Persimmon trees offer significant benefits to local ecosystems, attracting bees and other pollinators with their spring flowers and providing fall fruit that deer, birds, and small mammals enjoy. Their shade and vibrant fall color also make them an excellent addition to native plant gardens and food forests. When it comes to eating, persimmons—whether from wild American trees or cultivated Asian varieties—offer rich flavor and nutrients. The Fuyu type can be sliced and eaten raw like an apple or added to salads, while the Hachiya should be fully soft before being used in puddings, muffins, or smoothies. American persimmons are best when ripened on the tree or picked when jelly-soft, ideal for traditional Southern dishes like persimmon pudding or cookies. For storage, keep ripe persimmons in the fridge for up to a week, freeze the pulp for baking or smoothies, or dry slices into chewy, candy-like snacks.
Living in Jacksonville, Florida offers more than just beautiful beaches and bustling city life—it also provides a great climate for growing your own food right in your backyard. Whether you’re in a small bungalow in Riverside, a suburban home in Mandarin, or even an apartment with container space on the Southside, Jacksonville’s warm and humid subtropical climate makes it possible to grow a variety of crops with minimal fuss. Here are five easy crops that just about anyone can grow in their backyard garden (or even on a sunny patio) in Jacksonville.
Cultivating edible flowers in Florida is a rewarding way to combine an abundant garden with culinary adventure. Thanks to the state’s warm, often humid climate and lengthy growing seasons, gardeners have the unique opportunity to grow a dazzling variety of blooms that aren’t just beautiful, but also safe to eat and delicious. Focusing on the process of growing these flowers highlights the joy and simplicity of turning your own backyard into a vibrant, edible landscape.
https://www.tnffarms.com/wp-content/uploads/growing-edible-flowers-in-florida.jpg600800Timhttp://www.tnffarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/tnf-farms-logo-color-plain-1.pngTim2025-08-11 08:00:002025-08-06 18:47:59Edible Flowers A Vibrant Addition to Your Garden
Let’s be honest, if you live in the South, you’ve probably already heard someone brag about how they pick tomatoes well into December or harvest collards before a single frost has even shown its face. And guess what? They’re not lying. Gardening in the South is an absolute dream when it comes to growing vegetables all year long. With the right mix of know-how, timing, and just a bit of sweat equity, you can turn your backyard or, heck, even your patio into a never-ending food supply. Imagine biting into your own fresh cucumbers in July, roasting sweet potatoes from your garden in November, or making a winter soup using kale you just picked that morning. It’s more than possible. It’s a lifestyle. Let’s walk through exactly how to grow a thriving, year-round vegetable garden in the South, from seed to supper.
https://www.tnffarms.com/wp-content/uploads/from-seeds-to-supper.jpg600800Katherinehttp://www.tnffarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/tnf-farms-logo-color-plain-1.pngKatherine2025-08-04 18:26:382025-08-06 18:47:00Growing a Year-Round Vegetable Garden in the South
Faith and I relocated from the Jacksonville area to rural Tallahassee, Florida in the fall of 2021. We worked jobs we thought were very boring and repetitive. The two of us wanted to chase a little more adventure and what we saw as an uncomplicated life. This drew us to an area known as the Big Bend part of the state. Average people can still buy a decent chunk of land in the state of Florida without being celebrity rich. We dreamt of starting a hobby farm where we would produce our own high-quality, real food. Be a little more self-sufficient and live a more outdoor, agricultural lifestyle as well.
https://www.tnffarms.com/wp-content/uploads/faith-midwifed-goats.jpg500279Timhttp://www.tnffarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/tnf-farms-logo-color-plain-1.pngTim2025-06-12 22:21:132025-08-07 10:17:06The ink has dried in this chapter of our journal
Persimmons: Native Flavor, Southern Charm
/in Florida Living, Foodies, Homesteading/by TimPersimmon trees offer significant benefits to local ecosystems, attracting bees and other pollinators with their spring flowers and providing fall fruit that deer, birds, and small mammals enjoy. Their shade and vibrant fall color also make them an excellent addition to native plant gardens and food forests. When it comes to eating, persimmons—whether from wild American trees or cultivated Asian varieties—offer rich flavor and nutrients. The Fuyu type can be sliced and eaten raw like an apple or added to salads, while the Hachiya should be fully soft before being used in puddings, muffins, or smoothies. American persimmons are best when ripened on the tree or picked when jelly-soft, ideal for traditional Southern dishes like persimmon pudding or cookies. For storage, keep ripe persimmons in the fridge for up to a week, freeze the pulp for baking or smoothies, or dry slices into chewy, candy-like snacks.
5 Easy Crops Anyone Can Grow
/in Florida Living, Foodies, Homesteading/by FaithLiving in Jacksonville, Florida offers more than just beautiful beaches and bustling city life—it also provides a great climate for growing your own food right in your backyard. Whether you’re in a small bungalow in Riverside, a suburban home in Mandarin, or even an apartment with container space on the Southside, Jacksonville’s warm and humid subtropical climate makes it possible to grow a variety of crops with minimal fuss. Here are five easy crops that just about anyone can grow in their backyard garden (or even on a sunny patio) in Jacksonville.
Edible Flowers A Vibrant Addition to Your Garden
/in Florida Living, Foodies, Homesteading/by TimCultivating edible flowers in Florida is a rewarding way to combine an abundant garden with culinary adventure. Thanks to the state’s warm, often humid climate and lengthy growing seasons, gardeners have the unique opportunity to grow a dazzling variety of blooms that aren’t just beautiful, but also safe to eat and delicious. Focusing on the process of growing these flowers highlights the joy and simplicity of turning your own backyard into a vibrant, edible landscape.
Growing a Year-Round Vegetable Garden in the South
/in Florida Living, Homesteading, Let's Do Something/by KatherineLet’s be honest, if you live in the South, you’ve probably already heard someone brag about how they pick tomatoes well into December or harvest collards before a single frost has even shown its face. And guess what? They’re not lying. Gardening in the South is an absolute dream when it comes to growing vegetables all year long. With the right mix of know-how, timing, and just a bit of sweat equity, you can turn your backyard or, heck, even your patio into a never-ending food supply. Imagine biting into your own fresh cucumbers in July, roasting sweet potatoes from your garden in November, or making a winter soup using kale you just picked that morning. It’s more than possible. It’s a lifestyle. Let’s walk through exactly how to grow a thriving, year-round vegetable garden in the South, from seed to supper.
The ink has dried in this chapter of our journal
/in Florida Living, Homesteading, Let's Do Something/by TimFaith and I relocated from the Jacksonville area to rural Tallahassee, Florida in the fall of 2021. We worked jobs we thought were very boring and repetitive. The two of us wanted to chase a little more adventure and what we saw as an uncomplicated life. This drew us to an area known as the Big Bend part of the state. Average people can still buy a decent chunk of land in the state of Florida without being celebrity rich. We dreamt of starting a hobby farm where we would produce our own high-quality, real food. Be a little more self-sufficient and live a more outdoor, agricultural lifestyle as well.