GardenersCardiff answers:

Blueberries- Grows well if you amend the soil to be acidic. You can do this by adding pine straw or coffee grounds or other acidic organics.

Apple- Some varieties will do well, others require too many chilling hours.

Cherries- Same as apples; Hansens bush is a good variety but the cherries are small.

Avocado- Maybe. Probably not because they are not very cold tolerant and Jacksonville does get frost.

Green onion (scallion)- They grow well, especially in the fall and early winter and again during early spring.

Ginger- Does well; I have three varieties growing in NW Florida.

Lime- Yes, but you may need some protection during some winters; most will be fine without protection.

Cauliflower- Grows well as a fall or winter crop and decent as an early spring crop. Do not attempt as a summer crop as it not do well during the summer heat.

Tomato- Absolutely. Almost any variety does well from spring to fall. Relatively easy to grow and most varieties produce abundantly under less-than-ideal conditions.

Other crops for the area:
Peppers, sweet and hot varieties.

Corn-Many varieties of open pollinated and hybrids

potatoes- early spring plantings work best; if planted too late they will not produce a large crop

sweet potatoes- orange, yellow, purple varieties all do well but require a long growing season. Start as early as possible but remember; they are not cold tolerant so be sure there is no frost expected. If an unexpected frost does develop cover with plastic or pine straw until the frost melts.

Squash- summer and winter varieties, plant in spring. (winter squash are so called because they keep well into the winter, not because of the season they are grown)

okra- if you like okra it is one of the best producers in most gardens. Pickled okra is an excellent snack for you and your kids, if you have any.

Field peas (black-eye, cream zippers, pink eye purple hulls, etc) plant between the stalks of corn when the corn is about 1 foot tall; the corn provides a natural climbing area for the vines.

Sweet peas- plant in fall and again in early spring; they like the cool weather. Plant in a wide row (2 feet or more) several feet long and they will intertwine without support

beets, turnips, rutabagas, collards, kale, mustard greens, oriental cabbage, cabbage- plant these in the fall and you can have fresh greens and roots the entire winter.

I’m sure there are others; these are the ones I have had excellent results from in my own garden.

Good luck and enjoy!

GardenersCardiff answers:

I hope you have a single room, or if not it’ s a project your roomie is a part of.

I grew once in my dorm room during college. You will need the following:
*a grow lamp minimum 400 watt metal halide or hps.
*a fan for ventilation
*pots-remember a plant can only get as big as the roots allow
*potting soil
*fertilizer-something for tomatos will be fine, unless you really want to get fancy
*electric timer (like for lights when you are on vacation)
*thermometer
*seeds-the plant’s potentcy is genetically determined, so get the best quality seeds you can

you’d really better get a book or look online for the method, as it’s far too much for me to type here. I’ll give you the basics.

Germinate the seeds directly in soil you’ve added to a dixie cup. Many sources will tell you other methods, but this way will put the least stress on your baby plants, and thus raise the chances for female plants. Put the seeds a little under the soil, add water, and cover with plastic wrap. Keep in a warm dark place. When you see something sprouting, uncover the top and bring to sunlight.

Next, when the plants have grown a few inches gently transplant the seedlings to the larger pots and give light from the grow lamp 16 hrs/day. Early on, make sure the lamp isn’t too close to the plants as they are young and fragile. You don’t want to burn them with this powerful lamp. Also, always make sure the plants are well ventilated by the fan. Keep the tempurature in the growroom at around 65 degrees.

When they’ve grown a bit, bring the lamp a little closer and continue the 16hr/day lights. Add fertilizer once a week or 10 days. Continue this way for 4-6 weeks. Of course water the plants when the soil gets dry to the touch. Stick your finger in the dirt an inch or two down to determine when they need water. You’ll get a feel for it after a week or so.

After, you’re ready for flowering. Reduce light to 12 hours light 12 hours darkness. Complete darkness is essential.

Ok, my fingers are tired and i need to drink my coffee. Do some research and you’ll be all good. An important part of growing is telling NOBODY until harvest day. Be smart, you don’t wanna get ripped off or busted. Good luck

GardenersCardiff answers:

Some of them do indeed grow many of their own herbs, while others find good, trustworthy sources, and purchase them. Some herbs are gathered from the wild because wild herbs are often more potent and pure.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Sounds like a great location. Half a day’s sun should be enough to grow a variety of herbs. Since it’s in a flower garden, flowering herbs might add some interest. Try sage (salvia officinialis) for a nice blue/violet bloom (on mature plants). If you have a long growing season or live in a warmer zone, try pineapple sage. It has bright red blooms above pineapple scented folliage. Another great flowering herb that attracts bees and butterflies is hyssop, which can be used in tea.

Parsley is very easy to grow and will also attract swallowtail and monarch butterflies (their caterpillars love to eat parsley).

