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🌰 Where do almonds come from? From the prettiest red-leaved tree with health benefits!

• 📝 Most commercial almonds come from the Prunus dulcis tree, a close relative of Peach Tree, native to the Middle East and South Asia. However, Tropical Almond (Terminalia catappa), also called Indian almond or Sea almond, produces a similar nut in tropical regions.
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  📝 The Tropical Almond tree puts on a spectacular fall display rarely seen in evergreen tropical regions. As a deciduous tree, it sheds its large, glossy leaves in a burst of color - shifting from green to brilliant shades of red, orange, and especially bright mauve. This fiery transformation sets it apart from most tropical trees. At the same time, the almond-like fruits ripen, making this tree not only a visual showstopper but also a source of delicious, nutritious nuts.

🌰 Health benefits of Tropical Almond:

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  ✅ Rich in omega-3 fatty acids - supports brain and heart health.
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  ✅ High in protein and healthy fats – helps build and maintain muscle and energy.
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  ✅ Strengthens bones and teeth – due to its calcium and phosphorus content.
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  ✅ Improves eye health – thanks to antioxidants like vitamin E.
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  ✅ Reduces inflammation – naturally anti-inflammatory.
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  ✅ Supports liver and digestive health – traditional medicine uses the leaves for liver diseases, diarrhea, and dysentery.
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  ✅ Used as an aphrodisiac – in some traditional systems.

Tropical Almonds can be grown in the ground or containers and are tolerant of heat, drought, and salt, making them great for tropical and coastal gardens.

🛒 Plant the Tropical Almond Tree with mauve fall color

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☕️ How to make your own coffee from homegrown beans

Q: Can you make coffee from your own tree? Isn't there a process involved to prepare beans for it?
A: Absolutely! Yes, it is quite a process... But homegrown coffee lets you enjoy the freshest, chemical-free beans with rich flavor and the satisfaction of growing it yourself. Besides, it's fun! Below is a quick guide how to grow and make your own coffee from freshly harvested coffee fruit (called "cherries").

• 🫘 Harvest the ripe cherries

Pick the bright red fruits when they are fully ripe. These contain the coffee beans inside.
• 🫘 Remove the beans

Squeeze the cherries to pop out the seeds (beans). Rinse off any pulp and soak them in water for 1-2 days to ferment and remove the slimy coating.
• 🫘 Dry the beans

Spread the clean beans on a tray in a sunny, dry spot. Let them dry for 1-2 weeks, turning them daily, until they feel hard and papery.
• 🫘 Remove the parchment

Once dried, crack and remove the thin husk around each bean. You now have green coffee beans ready to roast.
• 🫘 Roast the beans

Use a dry skillet or oven. Heat until beans turn brown and fragrant, stirring constantly. The longer you roast, the darker and stronger the flavor.
• 🫘 Cool and grind

Let roasted beans cool completely, then grind them just before brewing. Enjoy your homemade cup of fresh coffee!

🛒 Grow it. Pick it. Roast it. Drink it. Buy your coffee tree now!

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

• • Coffee trees in bloom
• • Brew Your Future: Grow Your Own Coffee
• • What is coffee made of?
• • Why Coffee tree is the best gift plant
• • Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: #2. Coffee Tree
• • What is the most popular and the easiest tropical fruit tree grown as a house plant?
• • Video: growing a Coffee tree

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☕️ Coffee trees are in bloom!

☕️ Coffee prices are climbing, supplies are tightening, and drought in Brazil is hitting hard 🫤
The best time to plant a Coffee Tree was yesterday - the next best time is right now!

🎥 Our Coffee trees (Coffea arabica) are bursting with blooms, promising a fresh harvest and home-roasted coffee like no other.
It's time to take your morning cup into your own hands!

🛒 Grow it. Pick it. Roast it. Drink it. Buy your coffee tree now!

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

• • Brew Your Future: Grow Your Own Coffee
• • What is coffee made of?
• • Why Coffee tree is the best gift plant
• • Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: #2. Coffee Tree
• • What is the most popular and the easiest tropical fruit tree grown as a house plant?
• • Video: growing a Coffee tree

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🍯 Finally: a sugar that is good for your health!

• 🍩 Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) - the Brown Sugar fruit that loves you back with a health kick! Sapodilla is a delicious tropical fruit with soft, brown, sweet flesh and a malty, caramel-like flavor. It's loved not just for its unique taste, but also for its rich nutritional and medicinal value. Sapodilla is a sweet, nourishing fruit that doubles as a natural energy snack and a digestive aid.

🍴 Culinary Benefits: The sweet you don't have to feel guilty about!

• 🍩 Eaten fresh - Just scoop the flesh out and enjoy! Tastes like brown sugar or caramel with a hint of pear.
• 🍩 Smoothies and shakes - Adds creamy sweetness without the need for added sugar.
• 🍩 Desserts - Used in ice cream, custards, or fruit salads.
• 🍩 Jams, preserves - Makes a rich, flavorful jam.
• 🍩 Dried sapodilla - Can be sun-dried like dates for a chewy, candy-like snack.

💚 Sapodilla's Health Benefits:

• 🍩 Rich in fiber - Helps regulate digestion, prevent constipation, and support gut health.
• 🍩 Natural energy booster - High in natural sugars and calories, great for quick energy.
• 🍩 Packed with antioxidants - Contains polyphenols and flavonoids that help fight inflammation and cell damage.
• 🍩 Vitamins A, C - Supports eye health, immune function, and skin regeneration.
• 🍩 Iron, potassium, and folate - Supports blood health and may help maintain heart function and blood pressure.

