Home Gardening Topics

Growing our own food and ornamentals is more important—and fun—than ever before. There are special challenges to growing in our environment, which is in many ways more similar to the Caribbean than to the American South. While some familiar plants may not do well here, there are many, many more plants available to us than most Florida gardeners may realize.

Below is a compilation of topics that originally appeared in The Miami Herald, written by Fairchild staff, that you may find useful in your own home gardening:

General Gardening Topics

Does your water float? You’ve got hydrophobic soil
Repotting potted plants—how and why
A hurricane wrecked your yard—now what?
Spring is the season to prune.
These spiders aren’t creepy
For Halloween, the creepy side of plants
Roadside weeds
Inexpensive garden fun with hypertufa pots
Using nature to heal mind and body
How to make a green valentine

Edibles
Meyer lemons
Nasturtiums
Veggies for a summer garden in South Florida
Fasciated plants are harmless
Repotting potted plants—how and why
The Seminole pumpkin
Growing cacao and chocolate-scented plants
Cranberry hibiscus
The annatto tree
Wild cucumbers
Purslane, the edible weed
The golden apple
Miracle fruit
Growing jackfruit
Easy dragonfruit
Exotic summer veggies for South Florida
Growing your own turmeric

The Seminole pumpkin	Turmeric

Ornamentals
Begonias
Nasturtiums
Pilea (aka artillery plant)
Hurricane recovery
Royal poinciana
Marsh pennywort
Aloes for xeriscaping
Tree pruning
Fasciated plants are harmless
Repotting potted plants—how and why
These native ornamentals aren’t weeds
The tree of life—lignum vitae
Letting an area grow wild
Repotting for spring
Growing oxalis for St. Patrick’s Day
Tillandsia heart wreath
Growing cacao and chocolate-scented plants
Cranberry hibiscus
Rain lillies are prolific and easy
Growing herbs for fall
Native plants as hedges
Gumbo limbo lore and care
The annatto tree
White, yellow, orange geiger trees
The venerable live oak tree
Palms that break the rules
Balsam pear, a burdensome vine
Beggar’s needle, the king of weeds
Repotting orchids (video)

Beggar’s needle	Pilea fairchildeana