Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date:

Blackberry Jam Fruit - the sweetest surprise

A tuxedo cat making jam from Blackberry Jam Fruit (Randia formosa) while an orange cat smiles in a chair, sipping tea beside a large flowering Randia plant in a cozy, sunlit room.

Tea and Jam with the PeopleCats – A Tropical Afternoon Beneath the Randia

Meet the cats behind the jam! The tuxedo cat is none other than Google-the-cat - our beloved elder and one of the original cat-fathers of Top Tropicals PeopleCats.garden. At 18 years old, he’s still sharp, curious, and very much in charge. The orange fluffball? He represents the universal image of cat joy - and we’ve got a few real-life orange sunshine residents just like him.

Why do you include cats in a plant newsletter?

Because they’re part of the garden. Our rescued PeopleCats live among the plants, nap under the mango trees, inspect new arrivals, and occasionally steal a sunspot meant for seedlings. They’re not mascots — they’re part of our team. Sharing their presence is like showing a part of the soul of our space.🐈

Are the cat images real or AI-generated?

All our cats are real! We take lots of pictures and videos. And a few images are AI-generated illustrations inspired by our real PeopleCats.garden residents. While not literal photographs, they are creative interpretations that capture the spirit of our tropical home and its furry citizens.🐾

Are the stories about the cats true?

Mostly! The jam-making, tea-drinking, and greenhouse meetings are creative interpretations - but inspired by real personalities. We use AI scenes to bring their spirit to life. Real cats. Real plants. Imagined adventures.🐱

Shop Blackberry Jam Plants

Date:

Late season mango Kent: Florida's delight. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Late season mango Kent: Floridas delight

Mango Kent

Late season mango Kent: Florida's delight.
Mango Rainbow🌈
  • 🟡Kent is Florida's late-season superstar that never disappoints!
  • 🟡These big, oval mangoes turn yellow-green with a ruby-red blush and emit the most tropical, peachy aroma. Slice inside and you’ll find dense, fiberless orange flesh that melts in your mouth with a sweet-tangy burst and warm spice notes. It's juicy, succulent, and perfect fresh or in smoothies - and they keep coming from July through early fall.
  • 🟡This tree is a heavy bearer, disease resistant, and a must-have in any mango collection!


🛒 Shop Mango varieties

📚 Previous posts: #Mango_Rainbow - varieties you should try

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

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Date:

Giant mango Keitt never quits! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Giant mango Keitt never quits!

Mango Keitt

Giant mango Keitt never quits!
Mango Rainbow🌈
  • 🟡This is Keitt a late-season monster. It is the largest mango we've ever seen - no kidding! Some of these weigh up to five pounds!
  • 🟡And the best part? They just keep coming from July all the way through fall.
  • 🟡The flavor is sweet, smooth, super juicy, and barely any fiber. You can eat it ripe, slice it green, or make an awesome mango pickle.
  • 🟡This tree's a total champ - crazy productive and super reliable.


🛒 Shop Mango varieties

📚 Previous posts: #Mango_Rainbow - varieties you should try

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

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Date:

Why tipping mango trees makes them fruiting machines (DIY Garden Tip) A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Why tipping mango trees makes them fruiting machines (DIY Garden Tip)

Why tipping mango trees makes them fruiting machines (DIY Garden Tip)

📱

🌳 Want more mangoes from your backyard tree?
In this step-by-step guide, Ed from Top Tropicals in Fort Myers, Florida, shows how to tip mango trees to boost branching, improve structure, and increase fruit production. Whether you're growing Valencia Pride, Orange Sherbet, or Glen mangoes - this method works!

✔️ You'll learn:

  • ▫️When and how to tip branches
  • ▫️ What tools to use (and how to clean them)
  • ▫️Real before-and-after results from trees in our Florida garden
  • ▫️Tips for shaping young trees for long-term success


🛒 Get your own mango trees

🌱 More garden tips and tropical fruit care

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

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Date:

NEW VIDEO: How to cut a mango without making a mess

Ever wonder how to cut a mango without getting juice everywhere? We've got a trick that's soooo simple! You'll wish you knew it sooner!

