Florida Native Gardener

Florida Native Gardener I am a home gardener growing seasonal fruits and vegetables and Florida native flowers.

Papaya: This was not a tree I planted but came from seed from bird droppings. A bird had invited itself to dine on my pa...
02/15/2026

Papaya: This was not a tree I planted but came from seed from bird droppings. A bird had invited itself to dine on my papaya from the other side of the garden and repaid me with this planting😀

A GREAT CHOICE FOR SUMMER SALAD Eating lightly in the hot summer months is a part of living in Florida. Maybe because we...
06/16/2022

A GREAT CHOICE FOR SUMMER SALAD

Eating lightly in the hot summer months is a part of living in Florida. Maybe because we drink so much to try and stay hydrated, we lose some of our appetite. And so often, food just isn't as appealing when the heat index soars. The leafy greens once in abundance through much of spring are now on hold until year's end. Wouldn't it be nice to have a fresh-picked green for your summer salad?

So here's my next suggestion for you to consider in your summer garden-Red Malabar Spinach (Basella rubra, and not a true spinach). Perfect for salads, stir-fries, omelets and also used for smoothies. Pick often. The smaller leaves are tender and better tasting than larger leaves. Larger leaves are less tender, slightly bitter. But an ornamental in its own right, too, Red Malabar Spinach ia a colorful addition to the summer garden with its dark green leaves contrasted with red stems and bright, purplish berries.

My wife, who is a green-leaf-lover and crazy about spinach, is responsible for me growing Red Malabar Spinach. She kept after me to grow something once the spring lettuces were spent. I would tell her to just go to the health food market, but after getting spoiled to the fresh taste of the garden, she would have nothing to do with that. So finally, I discovered Red Malabar Spinach and she became a fan immediately. As a matter of fact, she announced to me that she preferred it over true spinach!

Native to the Indian sub-continent, tropical SE Asia and New Guinea, it has become naturalized in the West Indies, tropical South America and tropical Africa. It is also commonly referred to as Ceylon Spinach or Indian Spinach. As you might guess, this leafy green could be a hot prospect for the Florida summer garden, and you are so, so correct. It grows vigorously in 90 plus temps, and when the wet season starts it's like Christmas to this spinach!

Red Malabar Spinach grows as a vine. So you will need to provide support to grow it well. I have used the fence for support, creating a trellis arrangement with nails and twine stretched laterally across the inside of the fence. Then you just train the vine upwards as it grows. Don't be surprised to find the spinach vine wanting to grow over the top of the fencing and encroaching on the neighbor's yard. Inform and educate them on this wonderful summer green and they will be able to enjoy it, too.

Planting tips: soak your seeds over night in water before planting out. Plant seeds about 1/2 inch deep every 6-8 inches. Seeds sprout in 7-14 days. Red Malabar spinach loves moisture. And this is a good thing for Florida summers are usually wet. However, if you find there's a period of dry days happening (as can be the case particularly in June), why, you will need to help out with a little watering. Sufficient moisture keeps the vine growing and producing dark green, succulent leaves just perfect for your salads. Given insufficient moisture, however, and the vine will commence blooming which usurps energy away from leaf production.

Extremely rich in Vitamin C-three times greater than regular spinach-Red Malabar spinach is also rich in calcium, potassium and iron.

So if you are a fresh-leaf salad lover, plan on making a spot in your next year's summer garden for Red Malabar Spinach. Oh, by the by, there is also a Green Malabar, too. I have grown that as well, but it couldn't shine the shoes of its red cousin.

Best of all, Red Malabar spinach reseeds itself. So plan carefully where you give it a home and it will become a life-long summer salad treat.

ADDENDUM: Since posting this I have had a couple of people ask why their Red Malabar was not producing, or why it died. Just to be clear, Red Malabar needs plenty of rick, organic matter in the soil and supplemental watering during dry periods of summer. This is mostly in June before the wet season sets in. Given this, Red Malabar should flourish. But also, it seems that some have thought Red Malabar would just keep growing year after year as a perennial. It is not a perennial; it is an annual in Florida. If you lived in the tropics you would be able to maintain it year after year since that is from where it originates. But in Florida, the temperature swing from summer to winter is enough to prevent it from thriving. So make sure that you resow saved seeds you collected (the berries that you dried) or till the plants into the soil in the fall before mulching. Treat it as you would any other leafy vegetable such as lettuce, etc..

FLORIDA CRANBERRYHere is another summer growing opportunity for the Florida garden that I have successfully grown. A cou...
06/09/2022

FLORIDA CRANBERRY

Here is another summer growing opportunity for the Florida garden that I have successfully grown. A cousin to the ornamental hibiscus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, commonly known as Roselle, Jamaica Sorrel, Red Sorrel and Florida Cranberry. This is the wild hibiscus and is found in Africa, India and Malaysia. Some contend it was first in Southeast Asia and brought to Africa, while others say it's the other way around. But we are certain that Florida got it by way of Jamaica where it was brought from West Africa.

Quite popular in Florida backyards up to the mid-20th century, because it was thought to be a hot climate alternative to the northern cranberry, Roselle thus became known as Florida Cranberry. It has been grown for its dried calyces (the sepals at the base of the flower) which form a casing around the seed pod once the flower drops. The calyces are a beautiful cranberry red and when dried are used for jams, chutneys and juices often called teas. My wife made jam from one summer harvest, but I have enjoyed the refreshing summer tea the most. Its health benefits are widely agreed to address hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and as an antioxidant as well. The Latin name for this drink is Flor de Jamaica.

