🍀 How to grow the Fern with Elephant Ears

Continued from previous post

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  🐘 If you love dramatic foliage but don't want the diva attitude, this gentle giant is for you!
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  🐘 Platycerium elephantotis - Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern - is native to tropical Africa, it loves warm temps, high humidity, and indirect light. It thrives in partial sun to bright indirect light and should be kept evenly moist. As it matures, mount it on a wooden plaque, since as one of the largest staghorn ferns in cultivation, it can become a massive specimen! Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern is sure to impress your gardening friends.
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  🐘 A fantastic choice for shaded patios, trees, or fern walls - it brings jungle vibes without being fussy. More sculptural than spiky, elephantotis is a must-have for collectors, houseplant lovers, and fern fans who want something out of the ordinary. It's big, bold, and undeniably cool.
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  🐘Fun_facts: The bigger the fern, the better it gets - this species just keeps getting more majestic with age!

🛒 Claim your gentle giant

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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🐟No tank needed: this goldfish lives in a pot!

• 🐠 Why is everyone obsessed with theGoldFish Plant? Because it's like having a mini aquarium without the hassle! Those shiny orange flowers really do look like little goldfish swimming through lush green leaves. Add in the bold mauve undersides and you've got a plant that’s both stylish and fun.
• 🐠 Nematanthus wettsteinii x fritschii Bijou - is called Goldfish Plant because its bright orange, tubular flowers look just like tiny, plump goldfish "swimming" through the foliage.
• 🐠 It's easy to grow, loves bright indoor spots, and blooms like a champ. No wonder everyone wants one - it's the houseplant that always makes a splash!

🛒 Bring home the plant everyone's talking about - Gold Fish Flower

📚 More from earlier post:
Why is it called Gold Fish Plant

#Fun_Facts #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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🦜 Why Hummingbird Tree?

• 🍥 Why is Sesbania grandiflora (Hummingbird Tree) so popular? Because it's as useful as it is beautiful. This small, fast-growing tree stands out with its striking, bird-shaped flowers and incredible versatility:
• 🍥 Ornamental beauty: The large flowers (ivory-white or red) resemble little birds and bloom in abundance, creating a floral canopy from fall through summer.
• 🍥 Edible flowers and leaves: Used in curries, salads, and even fried in batter. Tender leaves and green fruits are also eaten in Southeast Asian cuisine.
• 🍥 Fast-growing, flood-tolerant: Great for reforestation, shade, or as a quick ornamental tree for wet or challenging areas.
• 🍥 Medicinal: Every part of the plant is used: bark for fiber and medicine, flowers for food, wood for light construction, gum for fishing lines, and even as natural pest control.
• 🍥 It's a food plant, a medicine cabinet, a garden centerpiece, and a support system for other plants - all in one tree. That's why gardeners, farmers, and chefs all love the Hummingbird Tree.

🛒 Get an edible Hummingbird Tree

📚 Learn more about Sesbanias:
Black flowered Sesbania
Hummingbird trss: you can eat the whole tree!

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Butterfly_Plants #Container_Garden #Fun_Facts

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⚡️ Patchouli: more than just a pretty scent - every gardener needs it, and here's why

Patchouli, or Pogostemon cablin, a plant from India that is used to produce the scent Patchouli, offers a wide range of benefits: from its calming aroma to its skin-healing and medicinal properties.

🧑‍� Health Benefits of Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli, Pucha-Pat):

• 📌 Perfumery: Patchouli is well-known for its rich, earthy fragrance, making it a popular ingredient in perfumes, incense, and essential oils. Its strong, musky scent is calming and grounding.
• 📌 Skin Care: The essential oil derived from patchouli leaves is used in skincare products. It's known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, helping to soothe skin irritation, acne, and minor cuts or wounds.
• 📌 Stress Relief: Patchouli oil has calming and mood-enhancing qualities, making it effective for reducing stress and anxiety. It's commonly used in aromatherapy to promote relaxation.
• 📌 Anti-inflammatory: Patchouli has anti-inflammatory effects, reducing swelling and discomfort, particularly in arthritis or muscle pain.
• 📌 Digestive Health: The oil is sometimes used to promote digestion and relieve indigestion or bloating. It has mild antispasmodic properties that can soothe the digestive system.
• 📌 Insect Repellent: Patchouli has natural insect-repellent properties, making it useful for warding off mosquitoes and other pests.
• 📌 Antioxidant Properties: Some studies suggest that patchouli oil contains antioxidants, which may help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, supporting overall health.

🪴 Patchouli is not just prized for its unique fragrance - it's a versatile, easy-to-grow herb that thrives with minimal care. This herbaceous shrub is very vigorous and requires little attention. It loves filtered light and just a bit of water to flourish. Even in poor soils, Patchouli remains happy, consistently emitting its uplifting scent and bringing joy to your garden.

🛒 Bring the uplifting fragrance of Patchouli to your garden - grow happiness with every leaf!

📚 Learn more:
Researchers discover what a perfume from Ancient Rome was made of: Patchouli!

#Perfume_Plants #Remedies #Fun_Facts #Food_Forest #Discover

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👀 This is why Tibouchina is called the Eyelash Flower

👀 Tibouchina is often called the Eyelash Flower because of the long, delicate, and hair-like stamens that protrude from its vibrant flowers. These stamens resemble eyelashes, giving the flower its unique and eye-catching appearance.

📸🕊The stunning Tibouchina Peace Baby, a new selection bred in Queensland, Australia, now making waves globally! This compact beauty stands out with its large, clear white flowers and vibrant purple stamens that bloom throughout the warmer months, bringing gorgeous color to your garden. The blooms are so abundant, they often cover the foliage completely! Perfect for pots and containers, this easy-to-grow variety is ideal for adding a splash of beauty to any space.

