With so many plant choices, how do I select plants in my North Florida yard?

A visit to our local nurseries will leave gardeners drooling or broke. From purple tomatoes to lime green shrubs, there are so many plants to choose from. To save you money and prevent potential plant deaths, I would like to share some research based advise. Tip #1: Select plants that are suited to your site conditions. How much sun or shade do you have? Is your soil sandy? Do your plants dry out quickly or do you have some clay which holds moisture in the soil? Tip #2: Determine if you want to grow fruit or vegetable crops. Both require a minimum of six hours of direct sun to thrive and produce a crop. Avoid planting trees in the area. Tip #3: Do you prefer evergreen plants where t