What Grows in Your Backyard Garden?

Even a small backyard garden can yield lots of food
February 07, 2021
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Multicolored radishes
Multicolored radishes

During the height of the winter growing season, South Florida farmers markets are overflowing with locally grown greens, herbs, tomatoes, eggplant, cabbage, radishes, beans, squash and more – much of it from small farms that are less than five acres, and sometimes even less. A well-planned vegetable garden doesn't need to be huge to provide a family, friends and neighbors with fresh, healthy produce from December through April and beyond. We checked in with Jamie's Miami Springs backyard garden, where for many years he has planted multiple varieties of tomatoes and other winter vegetables in a small, well-planned space that gets lots of sun.

Yellow cherry tomatoes are as sweet as candy
Indigo tomatoes go from deep purple to maroon when ripe
Tomatoes do best in containers
Photo 1: Yellow cherry tomatoes are as sweet as candy
Photo 2: Indigo tomatoes go from deep purple to maroon when ripe
Photo 3: Tomatoes do best in containers

Tomatoes are the stars of this backyard. Different cultivars are planted for variety, and plantings are spaced out to make harvest time last longer. They're planted in big pots around the perimeter of the yard.

Cucumbers grow in wire cages
Good year for cucumbers
Cabbage heads get huge
Photo 1: Cucumbers grow in wire cages
Photo 2: Good year for cucumbers
Photo 3: Cabbage heads get huge

Cucumbers, squash, cabbage, broccoli and peppers are planted in the ground.

Harvesting radishes
Multicolored radishes
Lulu guards peppers in containers
Photo 1: Harvesting radishes
Photo 2: Multicolored radishes
Photo 3: Lulu guards peppers in containers