“Grammy, how did these leaves get here?”

“Grammy, are these the greens we eat?”

“Grammy, why don’t you grow apples?”

As I patiently explained how my garden grows, her last question made me wonder … Can I grow apples in Florida?

Being an Ohio girl, I always have taken the fragrant springtime blooms and fall fruits for granted. Back home, those snow-white fields seemed to stretch for miles, heralding the crunchy red delicacy as their promise of things to come.

When I moved to the Florida Panhandle nine years ago, I experienced gardening in a very different light. I was not used to the diverse growing seasons, the intense humidity, torrential rains, drought or the BUGS. I quickly adjusted, however, with the help of friends and how-to books.

Even though I missed the apple blossoms and their bounty fresh from the grove, I never gave growing apples, or other “Northern” fruits, in Florida a second thought until my granddaughter so innocently asked the right question. As they say, “Out of the mouths of babes.”

Know Your Zone


Not one to let moss grow on a gardening challenge, I immediately began researching fruit trees, berry bushes and other traditional cold-weather fruits that could be grown in our area.

Determining the plant hardiness zone for the region is the first step in considering what will not only grow but also flourish in our region. Because the Panhandle is in Zone 8, according to the Plant Hardiness Zone Map, I scoured online resources, a huge stack of gardening catalogs and my library of reference books with that number in mind. Since apples were the primary reason for beginning this quest, I first focused on them.

Although there were many varieties listed as capable of growing in our area, I found only two that extended into Zone 9. They are considered antique, having been cultivated since the 19th century. Both carry the moniker “perfect for Southern gardens,” which piqued my interest.

With a fruit in the medium-to-large category, the Chenango strawberry apple sounds scrumptious. Stark Bro’s catalog asks the question, “Are you eating an apple or strawberries?” I think I will have to plant this one on my property. It just sounds too good to be true.

Cinnamon-spice apples can be grown as far south as Zone 10, which delves clear down south to the Florida Keys. These apples burst with cinnamon flavor when you take a bite. Fortunately these two Zone 9 beauties are capable of pollinating one another.

Don’t forget about cross-pollination, which is necessary if producing fruit is your objective. Trees must be planted within one-quarter mile of one another in order to provide the needed results. Also, they must be planted in well-drained soil, rich with composted matter in an area that gets six to eight hours of sun daily.

And, don’t forget the BUGS. A variety of chemical and natural sprays saturate the market. Make sure to look for an all-purpose deterrent, which takes care of insects and diseases at the same time.

Other garden helpers that will speed you on your way to a bountiful harvest include tree guards and limb spreaders. Guards will protect delicate fruit trees from rabbits, mice and deer, all of which love fruit-tree bark. Limb spreaders are true to the name, spreading the limbs so more light and air gets through, providing earlier and bigger fruit.

While stocking up on the necessities to start your mini-orchard, don’t forget the fertilizer. Orchards love nitrogen. Find a high-nitrogen-content fertilizer and you will be amazed. While you’re at it, don’t forget to give a shot of this soil fixative to your shrubs, ornamentals and other plants. Nitrogen works to keep everything green and healthy.

Fruit trees require pruning – that is a given. If the thought of cutting up your apple trees concerns you, check out the University of Florida Extension Service, which can be an invaluable source of information, as can your local extension agent. Visit edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG345 for a primer on pruning and training deciduous fruit trees.

Other ‘Unforbidden’ Fruits

Naturally, I stumbled across other non-citrus-variety fruits and berries as I read about apples. Some, I am sure you will be familiar with; others, probably not. So I’ll share what I learned.

If peaches appeal to your palate, you have to grow the Burbank July Elberta peach, which was created by Luther Burbank (1849-1926), the world-renowned horticulturist who gave us the Russet Burbank potato and the Shasta daisy.

Is there a gourmet in your midst? Then check out these unusual offerings.

Thinking about growing Asian pears? Try Hosui. It is blight-resistant and self-pollinating, although horticulturists recommend using New Century, another Asian variety, to speed the process. Hosui has a slightly higher acid content than most pears, which adds tang to its taste. New Century is so sweet, it is ideal for salads and snacking.


Or maybe your taste runs to the truly unusual. Try Van Deman Fruiting Quince. This easy-to-grow dwarf tree produces stunning white blooms, followed by waxy-yellow, oblong fruit. This is another Luther Burbank creation that is best in jams, jellies and for baking – think pie.

Then there are persimmons. Both the Ichi-Ki-Kei-Jiro and Tanenashi are sweet, plump seedless delights. For a truly Southern-adapted fruit, capable of growing in Zones 6-9, try these curious, bountiful Orientals.

