Growing Organic Vegetables in Your Own Backyard

Did you know that experts estimate that over 80% of the food in North America contains genetically modified organisms (GMOs)? With all of the concern these days with health and the possible ill-effects of GMOs, many health conscious people are choosing to take matters into their own hands and grow some of their own food.

Since we are in South Florida, we are able to grow many kinds of vegetables, fruits and herbs. The first step is to find a location in your yard that gets plenty of sun. Decide how big you want your garden to be, and then build a raised bed. The bed can be made from wood, or you can construct it from cement to better blend with your house. If at some point, you decide not to continue growing vegetables, the bed can be used for any other kind of plants.IMG_0450

In South Florida, our soil tends to be sandy and rocky, which is not the best for vegetables. That is why you will want to fill your vegetable bed with good potting soil mixed with compost. To start off, you can buy compost but in the article below, we will tell you how to make your own.

Your next decision is what you want to grow in your garden. At this time of year, you can plant herbs  herbs like cilantro, basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, mint and dill. You can start your garden off with these plants, many of which are useful not only in the kitchen but also for health and fragrance. When it gets a little cooler, you can add vegetables and fruit to your garden like tomatoes, sweet or hot peppers, lettuce, string beans, cabbage, eggplant, cauliflower, zucchini, squash, onions (green or Southern varieties), Brussels sprouts, watermelon, radishes and strawberry.

Then plant your plants and make sure they get enough water. We suggest putting in drip irrigation that is attached to your existing sprinkler system. This ensures that your vegetables will be getting just the right amount of water, without wasting water. One way you can keep your vegetable garden organic is by planting beautiful marigold flowers in it to repel pests.south florida vegetable garden

Jaguar Garden Designs can help you with any step along the way, including constructing your bed and bringing in the soil and compost, installing a drip irrigation system, providing and planting healthy heirloom plants along with support structures like trellises, installing a screen shade to shelter plants from the hot summer sun and even maintaining your garden. All you have to do is pick and eat the wonderful organic vegetables from your garden! Contact Jaguar Garden Designs to get growing with an organic vegetable garden!

“While my home has very limited yard space, I really wanted to join the growing movement of backyard organic food growers. When Jaguar Garden Designs was recommended to me by a friend as miracle workers, I immediately engaged them for an estimate. 

One of the owners, Wolfgang Paul, stopped by within a day of my inquiry and with no hesitation, stated his firm could handle the design, implementation, and long-term maintenance of my project. Being a complete newcomer to home organic food production, I explained that I would need to be educated and mentored all along the way. He said that was common practice for his company, asked me a multitude of questions, and promised me an emailed estimated within the week. 

True to his word, I received an estimate promptly in my email box and while not low priced, it was certainly reasonable considering the depth and scope of my project. 

The work has now been completed beautifully, with no detail forgotten. All of my plants, from beautiful organic fruit trees to complete walls of salad ingredients are in full production and it’s exciting every day to go out to the yard to see what looks good for dinner.”

–Cary, Boca Raton