When we moved to Pauline Manor, I didn’t plan on building a giant garden. I just wanted to grow a few things now that I finally had the space. It started with one 8x4 raised bed from Amazon, but before I knew it, that little experiment turned into more than a thousand square feet of vegetables, herbs, and organized chaos.

These days, the garden is overflowing with tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, and more okra than I know what to do with, surrounded by rosemary, mint, and lemon balm that grow faster than I can use them. It’s part experiment, part oasis, and easily one of my favorite spots to start the morning with coffee... and end with a glass of wine.

If you’re dreaming of growing your own food or just trying to figure out what can actually survive the Florida heat, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned so you can build a garden that thrives, too.