🛒 Grow your own Sugar Fruit

📚 Learn more:
When does Sapodilla start fruiting and what is the best variety
New variety of Sapodilla: Thai Brownie

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🔥 What banana fits anywhere? Meet the world's smallest banana tree - big flavor in a tiny package

• 🪴 Banana Truly Tiny is one of the most in-demand banana plants for collectors, small-space gardeners, and anyone who wants to grow bananas indoors. Here's why:
• 🪴 World's Smallest Banana Plant: As the name suggests, it’s the most compact edible banana variety. It grows just 2-3 feet tall, making it perfect for apartments, balconies, or desktops.
• 🪴 Edible Mini Bananas: Yes, it produces real, sweet, snack-sized bananas - not just an ornamental plant! The fruit is delicious and just the right size for kids or snacking.
• 🪴 Perfect for Containers: Its dwarf size makes it ideal for pots. You don’t need a yard or greenhouse - just a sunny window or patio.
• 🪴 Cute, Decorative, and Functional: It’s both a conversation piece and a fruit producer. Great for gifts, collectors, and home décor.
• 🪴 Indoor-Friendly: One of the few banana plants that thrives indoors with good light and care. It also stays manageable and won’t outgrow your space.
• 🪴 Fast-Growing and Fun: Like other bananas, it grows quickly and is exciting to watch - perfect for kids, first-time growers, and anyone who wants a rewarding plant.
• 🪴 Why Everyone Wants Truly Tiny? Because it’s the cutest banana plant in the world, and it actually produces fruit! Whether you're a collector or just want something exotic and productive in a small space, Truly Tiny is in a league of its own.

🛒 Get Truly Tiny - the cutest banana you'll ever grow!

📚 Learn more about #Bananas

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🏆 Discover the health benefits of Katuk: a Superfood for your mind and body

• 🌿 Katuk, or Tropical Asparagus (Sauropus androgynus), is a delicious leafy vegetable popular in South and Southeast Asia. Its young shoots, often referred to as tropical asparagus, are highly prized for their taste and high yields.
• 🌿 In Vietnam, Katuk is commonly cooked in soups with crab meat, minced pork, or dried shrimp, while in Malaysia, it’s stir-fried with egg and dried anchovies.
• 🌿 The plant is unique for being one of the few plants that contains vitamin K. It’s also rich in folate, vitamin K, and lutein - nutrients linked to improved memory and reduced cognitive aging.
• 🌿 Katuk thrives in full sun or semi-shade, making it a versatile and healthy addition to your garden or kitchen.

Lean more:
📚 Tropical Asparagus, Katuk: Grow your own food
📱 How to cook with Katuk

🛒 Add Katuk Superfood to your edible garden today

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🍌 How to double your banana crop without extra space

• 🍌 Double Mahoi - is a Cavendish banana variety that typically produces a double stalk of bananas in its second year, boosting the harvest. It is one of the most popular banana varieties for home growers - and for good reason! Here's what makes it so great:
• 🍌 Double the Fruit: After the first fruiting, this variety often produces a second flower stalk - two harvests from one plant, which is rare among bananas.
• 🍌 Heavy Producer: Known for large, dense bunches of sweet, dessert-type bananas. One plant can produce up to 100 bananas per cycle!
• 🍌 Dwarf Size: Grows only about 6 to 8 feet tall, making it perfect for smaller yards, containers, or even patios.
• 🍌 Tasty Fruit: The bananas are sweet, soft, and flavorful, similar to the classic Cavendish but often fresher and more satisfying.
• 🍌 Self-Pollinating & Reliable: Easy to grow, doesn't need another plant to fruit, and performs well with basic care.
• 🍌 Great for Containers: Compact growth and fast fruiting make it ideal for container growing - even indoors with enough light.
• 🍌 Fast Fruiting: Can begin producing in 12-18 months under good conditions.
• 🍌 Why everyone wants Double Mahoi Banana? Because it's the most productive dwarf banana for home gardens. You get lots of fruit, it doesn't take up much space, and you can grow it in almost any warm climate - or in a pot anywhere else. Double Mahoi is the go-to banana for gardeners who want reliable harvests in a small footprint.

🛒 Grow twice the Bananas - plant Double Mahoi

📚 Learn more about #Bananas

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📱 Red Leaves, Red Fruit, Real Wow Banana!


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🥕 Which Banana has red fruit and leaves?

• 💃 Banana Bordelon - Red Leaves, Red Fruit, Real Wow!

Not just leaves - this banana bears red fruit too!
• 💃 Banana Bordelon is a show-stopping ornamental AND edible HARDY banana that gardeners love for its bold look and surprising resilience.

Here's why it's in high demand:
• 💃 Striking Red-Striped Leaves: The main attraction is its dramatic foliage - large green leaves boldly striped with deep red. It instantly adds a tropical, exotic flair to any garden.
• 💃 Tall and Impressive: Grows 10-15 feet tall, making it a fantastic focal point or privacy screen in warm climates.
• 💃 Hardy for an Ornamental: Despite its tropical look, 'Bordelon' is more cold-tolerant than many bananas. With protection, it survives mild winters and can even flower and fruit in zone 8b and up.
• 💃 Flowers and Fruits: It's not just eye candy. With proper care and winter protection, Bordelon produces deep purple flowers and striking red fruit - a rare and beautiful bonus in ornamental bananas.
• 💃 Native Charm: Originally discovered in Bordelonville, Louisiana, it's adapted to Southern gardens and thrives in warm, humid conditions.
• 💃 Why everyone wants Bordelone Banana? Because it's both beautiful and tough. Bordelon brings color, height, and a tropical vibe to any landscape - and unlike many ornamentals, it can survive a chilly season and still reward you with vibrant foliage, flowers, and fruit. It’s perfect for collectors, Southern gardeners, and anyone who wants bold impact with low maintenance.

🛒 Bring home Bordelon: the Banana that paints your garden RED!

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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!

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