My name is Stephanie
I moved down here in 85. Got married to some abnormal dude that wanted to move back up north. So we moved up in 2001. He died in 2008. I was already missing FL but couldn't figure out how to get everything coordinated to move down here and I kept praying. Must have prayed about a year. I had a house to get rid of. I had enough belongings and a huge book collection and tools to fill up two 20' x 20' garages. I didn't want to leave behind all of my canning jars either or my greenhouse. And moving just seemed too overwhelming not to mention expensive.
Sometimes God has to knock you over the head with a 2"x 4" to get your attention, so in the middle of a swamp fire, and having had an earthquake, my forest got infested with White Pine Blister Beetles and the trees started falling, we got notified that a hurricane was coming our way and I said, Lord, I've been praying about moving back to FL, I got Your answer!!!
I literally packed up everything I could in the back of my ancient pickup truck, which everybody said couldn't get me here, and I drove straight down through the middle of the hurricane as it hit GA.
I made it! I'm not leaving! I home for good!
I married a Crazy FL Cracker and we've got an acre that I have been working on since I got here.
We've got Lime, Orange and Lemon trees.
A guava that's taking over.
Papaya
Grapes
And a huge garden that is suddenly severely infested with Stink Bugs!
I also found a Flat Worm, I think it's called, in my garden today. Stabbed that ugly thing and I hope he doesn't have any siblings.
I'm also trying to grow apples, peaches, cherries and plums. I've actually got a couple of blooms but they seem to be confused and aren't pollinating each other.
I've got bananas!!! They were here when I got here, but I finally got them to produce fruit!
So, okay, I can a lot of my own food.
I read a lot.
I'm reading up on plant breeding.
I'm stretching the limits and trying new things at different times of the year that aren't supposed to do well.
And I'm also discovering new Tropical Veggies!!!