looking for experienced gardener in Florida...

15 years ago

I currently live in Georgia. A relocation to Florida is imminent (about 2 weeks). I plan to start my first fall garden in Florida. I'll be living in southwest Florida, in Lee County. The gardening zone where I'll be is zone 9 (I'll check when I get there to confirm this). I'll be living in Lehigh Florida.

I'm looking for somebody who lives in Florida in the Lee County area around this area (preferably cape coral or Fort Myers) that is experienced in gardening. I plan to do raised beds and I really need help with the logistics of them and the construction of them. I'm wondering if it's feasible for somebody to meet me so we can discuss the planning of them and help me with the building of them. Also, don't worry about covering the cost of materials, as I just need help with the construction and planning of the raised beds. I also realize that they're going to be my gardens so....I WILL PAY FOR THE COST OF MATERIALS.

I realize that people who garden are busy and have lives of their own; I would schedule it so it's most convenient for your schedule. I realize gas prices are high, so I would be willing to contribute toward gas money too. I could just really use help with this. If you're willing to help me with this, and where you live fits the above description please contact me via e-mail to discuss this matter further.

As a reference this is what I plan to plant for my fall garden:

Cabbage

Lettuce (romaine)

carrots

onion (not sure about the variety, either yellow or red..whichever are best suited to grow in Florida)

spinach

broccoli

sugar snap peas

scallions

I thank anybody for taking time out of their schedule to read this.

You can contact me at one of these addresses:

Jesusbeloved29@yahoo.com (I use this address most frequently)

zealousone777@yahoo.com

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Comments (15)

msmarion
15 years ago
Welcome to Florida and the forum. I attached a link for a planting guide.

Good luck with your project and again welcome.

Here is a link that might be useful: Planting guide
gatormomx2
15 years ago
Go to Solutionsforyourlife.com and find the link for Lee County . You will find their contact info and can e-mail them with this exact question . Also write to the Lee County Master Gardeners and see if they can help you as well . Here is the direct link : http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu
Welcome to Florida !
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wanna_run_faster
15 years ago
Welcome to Florida! Search and read some of the older posts on this forum and you will see how creative and clever Florida gardeners are with their beds. Get an idea of what will work for you. Try posting it on craigslist, too. Maybe you have a skill or something you no longer need that you can barter for in exchange for the design help and construction labor. Or maybe you can find some volunteers from your church. Good luck!
cindeea
15 years ago
Hey there, Uniqueen! Welcome to MY neighborhood! I live in SE Fort Myers, near Lehigh and you will definitely be in Zone 10! Would love to have you come by and see some of what I have done in 5 years with our garden space. Problem is I go in for hip surgery next Wednesday, so it will be about a month before I can get out to the garden. I will happily share plants and cuttings with you to help (enable) you to get started. I got my real gardening start right here on the Florida Forum. After living in condos and town houses for over 30 years, we built a new home with a clean slate. A vast undertaking that we took on bed by bed. Still, a month from now would probably work out anyway since you will need time to get moved in and all. Keep posting and you are welcome to check out my members page to get my aol address and email me. Again, WELCOME to the forum and the neighborhood!
lakeron
15 years ago
Welcome to the group.
Couple of things.
One, I'd be thinking more about zone 10 rather than 9 and, two, I notice you left out tomatoes that are a very popular winter garden crop.
ron
katkin_gw
15 years ago
Welcome to Florida and to the forum. I am on the east coast, so I can't be of much help. But check out the pictures of my garden a couple of posts ago and you can get some ideas. I'll be glad to help with any questions I can answer. ;o)
uniqueenigma4898
Original Author
15 years ago
This post is for cindeaa. I sent you an e-mail today. Please let me know if you received it. If not, let me know and I'll send it again. The e-mail will have the address "uniqueenigma82@yahoo.com". I would have used one of the e-mail addresses I listed, except my alternate e-mail address (zealousone777@yahoo.com) locked me out so I had to use a different e-mail address.
barbcoleus
15 years ago
Hi Uniqueenigma,
I'm in Lee County too- in Cape Coral to be exact. Email me and maybe you'd want to come over and see what I have. I had a few vegetables and I'm planning more. YOu can see my garden. We've been in this house for 28 years. Maybe something I'm doing will inspire you or maybe you can learn from my mistakes.
Anyway welcome to the Fantastic Friendly Florida Forum.
Barb
solstice98
15 years ago
UniqueEnigma,
Welcome to Florida and welcome to the Forum! You will receive lots of ideas, inspiration and support here. But I don't think you received exactly the response you were looking for - someone to come to your place and help you build your raised beds.

