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["Robert Walton" <waltonrp AT gmail.com>]

I grew up in the (then) rural area  of Valrico east of Tampa, Florida.
We grew a garden every year, the main, traditional garden went in the
first of February. Cabbages and collards can go in in the fall and
grow all winter into spring. Summer is the time for peanuts, okra and
sweet potatoes, not a lot else. It's a good area for citrus, really
too far south for apples, peaches and pears, too far north for
tropicals. Nice sandy soil. There is a distinct rainy and dry season.
>From October to May you need to irrigate most garden plants.

I moved to South Florida (Hollywood, between Ft Lauderdale and Miami).
Eventually, I bought a house there and did the backyard gardening
routine. It does not freeze in South Florida (I was 1/4 mile from the
beach). Mangos and avocados are everywhere. I planted my yard to
guavas, starfruit, bananas and other tropicals. South Florida is way
to hot and rainy to grow much in the summer. I used to start tomato
seeds in September and grow them all winter until the rains and heat
got them in May. Same dry season as Central Florida, you need to be
able to irrigate. Sandy soil that can eat up some major compost.

I homesteaded briefly in El Salvador until I decided that there is no
place like the good old USA. I still own that homestead and have
extended family caring for it for me. It's not at the beach. Couldn't
afford it and the beach is hotter there. The higher elevations are
much nicer. Distinct dry season in winter and wet in summer. You can
pretty much plant garden year round. Irrigation is necessary in the
dry season. The soil on my place there is heavy clay. If you grow
bananas and other fruits, you can have something coming in all year
round. The problem I had with El Salvador (and most countries where I
am not a citizen) is I was afraid I'd wake up one day and be in my
sixties and the government or local gang would take my land and I'd be
screwed. I hope that won't happen in the US.

When I moved back to Miami and was looking for a place to settle, I
looked at a place north of Destin. Near a town called Dufuniak
Springs. 25 acres with a run down house for $45k. I'd have bought it,
but the owners could not clear up the title. Once I really thought
about it, I decided on Virginia. I wanted a climate that had more
distinct seasons and where I could grow more varieties of orchard
fruit. North Florida is nice, I have friends in the Gainesville area
and they grow plum, pears and peaches. A good crop there would be a
pecan orchard. Encroachment is going to be a problem just about
anywhere in Florida and near most any beach.

Some places like in El Salvador where the land rises quickly at the
beach would be a nicer arrangement if you want to see the water. The
only place I have any real experience with like that is El Salvador,
but you have sand on the beach and then on the bluffs overlooking it,
you have a decent soil. You can't grow much in beach sand.

I wonder what the beach in southern Texas is like? The climate would
be a similar to Florida. If I was to look at another beach area, it
would be Maine or Canada where you have bluffs overlooking the beach.
I imagine that those bluffs have a more substantial soil than beach
sand. But I don't know if I could deal with the cold.

I ended up in Southern Virginia, 100 miles from the ocean and 100
miles from the mountains. Good solid lightly rolling land does it for
me. I still have some thoughts of ending up in the mountains, but not
sure I am really mountain stock.

Rob - Va