broccoli, Cabbage, Canteloupe, Cauliflower, Carrots, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Ginger, Green beans, Kale, Lettuce, Lettuce (with arugula and spinach), Luffa, Okra, Onions, Peas, Peanuts, Pineapple, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Seminole pumpkin, Squash, Strawberries, Sweet potatoes, Tomatoes, Watermelon

Tools

Bell Peppers

Planted November

Butternut squash

Planted in April

Broccoli

Planted February

Cabbage

Will be planted in November

Canteloupe

Planted in January

Will be ready to pick in May

Cauliflower

Planted in February

Carrots

Planted in September, harvested Feb - March

Corn

Will be planted in April

Cucumber

Planted in January

Eggplant

Planted in February

Garlic

Planted in October from bulbs leftover in fridge

Ginger

Will be planted in May

Green beans

Planted in January

These grew quickly and we’ve been steadily harvesting them since February. It is almsot May and we are still harvesting handfuls each weekend

Honeydew Melon

Planted in January

Will be ready to pick in May

Kale

Planted in March, steadily harvested throughout April and May

Lettuces

Planted during cold-weather months

We had an abundance of lettuce. The bunnies eat it quickly, which is a good thing because by mid-April the heat becomes too much and the leaves wilt and either start to decay or dry out too quickly.

Luffa

Will plant in June

Okra

Will plant in May

Onions

Planted in September

Peas

Will plant in April

Peanuts

Will plant in June

Pineapple

Will plant in May from recycled tops

Potatoes

It took me a couple of tries, but I finally got some old potatoes that started to decompose in the pantry to grow. I believe it came down to watering them enough without having them sit in wet soil.

Seminole pumpkin

Planted in March

Squash

Planted in February

Not really growing well

Strawberries

We picked up a variety of strawberry plants from Lukas Nursery in Oviedo. Unfortunately, the heat and drought conditions have limited the fruit development, but with regular watering, we’ve been able to keep the plant healthy.