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Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
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Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Kevin Coconuts, brother of James Coconuts
Many of you know well James Coconuts who has been in charge of our Customer Service. Only recently James discovered a twin brother! Kevin Coconuts lives with Sue and Mark (our horticulturist) and helps Mark to grow all his exclusive rare plants. Here is Kevin's story told by Sue...
"...One fall day about a year ago we had a visit from a gangly little stray who seemed drawn to our home. We originally thought he was the kitty from across the street, as his markings are almost identical. We repeatedly shooed him off but the next day, there he was again. His unassuming, humble personality drew us in. Upon closer observation we could see he was a male, while the one across the street is female, so we realized he did not belong over there. He seemed to have nowhere else to go...
With his silly playful attitude, Kevin wormed his way into our hearts
and we decided to accept him as one of ours. Upon entering our house for the
first time, he seemed to know his way around, and within a couple hours he was
fast asleep on the couch. Our two other cats (Amun & Midnight) did not seem
perturbed, which is very unusual for CATS, as anyone with cats knows! We have
enjoyed Kevin's warm and comical demeanor and could not imagine life without him. He is a bright light that lifts the hearts of all who meet him!"
Check out and more Cat of the Day stories.
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Chestnut vine - perfect plant for home and office
by Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
Q: I was visiting Ford Myers recently and attended the Edison Ford Winter Estate Garden Festival. I could not help but notice two stunningly beautiful Chestnut vines on your stand at the event. I have never seen this plant anywhere before. I was told they make a great indoor plant. I was also told your company ships to all 50 states. I have been looking for something unusual to grow in my office and this may be just the plant! How do I take care of it indoors?
A: If you want to bring a little bit of the tropics into your office, you have chosen the perfect plant. Tetrastigma voinierianum - Chestnut vine - is a long-lived perennial plant that will stay green all year long. It is a native of Laos and a member of the grape (Vitaceae) family. This is a truly striking vine with beautiful lush and large leaves. It is a vigorous climber with 8 inch or longer tendrils for climbing purposes. The underside of the leaves has clear pearl-like bumps, which are actually plant secretions that are used by ant colonies when growing in its wild habitat...
