Dancing with Demeter

Unlike in most parts of the country, summer time in central Florida is a challenging time for many gardeners. Common summer staples such as the juicy tomato in shades of red, purple, green, and yellow–prevalent among farmer’s markets along the east coast–don’t stand a chance in the summer heat here. Most of the tomato varieties we’ve tried to grow in Dade City here in the summer have failed miserably–the yellow blossoms falling off due to the heat, thus never producing fruit. In our neck of the woods, if your tomato plants don’t produce by the end of May you better kiss them goodbye and cut your losses.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Through research and experimentation, we’ve come across some plants that not only tolerate in the mid-summer heat but actually seem to thrive in it. Below, I will introduce you to what we have growing in our summer garden in mid August…

‘Seminole’ pumpkin, a tropical “winter squash” (this just refers to the hard rind and ability to be stored over winter)

‘Rajapuri’ banana

Edible ‘kai kea’ taro–the root is starchy like a potato

Okra–this one is a red variety although not doing as well this year as they did last…

Pigeon pea–by the end of the summer this legume will be full of pea pods

Moringa, which has nutrient-dense leaves rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals

Winged bean–very tasty in stir fry or veggie tempura

Eggplant with some scallions in the background

Edible loofah–to me tastes like a cross between zucchini and cucumber