Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
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PeopleCats saving us from COVID-19!
Cat owners have higher immunity for COVID-19?
In our previous newsletter, we were talking about cats fighting the coronavirus and how to help them to recover.
The research made by Sabina Olex-Condor, a Polish doctor who works in a
clinic in Madrid, showed that due to cross-immunity (cats are a known reservoir
of coronaviruses) cat owners have milder sympthoms of COVID-19! Perhaps this
is due to the fact that in a cross-reaction antibodies are produced to the
virus, and owners of cats are more protected from COVID19... Read more)
Now that quarantine has been introduced almost universally because of
coronavirus, dog owners are also in a better position - they can officially go
outside for a short while. But the benefit of dogs (and other pets) is not only
that. Scientists from the Italian city of Catanzaro found in the course of
the study, that those who have a four-legged pet, have very mild symptoms of
the COVID-19. A similar effect was observed in those in contact with cattle...
To find an explanation for this phenomenon, the researchers compared viruses.
It turned out that the disease of bulls, cows and other cattle is similar to
Chinese coronavirus by 38.4%, and the virus of dogs by 36.9%. This means
that owners of animals already have some kind of immunity. So the owners of cats
and dogs, as a rule, tolerate coronavirus easier or completely asymptomatic.
Read more...
Stay safe and healthy with your PetPeople!
TopTropicals PeopleCat Club
Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCat Community!
Make
your kind donation today and receive a surprise gift from us. Every little
bit helps! Thank you and God bless you and your pets!
Date:
Quirky Brazilian Starfish Pepper
by Onika Amell, tropical plant expert
There is something very rewarding in growing your own peppers. Brazilian
Starfish pepper - Capsicum baccatum is a little bomb of flavor! This is not a plant you
will find just anywhere in the United States.
This is a very uniquely shaped pepper which makes it an excellent
ornamental plant. But unlike many other peppers with pretty faces and lacking in
flavor, the Brazilian Starfish pepper is delicious too. It is hailed for the
complex floral and fruity undertones and a medium level of heat for most folks.
These fruity and juicy, crunchy peppers are perfect for pickling or just eating
raw in salads or salsas. They are irresistible in a glass pickling jar
because of their unique shape. Bold and crisp, this pepper is much sought after by
foodies and gardeners alike.
CONTINUE READING AND SEE THE RECIPE >>
Date:
PeopleCats amid COVID-Cat-20
- Mark Twain -
While the whole world is suffering the virus attack, cats are no
exception. They do not get COVID-19, but they have their own coronavirus - a
respiratory condition that may become very dangerous for them. And although cat
coronavirus does not affect humans, we can transfer it to other cats
through our hands/petting, shared bowls and bedding, etc.
At TopTropicals, we had several cats sick with the flu and it took us a
long time and long hospital bills to bring them back to health! Below we are
sharing with you a few tips from our own experience that may help you fight and
treat cat coronavirus, that we call "Covid-Cat-20".
How to treat Cat Coronavirus
When cats get a flu/virus/cold, they suffer congestion, sneeze and cough. Just like us humans. But for cats, stuffed nose is much worse trouble, because they can't smell food = they won't eat it! In tough cases, they won't even drink any water. Due to specifics of cat metabolism, if a cat doesn't eat and/or drink for more than a couple of days, it may become life-threatening. It is not the virus that kills a cat, it is dehydration, lack of nutrition, and possible secondary infections.
- Vet. During Covid-19 lockdown, many animal hospitals are
closed, but if you are lucky to find a vet, it is wise to give the cat a
long-lasting shot of antibiotic. You can't treat a virus with antibiotic, but it will
prevent secondary infections (like pneumonia, etc.)
- Water is absolutely essential! Make sure your Cat drinks water. If
he (she) doesn't want to drink on his own, you need to give him water with a
syringe. As often as you can. Little by little. Or, ask a vet to put a
"water pouch" under cat's skin. This will save the cat from dehydration.
- Food is the main key! Your cat must eat a normal size portion per
day in order to fight the illness. Because he can't smell, it's possible he
won't eat on his own. Offer him a smelly, soft/wet food of room temperature or
slightly warmer: usually tuna works well. Get Salmon Oil and put on top of the food: it is smelly, plus a great
vitamin supplement.
