Summer Container Gardening in SW Florida

I wanted to share with you how I was determined to grow my own food even in the heat of summer, here in SW, Florida. Several people have been telling me, "Oh you can't grow anything during the summer in Florida". Well I was going to try. I didn't want to set up my square foot gardens until the fall, so I decided on container gardening. It is working great. I have 3 tomato plants, 1 cucumber, 1 zucchini, 2 peppers, lemon basil, parsley, boxwood basil, steevia, thyme, micro greens, lettuce and spinach. I harvest the lettuce and greens when they are very young, and I use them to top my store bought organic romaine. I use the herbs in just about every salad. Last week I harvested my first three cherry tomatoes. I was so excited! You'd think I had never grown anything before, but each year a new garden brings me just as much joy as the first one. I am using only organic soils and food for the plants. I had wanted to supplement the soil with rock dust but I couldn't find a small enough bag to purchase. In the fall when I put in my two square foot garden kits I want to supplement the soil with rock dust. I will also use my compost that I started a few months ago. I keep things very simple around here and right now our old recycle bin is serving as my compost bin. I plan on putting together a larger one b/c this one is filled to the rim! I am going to make one myself. I am trying not to overwhelm myself so I do things as simple as possible. I think it helps me stay on track and not psych myself out. Sometimes if I feel like I have bitten off more than I can chew, I will back down and give up. I don't want to give up on this because it is so important for us to grow our own food. We really have to become more sustainable right in our own backyards.  Happy Gardening!
~JMJ~