I'm considering moving to central Florida and wonder if any Florida gardeners can give me advice about some of the best plants for a FL garden. I know they have to survive heat, humidity, and occasional frost! Seems like FL gardening is a bit tricky!

Vegetable,fruit, or ormamental? True, there are some things that do not grow well in Fl., but there are lots of things that will grow here that gardners up north can not grow. There are 3 growing regions: south, central, and north; is there one in particular that you're interested in? As far as vegetables go, there are very few I can't grow. We grow bananas,pineapples,mangoes,avocadoes,orange,lime,tangelo,loquat to name a few. See if your library has a copy of FLORIDA HOME GROWN 2: THE EDIBLE LANDSCAPE by Tom Mac Cubbin.

I live (and was born and raised) in West Central Florida, and the largest obstacle I have gardening is the soil (a.k.a. sand.) I use a lot of succluents and cacti in my decorative gardens, and actually interplant them with herbs. It works well. I have other areas dedicated to tropicals and fruits/vegetables. In these areas I have to make a lot more effort to amend the soil, but I haven't found anything that I haven't been able to grow if I put my mind to it. I have grown oranges, grapefruit, bananas, occasionally tomatoes, squash, beans, etc. Spinish doesn't do well. South Florida is pretty much rock, so gardening from Miami on down requires either raised beds or a pitch fork. Nearness to the ocean/gulf is also a consideration. If you plan on living in an area that could possibly flood, (or gets a lot of salt wind) this will affect the plants you grow to a large extent. My grandmother lives on a canal, and so only grows plants that are salt tolorant. It also affects the soil/sand makeup. In south and central FL we have very little problems with freezes and plants that are annuals in other areas are perennials here. Most vegetable farmers can save crops from a 1-2 day frost by saturating the fields with water. The ice acts as an insulator. On a smaller scale, I bring orcids into the garage and cover my more tender plants. Sometimes I have to dig up bulbs and put them in the fridge for a couple of weeks in the winter to get them going in the spring, but it's not an unpleasant task.
North Florida can get significantly colder and stay cold longer. Gardening in Tallahassee is a whole other can of worms.

I have been reading this forum for a while, but am a new participant. From what I read in other posts, it seems that dealing with the harsh winters in the northern areas is much more difficult than the FL heat. (coming from a woman who has never seen snow!) I have been out 'fussing' in the garden for the last four weekends, although 2 days I did have to wear a jacket. If you decide to move to FL I am sure you will find gardening here fun and rewarding. There are some differences, but there are many gardeners here, myself included, that would be happy to share with you any information you need.

I hope I have helped you a little.

Autumn

I expect to be in Central Florida (at The Villages) and am primarily interested in tropical foliage plants for a lush look without having to fuss over the plants too much. I'll no doubt stick some perennials flowers and roses in as well, and a few vegetables (tomatoes, lettuce, herbs), and maybe a lemon tree?? The soil is very sandy.

You should have no problem growing these items, although the roses may require extra attention. I suggest you contact the county agricultural extension agent and get the free planting guides they offer for fruits, vegetables, herbs, and ornamentals. I have a large 3 ring binder with information they have provided me. They also have info. by plant name. I went to Florida State and so hate to say great things about the Univ. of Fl., but they have a wonderful agricultural program, big on r&d, and most of this info. is available through the extension service. They have limited organic data, but will respond, I hope, as we request it. Gardening here is SO different than what you're used to that contacting the agent will be a must. In Fl., summer is our down time; but you can grow a few things. Once you have your home grown lemon,lime,orange,banana,avocado,ginger root,pineapple, ect., you'll be glad you came!!!! Let us know when you get here. Have a safe move. Just for the record, soil in Miami is not rock; the Keys are old reef and thus coral rock, but Miami is just like the Melbourne area except it is hotter, zone 10-semi tropical. I lived in Miami Springs, just north of Miami International Airport, and gardened there for many years.