Low growing herbs such as thyme are also great for blooms, and cooking

GardenersCardiff answers:

As they require a long growing season, melons are best started indoors approximately 3 weeks prior to the last frost of the season. Sow seeds ½” deep in flats or small pots, sowing 3 seeds per pot. Keep medium moist while awaiting germination. Additionally, melon seeds will show better germination rates with heat. Keep the soil between 80-90 degrees, using a heat mat if necessary.

Once seeds start to germinate, lower soil temp slightly to the mid 70s, for 1-2 weeks, also decreasing water. Thin to one plant per cell or pot. Once the first set of true leaves has developed, reduce waterings once more, but do not allow plant to become desiccated.

Harden plant by gradually exposing to outdoor conditions. Transplant to permanent site in late spring after the last frost has passed. If possible, transplant on an overcast day to minimize wilting and create a more amenable environment for your young plant.

If you have long, hot growing seasons, melons can direct-seed into garden. To ensure ripening in areas with shorter growing seasons and cooler weather, choose fast-maturing varieties, start plants inside, use black or IRT plastic mulch to warm soil and use fabric row covers to protect plants.

Direct-seed 1 to 2 weeks after average last frost when soil is 70 F or warmer. Plant ½ inch deep, 6 seeds per hill, hills 4 to 6 feet apart; or 1 foot apart in rows 5 feet apart. Can plant at closer spacings if trellised. Thin to 2 to 3 plants per hill.

Prefers warm, well-drained, soil, high in organic matter with pH 6.5 to 7.5. Consistent, plentiful moisture needed until fruit is about the size of a tennis ball. Soil temperatures below 50 F slow growth. Consider using black plastic and fabric row covers to speed soil warming. Sandy or light-textured soils that warm quickly in spring are best.

For transplanting, sow seeds indoors ¼ inch deep in peat pots (2-inch square or bigger), 2 to 4 weeks before setting out. Plants should have one or two true leaves when transplanted.

Transplant at same spacings as direct-seeded crops – 2 to 3 plants per hill in hills spaced 4 to 6 feet apart, or 1 to 2 feet apart in rows 5 feet apart. Transplants are delicate and roots are sensitive to disturbance. If you need to thin, use scissors. Keep soil intact around plant when transplanting.

Mulch plants after soil has warmed to help maintain consistent moisture and suppress weeds.

If using fabric row covers, remove at flowering to allow pollination by bees. Good pollination is critical to fruit set.

Plants require consistent moisture until pollination. Once fruits are about the size of a tennis ball, only water if soil is dry and leaves show signs of wilting.

To prevent insect damage to developing fruits, place melons on pots or pieces of wood.

If growing melons on a trellis, support fruit with slings made from netting, fabric, or pantyhose. Trellising improves air circulation around plants and can help reduce foliar disease problems. Choose small-fruited varieties and reduce plant spacing.

For large plantings, leave a strip of rye cover crop every second or third row perpendicular to prevailing winds to protect plants from damaging wind.

To reduce insect and disease problems, avoid planting cucumber family crops (melons, squash, pumpkins) in the same spot two years in a row.

Do not let your melon plants get dried out during the growing season. They are not tolerant of drought. Additionally, be cautious not to over-water plants as this can negatively impact the taste and flavor later on. Keep soil moist but not soggy.

GardenersCardiff answers:

I favor each State voting how THEY want to regulate it. Not the Federal government.

GardenersCardiff answers:

You don’t want much, do you! I am in the same position as you and I also came late to horticulture. Therefore, I cannot ‘do a Monty Don’ for you! I can only tell you what successes I have had in my small garden, with containers and pots. Much depends, by the way, on which way your garden faces. Soil condition is not a problem if you are just using containers – as you can look for plants which do well in widely available composts. I have have always done well with my local supermarket bags of all-purpose compost. I avoided ‘specialist’ plants which need particular attention.

Basically, it was a hit and miss affair but the flowers I had most success with were the good old Busy Lizzies (Impatiens). After the growing season I often ‘chopped off’ stalks and put them in water in coffee jars inside on window sills and most stalks grew roots ready for the next season. You can’t get cheaper propagation than that!

Petunias always work well and the colour varieties seem to be endless. Long growing season. Cheap to buy. Dwarf geraniums, which actually look like miniature roses, do well in pots.

A great buy was the osteospermum range. These come in many colours and look a little like daises. You can’t stop them flowering and coming back each year!

Pansies and lobelias, for delicate looking plants, are surprisingly hardy, as are Sweet Williams.

