October is usually bone dry in north Florida so it was nice to get so much rain last night and today in Niceville. But the wet weather kept me out of the garden and from harvesting the mature snap beans that are out there.

If I were to harvest beans under these conditions I would compress the soil in the garden, disturb the roots of the bean plants and perhaps help spread disease. I’ll wait until tomorrow.

Now is a great time to plant broccoli in north Florida. The seedlings you plant this weekend will be ready to harvest and enjoy with a Christmastime dinner! I think you can still find the nine-pack seedlings from Bonnie Plant Farms at Kmart in Niceville, Lowes and Home Depot.

Your homegrown broccoli will look and taste far better than any you have ever had before.