- Hand-feeding. If congestion is bad, even a smelly tuna may not
help. Mix a spoonful of pate with some water and try to hand-feed this "soup" to
the cat either using syringe, or a small spoon. Little by little. Remember,
his nose is stuffed and he can't swallow and breath at the same time, so it
must be tiny bites. (Wrap the entire cat tightly in a large thick towel to
save yourself lots of scratching damage, leaving out just the face. Guaranteed,
he won't like the procedure and you will be surprised how strong he is for a
sick cat.)
- Supplements. For an extra nutrition support, you may use Critical nutrition food and other protein supplements. Consult your vet
and you may want to try the following aids: High Calorie Liquid or Gel
(easier to administer), HomeoPet Nose Relief (for de-congestion), Lysine
Soft Chews, and Mirataz ointment (to promote appetite).
- Rest. Keep the cat indoors, in a warm place, away from drafts.
Cover with a towel to make comfy. Keep lights dimmed. Change bedding, towels,
blankets at least daily to keep clean, get rid of germs and drooling
accidents.
- Quarantine from other cats, the cat coronavirus is super
catchy! Find that spare room. Bleach, soap, alcohol and Hand Sanitizer - are your friends now to maintain germ- and virus-free
environment.
- Mild cases. Some cats have mild symptoms (we've noticed that black
cats and tuxedo cats are more susceptible regardless of age). In this case,
do not panic - just give them time to recover. Lots of rest, privacy, and be
sure to monitor water/food intake!
- Tough cases. Most cats look lethargic when sick. At some point, if
within 3-4 days you don't see improvement and the coughing continues, you
need x-ray to rule out pneumonia.
Stay well and healthy, PeopleCats!
TopTropicals PeopleCat Club
Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCat Community!
Make
your kind donation today and receive a surprise gift from us. Every little
bit helps! Thank you and God bless you and your pets!
Date:
Fast-fruiting trees
Q: It would be easier for us buyers, if we could search for plants that produce fruit in 2 years or less... I don't have the patience to wait longer than that for fruit. I'm trying to buy for a fairly good sized garden but want some fast growers and fruit produced in 2 yrs. Can you help me out?
A: Fruiting time depends on many factors (growing conditions,
fertilizing, and even specific variety), this is why we can not just put a
simple icon "will fruit within 2 years".
However, most grafted and air-layered fruit trees, including all Mango, Avocado, Loquat, Sapote, Sapodilla, Longan, Peaches and Nectarines - will fruit right away.
If you see in our store "grafted" or "air-layered" in plant description
- these trees will fruit soon. Some of them are already flowering and
fruiting!
Some non-grafted trees will fruit within a couple of years or even sooner (those from cuttings, root division or even seedlings) - such as: Annona, Artocarpus (Jackfruit), Eugenia, Guava, Banana, Dragon fruit, Mulberry, Blackberry/Raspberry. Banana, Mulberry, Dragon fruit, Blackberry-Raspberry - usually fruit within a year. You may refer to our store directory page for fruit specials.
Also, all spice trees like Bay Leaf, Bay Rum, Allspice and many more - will produce spice for you right away, so you don't need to wait at all!
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People of TopTropicals. Chic of the Day: Easter Present from Klaksa
In our last newsletter Cat of the Day was Klaksa with her hunting habits and her love for birds...
While we are still sticking to the statement that "no birds were hurt in the process so far", she brought us an Easter Present! Yes, the Present is very much alive and super hungry. Klaksa did not tell us where she got it and how can we bring it back... So we are stuck with another duck! The previous version -
Duck Dobi, has been raised by Kristi from a little chic-duckling, and
after 2 years of ruling the Cat Community in our Garden center, Dobi finally left with her
boyfriend - without saying thank you or even good-bye!
The Duck Version 2.1 has been eating and pooping happily all day. Luckily
we found a person with a duck farm, and hopefully will get this baby a good
home soon!
TopTropicals PeopleCat Club
Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCat Community!
Make
your kind donation today and receive a surprise gift from us. Thank you
and God bless you and your pets!
Date:
Exotic Easter Lily Vine
by Onika Amell, tropical plant expert
If you happen to love Easter Lilies, let us introduce you to a very beautiful and hard-to-find vine... The magnificent Easter Lily Vine - Beaumontia grandiflora, is not sold at most nurseries and is not widely grown for this very reason. We certainly feel it should be, as this woody vine is a tremendous climber which rewards the gardener with large clusters of white flowers resembling Easter Lilies, during early spring to late fall. The flowers are sweetly scented and make excellent cut flowers, which last for at least a week! An added bonus is the twining ends, which makes a very unusual and interesting addition to floral arrangements...
