Hi Beksta, welcome to Fla. Wish I could get my sister to come here. She's in Fresno and hates the humidity here.
Good luck with you HOA, they can be really strict on plants and rain barrels. I'm sure the growers here will be a big help to you.

Beksta, Welcome to humid Florida, breathe in the humidity.... spit out the juice. Your first and biggest mistake of gardening is locating in a HOA. Most all the other mistakes can be overcome but that one could lead to throttling off somebody's air supply or maybe using killer bees to pollinate your veggies. If you need some wildlife I'm sure we all have plenty of extra armadillos and raccoons we could send your way. Let us know, Lou

Hi Beksta

Welcome to the forum! From now on the weather should be getting nicer. If you are an experienced gardener, you should have no problem to adjust to the growing conditions here. I also live in a HOA, and what you plant in the backyard is pretty much your business, in the front you have to follow the rules on what is allowed in your area. In the beginning when I moved, they were much stricter, now with the economy and the foreclosures it is good enough to keep the lawn mowed.:)
Since your soil is not amended yet and if you rent you maybe don't want to invest money for something temporary, your safe bet would be containers that you can move them around if needed. If you have any particular question, try to be as specific as you can, this way we can all try to advice you in the best way.

Silvia

Hi Beksta, welcome to Florida. MY sister is in Fresno, too and it's all she can do to force a visit once every 5 or 6 years. Yeah, it was the humidity that drove her off. ;o)
cora

Uh, you do realize that you've moved into a "red" state, right?
No offense, I'm just wondering what kind of refugees Kalifornia is sending our way these days. (insert 21st Century Internet Smiley emoticon here)

Thanks for the warm welcomes!

The humidity is intense - I have already taken to carrying a full change of clothes with me every time I hop on my bike :)

Also, thanks for the warnings about the HOA. I am quite nervous about this. I got permission from our property manager to rip out sod in the backyard and put in beds, however, the back is also the north, and there are some big magnolia trees right where I would locate the beds to avoid the shade of the winter months! I also don't really relish the idea of resodding the lawn before moving out :)

I was going to restrict myself to large containers, but I snagged some 4x4 fake wood raised beds at Target (since they are closing their garden centers). I was thinking of adding a plywood bottom and hoisting them up on feet. Do you think that is too much for an HOA to take? The driveway just taunts me - so big and so much full sun! Such untapped space! I thought if I surrounded them with pretty perennials, they might not notice that they were filled with vegetables...

And brute - I stand duly warned about the "red" state - here's your emoticon: :) It is a bit of "culture shock", but though I may be a crazed Cali fruit and nut (and an academic to boot - oh dear!), I am a Husker originally. I have lived in lands that walk the blue and red line for many years. Besides, I am actually a Geologist, and we just like to go play outside and get along with pretty much everyone.

If you'd prefer, though, I can let the crunchy granola california hippie part shine through for your entertainment... mwah ha ha! Who says I'm a refugee - I could be infiltrating! :)

Dang! If the Geologist left Kalifornia... I ask; "for what reason?" is he expecting the 'big one' to hit back there soon? He certainly cannot be geoligizing our Fl sugar sand, LOL

Lou

Welcome to Florida where the humidity is like swimming in warm jello! I wish you the best of luck with the HOA. You can learn a lot from these folks on the forum, they are very generous with their love of gardening and years of experience. And don't let our good-ol'-boy philosophy get to you, every once-in-a-while I eat a bowl of fruits and nuts and crank up some Hendrix or Dylan myself (but in the house, doors and windows shut)then I come to myself and turn on Fox News.

Welcome to Florida, Beksta. Sure it's hot and humid here in the summertime, but did you ever check out the temps in states like Georgia and South Carolina? We usually don't get much over 94 or 95 in the summertime while they're sweltering into over 100! And that's over 100 without a breeze. Since we've got the Atlantic on one side and the Gulf on the other we can usually count on some nice breezes (especially closer to the ocean). The Gulf side doesn't seem to benefit from the breeze like the Atlantic side does. It's the trade winds and Gulf Stream that help us off the Atlantic Ocean.

Happy Gardening.

Sheri

I offer my welcome too. :o)

But I have to admit I don't get it. What's a red state? I think my age is catching up with me because I am usually pretty sharp about things. But maybe that's just a dream too. lol Of course, I won't mention the time I thought the love bugs, were two headed bugs. duh!

Hi Katkin,

I think by 'red' state is meant votes more republican and 'blue' states vote more democrat. I don't think I'll get into this issue, though. :-)

Happy gardening.

Thanks Bluesky, I never even thought about politics. I won't get into that either. :o)

Welcome,from west on the I4 corridor.

I think there are some new laws on the books that, even in an HOA, a person can grow food as long as everything is neat and orderly. Chard is very pretty and may be able to go incognito.

Just so you know: We are in our main planting mode now though it is too late for many seeds. Sets are still fine for a lot of things. And magnolias will drop their leaves later.

Veronica

Welcome!

I've lived here just 11 months and I hope you will be as happy as I am here.

Welcome to Florida and the GW Florida forum. I love gardening here. You will too!

Welcome to Florida Beksta I'm east of you near UCF I am a runner and I see a lot of people growing veggies in their front yards using pots and containers.
Anyway happy gardening
Robert