• Florida has a mild climate, but gardening is still challenging here.jacksonville,florida,fountain,river,bridge,citysca image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com
  
  The mere mention of Florida in a conversation usually evokes images of a tropical paradise, lush with plants like palms and oranges and a slice of paradise in America. While such a garden is possible in Florida, there are many aspects that new gardeners, or "human transplants from the North" have no idea about till their gardening attempts end in disaster. While a huge number of temperate, subtropical and tropical plants can successfully grow in the Sunshine State, choose your plants wisely.
  
  

Cold Hardiness

• Camille Hunter writes in the Introduction of "The Florida Gardener's Book of Lists" that "hardiness zones, even in the Sunshine State, should never be ignored." Florida's climate is subtropical at best, as Arctic air can plunge southward in the dead of winter, producing frosts, freezes and even rare snow flurries across the state. These bouts with cold can kill above-ground tissues on many subtropical and tropical plants and severe freezes can kill tropical plants outright so that they are nothing more than expensive annuals. In northern Florida, winter temps often dip to between 15 to 30 degrees F. In Central and South Florida (the peninsula), the lows are 40 to 50 degrees, but frosts and freezes threaten every year. Thus, it is important to know what U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zone exists in your part of Florida so you can plan and grow appropriate plants. Overall, Florida's zones range from 8 to 10, zone 11 only in the Florida Keys. Keep in mind winters are warmer the closer to the Gulf or Atlantic you are, as well as summers cooler where you receive the ocean breezes. Choose plants that are hardy in your area so you are not constantly replacing them annually. Also keep in mind the short, warm Florida winters fail to sustain many traditional garden favorites like lilac, hosta, peonies, apples, tulips and Kentucky bluegrass.
  
  

Soil

• Overall, Florida's soils are sandy and do not naturally contain high amounts of nutrients when decaying organic matter isn't present. Exceptions exist, but generally the heavy clay soil is found only in inland northern counties and various blends of sand comprise the topsoil elsewhere in the state. Therefore, amending the Florida soil is a way of life for Florida gardeners, adding mulch, compost and other organic matter to improve soil texture, moisture and fertility. While many sand-based soils drain quickly, they also dry out quickly. If you garden in a low-lying spot, you may find there is a hardpan (rock-like subsoil) that traps rainwater, causing temporary flooding. Moreover, as mentioned in "The Florida Gardener's Book of Lists," sandy soils often have an alkaline pH which affects nutrient uptake for plants. Keep in mind, there is great variation across Florida, as a garden atop soil that once was a pine hammock could actually have acidic pH. These issues affect how much fertilization is needed to have a healthy garden.
  
  

The Growing Season

• Summer in Florida is not like summer elsewhere in the continental United States. With sandy soils and a southern latitude, summer high temperatures easily reach into the 90 to 100 degree F range, relieved only by the "thunderstorm machine"---the convergence of ocean sea breezes over the peninsula to cause impressive rainstorms from late-May through October. Hurricane season threatens from June to November's end. Often nighttime temperatures barely dip to 75 degrees and dewpoints remain well in the 70s, creating an oppressively sultry environment. Not all plants do well in oppressive heat. The spring and autumn months in Florida mimic the summers seen in more northern areas of the U.S. The warm and sunny, relatively dry months of March through May and October to winter frost finds many vegetable and flower crops grown with relative ease. Consult your local Cooperative Extension Office for recommendations of flowers and vegetables to plant during the growing season in your part of Florida.
  
  

Rainfall

• The "Florida Gardener's Guide" mentions that natural rainfall in the state is most abundant in the rainy season months but can be scarce from November to May, too. In fact, the rainy season can be shortened and a summer drought can occur, either months or a couple weeks in duration. Water usage by plants is highest from March to October when they are actively growing, and if rainfall is scarce, especially in sandy soils, irrigation is needed. Recent droughts led to watering restrictions across much of peninsular Florida in the early 2000s. Water conservation methods increased as did the use of mulch, rain barrels and more drought-tolerant native plants in gardens.
  
  

Environmental Concerns

• With an extremely long growing season and little or no bout with subfreezing temperatures, many insect pests and disease pathogens remain active year-round in Florida, too. Active bugs and diseases can potentially harm plants in the Florida garden any time of year, and require constant monitoring or usage of preventative garden practices. The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council publishes the Prohibited Plant List annually to advise Floridians about invasive plant species harming Florida's ecosystems. Avoid growing these plants in your garden as they are true noxious weeds that will take over the garden and more.