HELLO THERE! MELISSA IS MY NAME AND GARDENING IS MY GAME.

I live in Mandarin, a small town south of Jacksonville Florida that boasts a rich history in agriculture. Hailed as a “tropical paradise” it lives up to its name residing within the ninth zone of gardening, zone 9b to be exact.

My regular 9-5 job is within the healthcare industry, but my true passions lie a few steps outside my back porch tucked away on a sunny side patch of my backyard.

I have been gardening off and on for about five years. However, I have felt a strong desire to delve deeper into gardening so that one day I may be able to preserve and share the harvest. 

Sitting here on my back porch listening to the wind rustle through the new spring leaves and hearing the sweet song of the wind chime tickle my ears, I thought: “Who hasn’t dreamt of a pantry full of staples straight from the garden?”

When I was growing up my grandmother had a small garden and several tropical fruit trees where she lived. My brothers and I would go to the backyard and pick fresh produce for dinners and desserts. My favorite memory was making mango crisp with the mangoes we picked from her backyard trees.

But let’s face it, gardening is tough! We all would like a magic wand to produce a garden schedule that will result in abundance and I have discovered a few gardening groups on Facebook that have helped me be more successful. However, I found it to be lacking when I searched for information specific to my growing zone 9b and local area. The information floating around is well, pretty general or so specific it makes a gardener’s head spin. So here I am, to share my garden journey with you! The good, the bad, and the ugly.

So come along with me as I post Monthly, weekly, and daily updates on related garden activities, how-to’s, and so much more!

Whether you are starting a garden or have been gardening for a while this will be the place to gather information and connect with gardeners just like you!