Grow something

There are some publicized cases of people who rip up their front lawn and plant vegetables. They live in areas that require only ornamental plants in the front yards. Personally, I think it's ridiculous. It's not widespread, though.

 

The mid Atlantic is NOT S Fla.. I could NEVER grow tomatoes in Ft Lauderdale and I always had bumper crops in the Carolinas.

 

Planting now is too late for tomatoes in South Florida. Tomatoes don't produce fruit if it's over about 80 F at night. That will occur in a couple of weeks. You can plant tomatoes most of the rest of the year in South Florida, besides the summer.

 

Aside from the mental wellness benefits associated with gardening, as described in the OP, there are economic benefits, and health benefits as well. There truly is no downside to gardening, other than the time and effort it takes to do it. Time and effort spent to generate economic, health, and mental wellness, is time and effort spent on the most important things in life. There is only one way to know for sure what is in your food; grow it yourself.

 

Thanks for the insight on tomatoes. I am in Ft. Lauderdale and suspected it was too late. I think I read that October was a good month to plant them. What veggies are good to grow in the summer, here?

 

Plant an avocado tree.. or some pineapple tops. I had NO luck with growing any vegetables in SF.. Amaryllis bulbs are splendid though.

 

They grow tomatoes in Mexico. You are just doing it wrong.

 

No one I knew grew summer tomatoes in SF either.. They aren't even good in the grocery stores.

 

They do have heat resistant varieties of tomatoes, one is appropriately named Heatmaster

 

Okra is a good hot weather crop.

You are close to Homestead, just hop on the turnpike and go to the u-pic's down there.That is always a fun thing to do.. Mango and avocado season is coming up, nothing better than a fresh mango or avocado. Forgot about lychees. Plant a lychee tree.

 

Yep.. and you can harvest nearly every day.

 

If SF mean San Fransisco it is because the humidity interferes with the spread of pollen. It makes it clump up instead of falling. Even if some days are not conducive to them as for the heat, you can just grow them and wait for the more favorable weather days.

 

Good thing about okra is you really only need to buy the seeds once. The pods produce a ton of viable seeds and are easy to harvest. Just let a few stay on the whole season and you have a new supply.

 

I meant South Florida. Great place to visit. I didn't like living there.

 

Yes and nothing better than pickled okra..

 

You can usually keep it till the first freeze, if you tend it. Or grows so tall you can't harvest..lol. It does occasionally freeze in South Florida.

 

Ugh. I've tried okra numerous times prepared by numerous people claiming that "you've never had good okra, try mine!" Yeah, not so much. The taste is.... off. Would love to love it; I understand it's very easy to grow.

 

I have a true weakness for pickled Okra... and its so easy to put up.

 

Not a fan of Florida really. I like hills and rivers and cool weather and I dislike things that can eat me.

 

Have you fried or just steamed it a minute? Lots of people don't like it overcooked and slimy.

 

I've never made it, but I've tried it fried and steamed - also a few other ways; sauteed - one person made it in the oven.

 

Most people dislike the texture more so than the flavor

 

I just love it in soups or fried or steamed or pickled or cooked with onions and tomatoes... even slimy.

 

I think that's the problem.

 

Ants are the problem with it my area. They don't harm the plants but they will sneak all up in your clothes and then do a coordinated chomping on you all at once.