📚 More Tibouchinas in previous posts:

• 💋How this addictive purple took over yards
• 💋Why this tree grows in every yard of Central Florida
• 💋Is purple your favorite color? This is your plant!
• 💋Why this Tibouchina is so popular: giant leaves & bold purple flowers of Quaresmeira

🛒 Shop Tibouchinas

#Hedges_with_benefits #Fun_Facts

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🫐 Here is how Blackberry Jam comes from Gardenia

• 🦢 Did you know that Blackberry Jam Fruit Tree blooms like Gardenia?
• 🦢 Randia formosa, or Jasmin de Rosa is a unique small evergreen tree or bush that offers both beautiful, fragrant flowers and delicious fruit.
• 🦢 The fruit, with its rich, sweet flavor, tastes just like fresh blackberry jam, making it a delightful treat right off the tree.
• 🦢 Its white flowers, which resemble those of gardenias, fill the air with a pleasant fragrance.
• 🦢 Native to tropical regions, this plant is the perfect choice if you're looking for something unique and useful in your garden. Its fruit can be enjoyed fresh or used to create delicious jams and desserts, making it a great addition to both ornamental and edible landscapes.

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

• 💋Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: Blackberry Jam Fruit (Randia formosa)
• 💋The best small fruit trees that will produce right away
• 💋Truth about Blackberry Jam: it comes from Gardenia
• 💋Top 10 fast-fruiting trees

🛒 Elevate your garden with fragrance and flavor of Blackberry Jam Fruit

#Food_Forest #Fun_Facts #Perfume_Plants

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🍌 Is Blue Java Banana really blue? Great question!

• 🔵 The Blue Java Banana, also known as the Ice Cream Banana, really does have a blueish tint when the fruit is unripe.
• 🔵 It's not bright neon blue, but more of a silvery blue-green or frosty blue tone.
• 🔵 This cool color is especially noticeable under sunlight and is one of the reasons the variety is so eye-catching.
• 🔵 Once ripe, the fruit turns pale yellow and has a creamy texture with a vanilla-like flavor, hence the nickname "ice cream banana."

🍌 Ice Cream (Blue Java) is a cold-tolerant hybrid of Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata, vigorous banana growing 10-15 feet tall and producing 40-60 lb bunches of stout, bluish-skinned fruit with sweet, vanilla-flavored, cream-like flesh that can be eaten raw or cooked.

🆒 Banana #Fun_Facts

• 🟡Bananas are rich in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and supports heart health.
• 🟡They provide a quick source of energy and are great for post-workout recovery.
• 🟡The fiber in bananas aids digestion and promotes gut health.
• 🟡Eat them fresh, add to smoothies, bake into breads and desserts, or use in various savory dishes.
• 🟡Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on mosquito bites can reduce itching and swelling.

🛒 Blue bananas exist - and you can grow them!

📚 Learn more:
About #Bananas
What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant?

#Food_Forest #Bananas

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🐾 Six-Toed Cats: The Paws That Made History

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  🐾 What is your favorite place in Florida?

Ours is Florida Keys! And what is our favorite place in Florida Keys? Hemingway Museum with Six-Toed Cats!
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  🐾 Six-toed cats, also known as polydactyl cats, are a unique genetic trait that makes their paws look like they're wearing mittens - sometimes even with a "thumb." Most commonly, they have extra toes on their front paws, though some may have them on their back feet too.
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  🐾 Ernest Hemingway’s home is famous for housing about 40-50 polydactyl cats, all descendants of a white six-toed cat named Snow White, a gift from a ship captain. The polydactyl gene is passed down, so even cats with the usual number of toes can have six-toed kittens.
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  🐾 Polydactyl cats can appear in many breeds - Tabbies, Tortoiseshells, Calicos, and more. They're found in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but they share one fascinating feature: extra toes!
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  🐾 True to Hemingway’s tradition, all of the museum's cats are named after famous people. These cats aren't just cute - they’re smart and can learn to respond to their names, making them extra special!
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  🐾 So next time you see a six-toed cat, remember you're looking at a piece of literary history with a bit of extra "paw-some" charm!

📚 Learn more:
Hemingway's six-toed cats

🐈 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Fun_facts

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🎩 A French Emperor's Hat Blooming in Your Garden?

• 🎩 Napoleon's Hat (Napoleonaea imperialis), a unique and charming plant that's sure to stand out in your garden!
• 🎩 Napoleon's Hat lives up to its name with large, saucer-shaped flowers that bloom straight from the leaf axils or even directly from the trunk! Talk about making a statement.
• 🎩 The hat-shaped, brightly colored flowers smell like butterscotch! Yes, your garden will smell like a candy shop🍬
• 🎩 It's Kola's Cousin! The reddish seeds resemble kola nuts and even have a similar taste, giving you a fun, "false kola" experience.
• 🎩 An instant conversation starter, Napoleon's Hat is a quirky, fragrant addition to your garden - perfect for those looking for something a little different.

🛒 Plant Napoleon's Hat and show off with the most bizarre flower!

#Fun_facts #Trees #Nature_Wonders

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🦖 Flower of Dinosaurs

Did you know that -
Magnolias are one of the oldest flowering plants, dating back about 95 million years! They actually predate bees, as their flowers are designed to be pollinated by beetles. In fact, magnolias and dinosaurs coexisted during the Cretaceous period, making them one of the oldest living species of flowering plants!

🐈 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Fun_facts

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