Grapes, you say? The premier red variety is the seedless Flame. Ideal for snacking or in salads, these are the ones you buy in the grocery store, but they are undeniably better when allowed to vine-ripen.

Kiwis are a favorite in my household. If your family enjoys them as much as mine, why not try the Issai Hardy Kiwi? With its thin, smooth skin, 20-percent natural sugar and eight times more Vitamin C than oranges, choosing it will make you a hit with your brood for years to come. Vines produce up to 100 pounds of fruit each year.

As for berries, I found two Panhandle-friendly ones that sound downright mouthwatering. Loganberry, promoted as “possibly the best berry ever!” by nurseries, is a naturally occurring cross between red raspberries and blackberries. If allowed to ripen on the bush, they are sweet enough to pop right into your mouth.

Tulameen red raspberry, from British Columbia, produces fruits for up to 50 days. While Tulameen is a good choice for jams and pies, it is excellent for fresh eating, too.

As you plan your home orchard, grape arbor or berry bog, remember that most fruit trees take a minimum of two to three years to set fruit, so don’t be discouraged. The wait will be worth the effort.

In fact, I have ordered the Chenango strawberry and Cinnamon spice apples, as well as the kiwi and both berries for my little slice of the planet. I already can hear the inevitable Riley Rose questions: “Grammy, where did you get the trees?” “Grammy, where are leaves?” “Grammy, when will the apples get here?”

Birds have fascinated mankind for thousands of years, and today there are literally millions of bird lovers in the United States. In fact, a report from the Kaytee Avian Foundation estimates that 43 percent of U.S. households, or about 65 million people, provide food for wild birds.

Some birders travel hundreds of miles in an attempt to add that elusive bird to their life lists. In fact, the Great Florida Birding Trail, which includes a section in the Panhandle, recently was completed. With more than 2,000 miles of highway connected by exceptional bird-watching sites that are identified with special highway signs, this Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission program is a boon to birders and supports ecotourism in a grand fashion.

Other bird fanciers prepare a welcome mat in their own corner of the globe with bird-seed gardens, feeders, flowering shrubs, nesting boxes and water vessels. Why not add your name to this fast-growing list of bird fanciers and be rewarded in the process? Consider this: With the growth in development in our area, natural habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate. Because of this human invasion, having a bird-friendly yard never has been more important.

The melodic renditions of various birds, drifting through open windows, keep you up to date on neighborhood happenings. Squawks of blue jays let you know some animal probably is bothering their nest. The trill of a male cardinal says he is looking for a mate. A male chuck-will’s-widow says “whip-poor-will,” all night long, until he finds the perfect wife. Carolina wrens make our hearts glad with songs so sweet, you would almost think they must be related to Mozart. Doves coo to their hearts’ – and yours for that matter – content.

Some, however, seem to sing for the sheer pleasure of it. Mockingbirds, permanent residents of the Panhandle and the Florida state bird, repeat, repeat and then repeat again. In fact, one prolific soul was recorded in Baltimore mocking 36 different species! And Carolina chickadees and their buzzy “chickadee-dee-dee-dees” are always welcome.

Feeding Your Feathered Friends

Bird watching is an exercise the whole family can enjoy. When our 7-year-old grandson Joseph visits, the first thing he asks is, “Grammy, is it time to fill the feeders?” Even if it is not, we do it anyway. He also enjoys identifying the birds in our yard and recently started his own life list.

With all that said, let’s get started.

One of the first things you have to consider is that birds have enormous appetites relative to their size. For instance, a gargantuan flock of gold finches invaded my yard this past spring. I filled all eight of my feeders with black-oil sunflower seeds on an average of every three days while they were in residence preparing for their excursion to the northern climes. They also did a decent job on my thistle feeder and a pair of thistle socks hanging in my front yard.

Attracting birds to your garden does not have to involve a wholesale rework of your yard. You can start small and expand if you so desire. Providing food, water and shelter easily attracts many of the 950 species known to the North American continent.

First, hang a feeder. Remember, birds are food for many predators, so it is best if the feeder is near an area where birds can easily escape, such as large trees or dense shrubbery. Songbird mixes and wild birdseed are readily available throughout the area. I generally recommend against these because most of the small brown seeds are lost on the ground as your bird friends scavenge for prized sunflower morsels.

I have found most birds’ favorite feed is black-oil sunflower seeds, available at most lawn and garden outlets, including Sandi’s Farm, Lawn & Garden in Lynn Haven. Sandi’s owner Sandi McQuaig even offers a “no-waste” songbird seed she blends herself.

“This is the choice of our avid bird fanciers,” she said. “It contains white millet, black-oil sunflower seeds and oat groats.”