I want to explain a couple things so you don't think people aren't being helpful. I'm not being critical of your post - I just want you to understand since you are so new.

First of all, you just signed on to GardenWeb a couple days ago; you don't have a history here, so we don't know you or anything about your personality. We've had a couple issues with members who turned out to be (how should I say this...) 'stranger' than we expected them to be. Give this a little time, get to know people and let them get to know you. Maybe come to a swap or two. After that it will be a better time to invite people to come work in your yard.

But even then I'm not sure this is the right place to be looking to hire a garden helper. We don't do business on this forum and I think that's one of the things GardenWeb discourages. Like I said, I'm not being critical of your post - I just want you to understand since you are so new.

We often recommend that new residents - even experienced gardeners - take some time to get to know their yard, to understand growing conditions and the seasons in Florida, and to really think about what they want from their yard before they start building their gardens. Many of us who have moved here from other regions have been overwhelmed by the amount of time and work a garden takes in Florida. We try to save new residents some anguish by preaching a slow and cautious start!

All that being said, I'm sure you'll love gardening in this state and you'll enjoy this forum, too. Lots of great and very knowledgeable people here, willing to share ideas and support whenever you need them.

Kate
uniqueenigma4898
Original Author
15 years ago
I've lived in Florida most of my life. I already know what I want to grow, and have a pretty good idea of what the seasons are in Florida for growing things. I'm not looking to do business, as I'm not expecting people to pay for the cost of the materials and build the raised beds for me. I want help doing the raised beds, but I'll still help with the construction of them. Who I am on the internet is the same as who I am in real life; I don't try to hide behind a mask just because I'm on the computer and on the web.
manature
15 years ago
Gosh, Unique...I am so far behind in my OWN garden, I can't even imagine having time to help someone else dig theirs.

I think you have been given some very good information, though, on how to gather info from Lee County and from this website. As for actually finding someone to come help you with the labor, I'm not so sure that's feasible for many of us. I know I'm not the only one with way too much work of my own hanging over my head.

Perhaps after you get to know some of us, as Kate says, you may find someone willing to trade some labor with you. A "they help you and you help them" kind of thing. But I agree with Kate that a good place to start would be to meet some of our members at Plant Swaps and the like, and let them get to know you. (Or at least hang around here for awhile and so folks can get an idea of who you are.)

If that's not your cup of tea, then you might have to place an ad locally to find some cheap labor in that area. But hopefully, you'll choose to get to know folks here better, and let nature take its course that way.

Good luck,
Marcia
cindeea
15 years ago
Amy, I have tried to respond to each one of your emails (all with the same info 1/2 dozen times over) and all your addresses get rejected. I give up and at this point and can only agree with what all others have said, check Lee County Extension, get to know the area and what will grow there before you spend too much time and money. Summers are the worst time for veggies, so hone up and come this fall you will be armed with info and ready to go. Good luck to you.
jnemeth636
15 years ago
Hi and welcome, Unique! I would just add that you may want to be cautious with zone 10 plants in Lehigh. I used to live in east Ft. Myers and I had many more frosts than I have in the past few years in Venice (80 mile north) because east FM is so far inland. I think it was much cooler than say, Cape Coral. Good luck.
solstice98
15 years ago
Here's a picture of a really creative raised bed. It's not mine and I don't have instructions but I'm guessing they hammered some metal rods down through the bricks on the sides to hold them in place against the weight of the soil. I like the way they used the concrete blocks on the sides as planters!

Hope this helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:286011}}
solstice98
15 years ago
You had a question about planting seeds in hills in a different post. This picture kind of shows hilling as well. It will at least give you an idea of the size and shape of hills that are made for veggie seed planting.

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