Bulbs: First Daffodils 2010, 1 by amorecuore

amorecuore wrote:
Yes, soil is important. I amended so much garden soil, compost, peat moss, and even potting mix into the first 6 inches of soil when I first started. I'm 12 miles inland and border on the Florida Everglades. The top 6-9 inches of the actual soil is loose and very workable. When you get deeper than 9 inches it's all white sand. Luckily there is good sand mixed into the natural soil for those summer days when it rains like crazy. We average 12" of rain just in June, but it doesn't flood. Most place would be underwater with that kind of rain.

Both oceans (Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic) play a role in our temperatures. It moderates the temps in the summer. The temperature getting over 95 is a rare thing. It has only reached 100 here on two occasions...ever. It is also rare to get below 75 at night during June-Sept. The summer temps are very very consistent and very very humid.

Yes, it takes a couple of years to get used to the summer heat/humidity here. I still don't like it because it lasts for so long. Personally I scale back on things in the summer and let loose from Oct-May. The weather from Oct-Apr is awesome. It's pleasant, humidity is down and its our drier season. What's not to like when you have many months with highs in the 70's and lows in the mid/upper 50s...for the most part. It makes up for the summers.

Here's another flower bulb just beginning to bloom this weekend. They're still pretty short right now. It's Babiana "Fragrant Fusion Mix".

Jon