More expensive plants are perenniels. I have had success with Asiatic lilies of various colours. They grow quite tall and are hardy but the spectacular flowers only last for a few weeks. Camelias give good colour during winter and spring. Peiris give good foliage and delicate flowers. For other foliage contrast, various ivy plants do well, as do slow-growing conifers – which you must have seen in people’s front gardens. I have even tried ‘supermarket roses’ and they gave fantastic results for a few years, although they can’t stay in pots forever. Still, they are cheap enough. Dahlias have done well, also, for several years at a time.

Hanging baskets always look nice. You can buy ready-made ones if you are lazy!

Care of the plants.

I only go for those which require minimal maintenance. I am not keen on reading up on minute details, as I am not a gardener! I want to ‘pretty up’ the garden, as you say.

However, make sure that the containers are of suitable size for the plants. Put broken crockery/pots, etc. In the bottoms of pots for drainage. ‘Dead head’ flowers regularly to promote growth. Feed with, say, ‘Miracle Grow’ during the growing season. Water reasonably but not excessively. The hardy plants I have mentioned can stand a bit of neglect! Remove dead growth ready for the winter and take inside those plants which cannot tolerate frost.

I place many pots on those plastic saucers – but with the saucers upside down. This prevents waterlogging in heavy rain and helps to keep off garden pests. You can then sprinkle anti-slug pellets around the bases.

As for ‘veggies’, I have only tried a few, as there is too much involved with propagtion, ‘planting on’, sheds and greenouses, etc.! I bought one of those supermarket ‘potato towers’ and bought the recommended varieties of potatoes from the garden centre. Quite good success, except for one year when disease struck. You would need mesh covering to keep out the critters! Some fruits like tomatoes and strawberries have done very well but you have to look out for the squirrels!

I am not into all of the things which experts talk about. However, for years, my little garden has been a ‘blast of colour and contrast’. Where there were failures, I tried something else, as long as it was cheap. I did all of this with one pair of garden gloves, a trowel and a pair of secateurs! I am not Capability Brown and I don’t care about designer gardens and ‘balance’ and that sort of thing..

Experts would be horrified to read all of this and tell me how much more I could have achieved but I would not have been ashamed to ‘open my garden to the public’ – three or four at a time, that is!

I hope that my ‘non-gardener tips’ will help you. If you become more serious about gardening, ignore me completely and go to the experts! Good luck.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Compost is used vegetable matter, that is broken down, to produce a “peat”, or soil if left to its own long enough…

DO NOT ADD ANY PROTEIN – MEATS IN THE PILE!!! This will make it smell like a garbage dump! And your neighbor will have a right to complain because there WILL be rats then!

Also, grass is not a good thing to add, because its mostly all water 90% and it will STINK!! When it decompose, so it has to be turned once a day, until its decomposed in there, (and not everyone wants to turn it that much, because grass decomposes down to almost nothing after the water is out of it, so, its not worth the bother!).

What you do, is take all the vegetable matter, and put it in a bin, or a pile, and turn it every week. (I would put in leaves, and other plant materials to make it a huge amount, because a little bit and rodents may come into the thing, if a lot, then the compost pile will get “hot” and no rodents will live in it!)…

A proper compost will get to about 114 degrees, as I recall, and no rodents will live in that. The best thing you can get is a pitch fork, to turn the large compost at least once a week, thus it will break down faster into a moss like material.

Then, you take that, and add it to the soil, so the organics will make the ground more permeable and water and air can get through the soil better, plus, it wont compact as tight and be easier to work the next time.

I wish you well..

Jesse

GardenersCardiff answers:

Ella Fitzgerald–
A tisket a tasket
How high the moon
The man I love
Dream a little dream
More than you know

Carpenters—
Sing
Top of the world
Superstar
Rainy days and Mondays
Close to you
For all we know
I just fall in love again
Only Yesterday
I won’t last a day without you
This Masquerade
When I fall in love
Yesterday once more
Hurting each other
You’re the one

Gloria Estefan/Miami Sound machine—
Here we are
I need your love
Words get in the way
You made a fool of me
I need a Man
Love me

