Gardening Question (Sarasota, North Port, Naples: HOA, house, gated community)

[Trbl39]

We live in Pa outside Philly and have a pretty extensive garden. We will be moving to the Sarasota area next year. It's pretty much a hobby and we like trying new things which we can see Florida will bring us to a whole other type of plants due to the zone change.

I have been reading all these posts regarding spiders, snakes and pest control in general. Is gardening something that people really don't do here? I mean other than upkeep like mowing and weeding, etc. Is it too hot or too many pests and just not worth it? (We had been down for a weekend and saw many homes in North Port, but figured there wasn't much done with the landscapes since most homes were around 5 years old or less.)

Also in a gated community where you are paying a HOA fee, is something like lawn mowing included in your fee, or is that separate? I was thinking in particular Charlestown Park. Thanks!

[SRQdude]

Originally Posted by Trbl39

I have been reading all these posts regarding spiders, snakes and pest control in general. Is gardening something that people really don't do here? I mean other than upkeep like mowing and weeding, etc. Is it too hot or too many pests and just not worth it?

I think you've really picked up a warped perception of Florida through some things you've read. Sometimes it seems as though northerners get this idea that Florida is like a brazilian rainforest or something. lol

[SummerBabe]

Originally Posted by Trbl39

We live in Pa outside Philly and have a pretty extensive garden. We will be moving to the Sarasota area next year. It's pretty much a hobby and we like trying new things which we can see Florida will bring us to a whole other type of plants due to the zone change.

I have been reading all these posts regarding spiders, snakes and pest control in general. Is gardening something that people really don't do here? I mean other than upkeep like mowing and weeding, etc. Is it too hot or too many pests and just not worth it? (We had been down for a weekend and saw many homes in North Port, but figured there wasn't much done with the landscapes since most homes were around 5 years old or less.)

Also in a gated community where you are paying a HOA fee, is something like lawn mowing included in your fee, or is that separate? I was thinking in particular Charlestown Park. Thanks!

My Mom moved to Florida, and she has a garden! Obviously, you have to change up to the types of plants, etc...that are going to flourish in the South, but there should be no reason to give up this hobby.

[motordavid]

We spend winters in Naples, a little south of you, solid Zone10, and live in a small house on a golf course; we have the ubiquitous HOA assoc. w/lawn mowing and slight shrub/bush trimming. We are allowed to dabble with different plants, trees and shrubs than the orig. builder's crap. It's fun, pretty easy digging, and we are getting better at Zone10 stuff vs. the barely Zone 6a we have back in western NC.

It's fun, stuff grows nearly 24/7, size may quadruple in a couple three years, and it's pretty low impact, esp if one is not outside humping in summer. Cheap orchids from Lowes, in pots outside, come back 1-2 a year, like clockwork, with almost zero attention...stuff just grows. Container tomatoes and peppers and herbs, (if you don't have situ for true veggie garden),
lots of "up north house plants" that just plain live and grow outside in FL, etc.

Not experts on summertime conditions, as we escape back to 5,000 ft in the mtns, but "pests" are pretty minimal, imo. Native type plants are fairly immune and hardy, (watch your Zone),
and working around the perimeter or, in the yard of one's home is not like walking through Brazil, lol!

We have occasional rabbits, tenacious armadillos, lots of anoles, toads, an occasional bob cat, gators in the golf course ponds, et al. But, fun to do esp if you don't try to dupe your PA conditions with northern plants. Spend some time looking, at the BigBox joints and garden centers, do some looking at well done similar homes for ideas, floridata on the net is pretty good, etc.
GL, mD

[Trbl39]

Thanks just the answers I was looking for! Do roses do okay at all?

[Northporter]

I have three plus acres in North Port. (as well as a three plus acre vacant lot in the North Port Estates Area that I might sell). I also have a neighbor who is a trained Master Gardener who knows just about everything you can grow. She donates time without charge to those with questions.

For starters you can out find a lot about gardening in Florida at this website:

Growing Roses in Florida

[Trbl39]

Thanks, i'll check it out!

[B4U]

Originally Posted by Trbl39

Thanks just the answers I was looking for! Do roses do okay at all?

Go to the GARDEN forum and see the question just posted about HOAs and gardening, but yes, there are roses bred for our zones, and even the big box stores sell them specific to our region.