CONTINUE READING >>
Here at the nursery, our Easter Lily vines are almost ready to burst into full bloom. We are waiting impatiently. Order yours, and have a Happy Easter!
Seeds of Easter Lily vine also available at BOGO deal - buy 2 packs for the price of 1 with FREE shipping!
See how to how to create a fragrant privacy fence of virtually unlimited size.
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PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Klaksa, the Bird Purrrson
Klaksa is a tiny cat. She is almost 4 years old but she weighs only 6
pounds!
Klaksa considers herself a serious hunter. She spends her days chasing
birds on neighbors' roofs. With very little success though. However she never
gives up her dream to catch a Bird of Paradise.
In the meantime, she has been only catching the Birds of Paradise from our garden. No birds were hurt in the process so
far!
TopTropicals PeopleCat Club
Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCat Community! Donations accepted from our website. Thank you and God bless you and your pets!
Date:
Gardening has hooked another fan!
Over the last few weeks, we've been discussing using this time to engage
in the activities that make you happy, to do more of what you love. Of
course, for all of us at Top Tropicals, we have been singing the praises of
gardening and tropical plants for years and sharing the love with any friends and
neighbors who have expressed an interest in our activity of choice.
Do we have an affect on some people? Do we encourage them to try their hand
at gardening and experience the wonder of plants? Yesterday, we just saw it
with our own eyes. Our neighbor, to whom we once gave an Ylang Ylang tree, has consistently and politely resisted a suggestion
to try gardening herself and put some new and interesting plants in an
otherwise traditionally landscaped builders' home. Even her husband emphatically
stated that he was never going to put plants in, let alone take existing plain
boring stuff out!
What a pleasant surprise when we saw them both and their 2 young children
digging in the garden together yesterday. They replaced a whole section of
generic stock plants provided by the builder and filled the area in with loads
of colorful flowers and even topped it off with a healthy dose of new mulch!
We couldn't believe our eyes and was so happy to see the gardening "bug" made
yet another friend!
We hope our Dream Cart Offer will help someone make their dreams come true, and this forced vacation time will be well spent on their home and garden!
Save 20% on ANY 20 Dream Plants in your cart!
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PeopleCats of the World. Cats of the Day: Hemingway's six-toed cats
If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain. For today's trip to Tropics we invited PeopleCats from the famous Hemingway House in Key West, Florida.
The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is home to approximately 40-50
polydactyl (six-toed) cats. Most cats have extra toes on their front feet and
sometimes on their back feet as well. Sometimes it looks as if they are wearing
mittens because they appear to have a thumb on their paw! All Hemingway cats
carry the polydactyl gene in their DNA, which means that the ones that have 4
and 5 toes can still mother or father six-toed kittens.
Ernest Hemingway was given a white six-toed cat by a ship'' captain and
some of the cats who live on the museum grounds are descendants of that
original cat, named Snow White. The trait can appear in any breed, Calicos,
Tabbies, Tortoise Shell. White, Black, etc. They vary in shapes, sizes, colors and
personalities.
Hemingway named all of his cats after famous people so they follow that
same tradition today. Cats are capable of learning and responding to their
names...
TopTropicals PeopleCat Club
Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCat Community! Donations accepted from our website. Thank you and God bless you and your pets!
Date:
You are safe in your garden!
Lucie Herard, Montreal Tropical.
Lucie's tropical garden in Montreal, Canada:
"The movement of plants fascinates me!"
Our customer Lucie
Herard shared pictures of her tropical garden with us... Many of you have
beautiful gardens that you are proud of... but this one is... in Canada! Believe it
or not, before winter she digs everything up and brings it inside! Then in
Spring, she starts again every year. Dedication? Determination? Heroism! Lucie
won the Planet Bananiers photo contest for the third time.
Look at these pictures and visit Lucie's Facebook page for more photos and videos of her amazing garden.
Ask yourself: and what can I do? Is my life really that hard with mowing a
lawn once a week and blowing the leaves? You don't have to be a hero to make
something worthwhile in your life. Just take a shovel and start... one plant a
day. And you will end up living in Paradise.
Lucie reminds you: "Ornamental horticulture production activities are
now considered an essential service! Add soil in a pot, water very slightly for
the first two weeks and put closer to the window. That's all, the leaves
will start growing again!"
Tropical Paradise Contest 2020
Share with us photos of your garden. The winner of this contest will get plants $200 worth, with FREE shipping!
Submit your photos before April 15, 2020
and win $200 in tropical plants!
and win $200 in tropical plants!
