South Florida doesn’t really do “seasons.” We just have hot, hotter, and hurricane. But here in Homestead, I’ve learned that zone 10B can be a blessing if you lean into it. You can grow something all year long—though not always the same something. My garden feels like it has moods, and I just try to keep up.
Winter here is like summer everywhere else. That’s when I’m out planting my tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce. Ethan usually “helps” by dropping seeds into random holes, which means I’ll later find a tomato plant sprouting up right where Josh parks the lawn mower. Spring is mango blossom time, and the smell is so sweet I swear you could get a sugar high just walking outside. I always sneak in cucumbers and beans around then, before the real heat sets in.
By summer? Forget it. The sun is a bully. That’s when okra, sweet potatoes, and tropical fruits take over, because they don’t mind sweating it out. I basically just wave at my garden from the kitchen window, cold drink in hand, and hope the weeds don’t unionize. Fall is when I come crawling back out, ready to plant herbs, broccoli, and carrots like I never abandoned them.
The beauty of zone 10B is that there’s always something to look forward to. Sure, it might not be pumpkins in October (though I’ve tried, with pitiful results). But it’s fresh papaya, or a basket of guavas, or Ethan showing up at the door with dirt in his hair and a fistful of basil he decided we needed for dinner. And honestly, that’s better than any “perfect” garden calendar. It’s messy, unpredictable, and somehow still delicious. Archives have more info.