The special mix costs $16.95 for 50 pounds. Black-oil sunflower seeds are $10.95 for 25 pounds and $18.95 for 50 pounds at Sandi’s. She also carries standard wild bird and songbird mixes.

“I even have safflower (songbirds) and thistle seed (gold finches), as well as peanuts,” McQuaig said.

Be sure to keep your feeders clean. Wet seed will mold, which can be deadly to our avian buddies. Keep seed in a cool, dry place, preferably in a rodent-proof metal can.

Water and Shelter

The first time you see a hummingbird take a bath on the wing, you will welcome the investment you made in your birdbath. A simple pedestal bath will suffice, although a water feature such as a fountain or garden pond is an aesthetic plus. Water, too, must be kept clean. In the dog days of summer, I clean and refill my birdbaths on a daily basis. This maintenance chore will be substantially reduced if the water is circulated, such as with a pond pump, which will also discourage a mosquito invasion.

Upgrading to a water feature does not have to be cost-prohibitive. According to Joe Forstman III, lawn-and-garden department head at The Home Depot in Destin, “We have complete pond kits in stock for around $100 that are popular with our customers. We also carry pond liners. People can get real creative with these by cutting them to their own design. We have two such ponds in the garden center, one Japanese and one with koi that people can walk through. In fact, none of us had ever built a pond before and had no difficulty building these.”

The next step is to provide shelter from severe weather and predators. Dogwoods are a popular choice for songbirds; so are magnolias, no matter the variety. Hawthorns, which have fruit that look like tiny apples, are sure to provide shelter and treats to a multitude of birds.

Even though we do not have to put up with the snow and ice of Northern winters, it does get cold here, and dense shrubs seem to be a popular haven for those species that winter with us. With a corridor of cover, birds can move safely from one end of the garden to the other and will not be zip-in, eat, zip-out visitors.

All-Natural Birding

If you are interested in a more natural approach to attracting birds, try landscaping your yard to cater to their needs. Several ornithology experts recommend “going wild” to make your flock happy. Let your backyard, or maybe just a portion of it, become overgrown with thickets and trailing vines, which should not be a problem in Florida. This will provide the bird’s natural summer diet of insects and spiders, while in winter, the fruits and seeds will help them survive.

Also consider putting in a birdseed garden. Consider this: Seed-eating birds will forage for months in a garden full of foods that are naturally appealing. However, many of the best plants for birds are ones we consider weeds. But if you have ever seen a flock of sparrows feasting on a field of weeds, you know just how attractive these plants are for them. I suggest some of the prettier self-sowing plants, which the birds should clean off well enough to keep them from being too offensive. They include Russian mammoth sunflowers, foxtail millet, zinnias, lamb’s quarters, sensation cosmos and autumn beauty sunflowers.

Have a penchant for hummingbirds? Plant a hummingbird garden. It is best to think of their beak when you choose flowers. Hummingbirds prefer blooms with long tubes that produce sweet nectar. Red flowers act as a hummingbird magnet, so keep that in mind when making your choices. Once these tiny birds have found your special spot, tubular blossoms will encourage them to linger longer. Self-sown petunias, white-flowering rose-of-Sharon, grandview scarlet bee balm, hardy fuchsia and white-flowered impatiens are just a few hummingbird attractants.

Although many may say it is not necessary to feed birds in the summer, I do it all year long. I cannot possibly imagine an early-morning coffee or a time of conversation with my husband, Charlie, after dinner on our front porch without the songs of our friends. Nor would I ever want to miss the joy on Charlie’s face when he, a bird-watching novice, catches a glimpse of some new bird he can add to his life list.

So follow the lead of literally millions of your fellow Americans and reap the benefits. You will be glad you did.

Reasons to Attract Birds to Your Garden

1. Declining habitats bring with them a moral obligation to provide food and water so the future of the bird population is ensured.
2. Bird watching is a catharsis for those who embrace its wonder.
3. Attracting birds to your garden can be an exercise in family fun, with everyone, both young and old, reaping the benefits.

The Necessities

1. Food – Black-oil sunflower seeds, available at most feed stores and garden centers, are a staple of many birds’ diets.
2. Water – Necessary for drinking and bathing. A simple pedestal-type birdbath will provide an adequate means for both.
3. Shelter – In Florida’s temperate climate, shelter may be provided in the form of dense bushes and large-leaf trees.

Web Sites to Help in Your Quest

Birdsource.com – Sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon, this site provides research and information about the bird population. Get involved in the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Floridabirdingtrail.com – Get the lowdown on 446 birding sites throughout Florida.

Audubonofflorida.org – Audubon news and advocacy infor-mation compiled by this group that is committed to solving the conservation challenges of the 21st century.

Nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat – Check out fun projects to enhance your bird-watching efforts. You may even be tempted to enroll your yard as a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat.