Most gardening advice is written for northern climates with one growing season. Florida has two, and they're the reverse of what you'd expect. Our best vegetable-growing season runs September through May — the cool season, when mild temps make tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens thrive.
Then June through August — when northern gardens are at peak production — becomes Florida's challenge season. But heat-loving crops like sweet potatoes, okra, Malabar spinach, and tropical herbs turn our brutal summer into a second harvest.