Florida Cranberry is easy to grow from seed. I started mine in mimi soil blocks and potted on to 2" soil blocks, then to 4" blocks and finally to the garden. As vigorous as these plants are, the potting-on method I used was safe for my first time planting this plant, but now I see that they do just as well from tray to a 4" pot before transplanting into the garden.

Florida Cranberry can grow 6-7 feet high. The stems, however, can be spindly, and during summer thunderstorms when there can be high winds, the plants may be severely affected. Not knowing this, I spent considerable time and effort trying to keep them staked upright. So I suggest you find a place in the corner of your garden, perhaps next to a fence or other buffer to help form a windbreak. Otherwise, there's little to do for these plants (actually they are subshrubs) until after the flowers have fallen and the calyces are firm and swollen and ready to harvest.

Until harvest, enjoy the colorful display of hibiscus flowers that fill the branches, the multitude of bees visiting and the finale of red splash covering the plants from top to bottom.

Here's a couple of links to recipes on preparing refreshing Florida Cranberry Tea. Once harvested and fully dried, simply peel the dried calyx leaves away from the seed pod and you're ready to make your tea. Or, you can store in the freezer in freezer bags until ready.

https://www.isabeleats.com/agua-de-jamaica-hibiscus-

https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/leonco/2015/08/07/jamaican-sorrel/

So here's one more okra variety for y'all to try. So happens it's my favorite to grow. It's productive. The pods are ten...
06/02/2022

So here's one more okra variety for y'all to try. So happens it's my favorite to grow. It's productive. The pods are tender. It's a good choice for pickling, too. But I like it most for its aesthetic in the garden. The plants grow 4-5 feet tall with a nice, open growth habit. The color of the stalks, leaves and pods give it its name: Red Burgundy. The plants are eye catching in the summer sun, its splashes of red in stark contrast with everything else that's become washed out form the heat of Florida summer sun. Be sure to plant where they can be seen. You'll be glad you did!

Okra, Okra, Okra! Welcome to Florida summer gardening!Here is a really fun okra variety to grow. It is nowhere as produ...
05/26/2022

Okra, Okra, Okra! Welcome to Florida summer gardening!

Here is a really fun okra variety to grow. It is nowhere as productive as Cajun Jewel, but it is adds drama to the scarce summer offering of the garden and is exciting to watch it grow. Louisiana Long Pod reaches up to 10-12 feet high. The green, slender pods can be as much as 10-12" long! I harvest at 8", however, to ensure a tender pod. Just unbelievable that at that length this okra is tender enough to eat. But it is. Try it for fun!

Originating in West Central Texas (known as Texas Hill country), Hill Country Red Okra is another productive variety for...
05/24/2022

Originating in West Central Texas (known as Texas Hill country), Hill Country Red Okra is another productive variety for our summer Florida garden. It grows taller than Cajun Jewel, 4-5 feet, and has a more branched or open growth habit. The pods are slightly larger being somewhat plump rather than slender, and tinged red to contrast with the green. I have found them best to eat before they become too large. The pods are less fibrous and more tender then. (In my experience, however, Hill Country Red has been less productive than Cajun Jewel.)

Summer's here, it's hot and muggy. That means it's Okra Season, ya'll! This week I will post you a few great varieties t...
05/23/2022

Summer's here, it's hot and muggy. That means it's Okra Season, ya'll! This week I will post you a few great varieties to try out. But first, you must learn to like okra! LOL We sautee with onions, garlic and tomatoes and serve with basmati rice (Yummy)!

First up: Cajun Jewel...

Some great winter crops for the garden!
01/02/2021

Some great winter crops for the garden!

It's January and time to plant garlic. Here's a few pics from a previous growing season. Lors Italian is a great choice....
01/02/2021

It's January and time to plant garlic. Here's a few pics from a previous growing season. Lors Italian is a great choice. Good luck and Happy New Year!

12/20/2020

The Garden is Rich

The garden is rich with diversity
With plants of a hundred families
In the space between the trees
With all the colours and fragrances.
Basil, mint and lavender,
Great Mystery keep my remembrance pure,
Raspberry, Apple, Rose,
Great Mystery fill my heart with love,
Dill, anise, tansy,
Holy winds blow in me.
Rhododendron, zinnia,
May my prayer be beautiful
May my remembrance O Great Mystery
be as incense to thee
In the sacred grove of eternity
As I smell and remember
The ancient forests of earth.

- Chinook Psalter

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Clearwater, FL
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CHINAMPAS

And I am a 5th generation Floridian, hence Florida Native Gardener, simply trying to salvage and replenish our lost environment from the onslaught of development, and to help establish and preserve seeds that can survive and flourish in our climate, for native wildlife and our tables.

If you would like to explore new methods of gardening sustainability in Florida, read up on the farming methods of the ancient Aztecs, particularly their floating gardens in the Valley of Mexico called chinampas. The Aztecs are thought to have produced up to 7 harvests per year in the chinampas.

Inspired by the Aztec Chinampas, I have adapted methods to simulate fertility and soil moisture retention to offset the lack of humus soil, swift drainage of sand and a buffet to our notoriously dry springs in Florida.

If you like gardening, join me in this endeavor. As hard as it might seem to grow things in Florida, there are simple and natural methods which are highly successful.