Acid queen–Tommy
Smash the mirror–Tommy
If I loved you—Carousel
Love Changes everything—Aspects of love
Making Whoopee (Whoopee & Fabulous Baker Boys)
My Funny Valentine (Babes in arms & Fabulous Baker Boys)
Que Sera Sera (whatever will be will be)—Doris Day (The Man who know too much)
Getting to know you—The King and I
Hello, Young lovers—The King and I
I could have danced all night—My Fair Lady
I dreamed a dream—Les Miserables
Summertime—Porgy & Bess
Bali Hai—South Pacific
Happy Talk—South Pacific
Gonna wash that man right out of my hair—South Pacific
Children will listen—Into the woods
Castle on a cloud—Les Miserables
There are worse things I could do—Grease
Hopelessly devoted to you—Grease
It’s raining on prom night–Grease
I’d give my life for you—Miss Saigon
Lost in your Eyes-Debbie Gibson
Foolish Beat—Debbie Gibson
Saving all my love for you—Whitney Houston
Love take time—Mariah Carey
Vision of love—Mariah Carey
Music Box—Mariah Carey
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps—Doris Day (from Strictly ballroom)
Take my breath away—Thompson Twins (Top Gun)
The Rose—Bette Midler
A dream worth keeping –Sheena Easton (Fern Gully)
I can’t make you love me—Bonnie Raitt
I turn to you—Christina Aguilera
Son of a preacher man—Dusty Springfield
Gypsies, tramps and thieves—Cher
You were meant for me—Jewel
Rose garden—Lynn Anderson
White Rabbit—Jefferson Airplane
Whatever Lola Wants—Sarah Vaughn
Save the best for last—Vanessa Williams
Accentuate the postitive—Andrews Sisters
Embraceable you—Billie Holiday
Stormy weather—Billie Holiday
Nice work if you can get it—Billie Holiday
Ten cents a dance—Ruth Etting
Honeysuckle rose—Anita O’Day
Stop the wedding—Etta James
This kiss—Faith Hill
Breathe—Faith Hill
Cry—Faith Hill
I could fall in love—Selena
I honestly love you—Olivia Newton-John
Gypsy—Fleetwood Mac
Rhiannon—Fleetwood Mac
The Chain—Fleetwood Mac

GardenersCardiff answers:

Since you live in a hot climate and have clay soil, you’ll probably want to first think about amending the soil–meaning add in some things to break up the clay and allow water to drain. The good thing about clay soil is it’s got great water-holding capacity and is a very solid support system for plants.

The bad news is it can be like concrete for your plants to grow in, so there needs to be some other stuff in the soil to loosen the clay up and allow the water to drain. That way when you water or it rains, the roots don’t sit in the collected water–then you’ll get root rot, fungi diseases and all sorts of bad things will happen!

A good idea is to get your soil tested–take it (for a very low fee) to your extension service and they’ll tell you just what you need to add to make a balanced soil. Alternatively, any local nursery is likely used to dealing with this soil and they can also advise you.

Since you also said you live in a hot climate but have clay soil, I’m thinking you’re not in a region like Arizona or Florida which generally aren’t associated with heavy clay soils. If so, you might have a hard time with fruit and palm trees since they need soils and temperatures not generally associated with regions with soil such as you’ve described (but you might try them in large garden planters).

So I assume you likely have a good long growing season where it gets hot, but perhaps it gets cold enough in the winter to plant some bulbs and have perennials that need the cold season for their dormant cycle.

Bulbs are fun to plant in fall, since you anticipate them coming up in spring and they’re pretty easy for a beginner–try online ordering sources such as John Scheepers. The good thing about bulbs is when they’re shipped, there are very clear and specific directions included for planting.

Container gardening is also a really good choice–try

http://www.container-gardening-made-easy.com/Beginner-Gardening.html

Have a great time with your garden!

Virginia

GardenersCardiff answers:

An unfinished basement with exposed pipes is ideal for this project. You’ll need basic tool skills (to drill through your house walls) as well as basic pipe cutting and soldering skills. You’ll also have to know where to turn off the water supply to your house.

If you live in a climate where exterior faucets can freeze, purchase a freeze-proof faucet. This looks pretty much like a standard faucet (called a hose bib) from the outside, but the device is made so that it drains every time you turn it off so no water is trapped to freeze and burst pipes in cold weather.

Here’s a step-by-step article from This Old House showing how to install a freeze-proof faucet, but a installing a standard faucet is much the same.

Http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,480863,00.html?xid=yahoo-answers&partner=yes

And if you need a quick lesson on how to solder (sweat) copper pipes, this should do the trick:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,1632426,00.html?xid=yahoo-answers&partner=yes

GardenersCardiff answers:

Make two wooden structures, size depends on how much ground you have and how much material you will have to compost. If you can get horse manure or cow dung, put a small amount at the base, add almost anything to the second layer, then a layer of soil. Do not disturb it. Continue until it reaches the top of the structure you made. Leave that one and start on the second. It will take you probably a year before you can use the first by which time the second will be ‘cooked’ and ready. Do not use rhubarb leaves. Do not use rose cuttings. Use paper, cardboard, old cabbages including roots, all garden waste, kitchen waste but not including meats. Beware of silver paper and the tape on cardboard. Everything else goes in. It will generate heat but do not worry, it will not cause fire. Don’t forget the layers, each about six inches high. It will seem that the structure never fills but that’s the break down taking effect. Hope it helps, good luck. Ps. If you have snakes in your area, they like to nest in compost heaps and curiously enough, depending on whether the female snake wants males or females, depends on where she lays her eggs!