In our newest video, Chiane and Ashley from the Top Tropicals team aren't just slicing mangoes - they are diving into a full-on mango tasting adventure. You'll get a peek at some of the most mind-blowing mango varieties you probably didn't even know existed! From buttery-smooth to crisp and tangy.

to discover your new favorite mango - and maybe a new way to enjoy it, too 😻

Discover Mango varieties - we have hundreds of them!

Shop mango varieties

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Date:

Five best fruit trees to plant in Summer. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

James Coconuts and Bob introducing Five best fruit trees

🌳 Five best fruit trees to plant in Summer

☀️ Summer might be scorching, but it’s actually a great time to plant fruit trees that love the heat. If you've got sunshine and a little space, these five tropical picks will reward you with fresh, homegrown fruit - some you’ll never find in a store!

1. Mango - the King of all fruit, a must have in every garden. Fiberlress varieties only! You can't buy those in the store.

2. Avocado - a must have super-fruit in everyone's diet, grow your own!

3.🐲 Dragon fruit - heat tolerant easy plant with low water needs, sweet fruit-bearing cactus

4. 🍉 Guava - by far the most flavorful tropical fruit, great for Summer drinks

5. 🍐 Black Sapote - fast growing, heat- and flood-tolerant, fruit tastes like chocolate pudding

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Explore the finest rare tropical fruit trees

#Food_Forest #Discover

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Date:

Wet Dog Fragrance renewed. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Lab dogs Sunshine, Draco and Lila

🐶 Wet Dog Fragrance renewed

Lab Family reunion and the Country Bath... Visual definition of Happiness - again. Bigger scale than last year!

🐈📸 Sunshine, Draco and Lila visiting their Mom Mango at Top Tropicals Bfarm and PeopleCats.Garden. 

#PeopleCats

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Date:

Ice Cream mango: tiny tree, big flavor! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Ice Cream mango: tiny tree, big flavor!

Condo Ice Cream mango

Ice Cream mango: tiny tree, big flavor!
Mango Rainbow🌈
  • 🟡Ice Cream is the king of condo mangoes - and for good reason! This tiny tree stays under six feet and still gives you a full size fruit that tastes like mango sorbet.
  • 🟡The fruit may be small and green, but inside? Bright yellow flesh that's rich, sweet, and unbelievably smooth.
  • 🟡It is the perfect pick for containers, patios, or small spaces. If you want big flavor from a little tree, Ice Cream mango is the one.


🛒 Shop Mango varieties

📚 Previous posts: #Mango_Rainbow - varieties you should try

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

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Date:

Florigon mango: smooth, early, and always reliable. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Florigon mango: smooth, early, and always reliable

Florigon mango

Florigon mango: smooth, early, and always reliable.
Mango Rainbow🌈
  • 🟡 Florigon is one of those mangoes that keeps showing up early - and never disappoints!
  • 🟡It's creamy and mild, with a buttery texture and just a hint of spice. Sweet, but not too sweet - perfect for eating fresh or even over a scoop of ice cream.
  • 🟡The tree is compact, reliable, and disease resistant, making it a favorite for backyard growers.
  • 🟡Early fruit, no fiber, and smooth as silk - Florigon is an easy win in your garden.


🛒 Shop Mango varieties

📚 Previous posts: #Mango_Rainbow - varieties you should try

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

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Date:

Beware of the Wigglebutts! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Sunshine, Draco and Lila the dogs

🐶 Beware of the Wigglebutts!

Another year passed, and here is another Lab Family reunion!
Exactly a year ago: 8 cute puppies update: wet dog fragrance. Mango's puppies turned into big monsters.

🐈📸 Sunshine, Draco and Lila visiting their Mom Mango at Top Tropicals Bfarm and PeopleCats.Garden. 

#PeopleCats

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