Garden Sustainability Tips: Live your Life. Dig your Garden.

You can grow herbs and vegetables that can be easy incorporated into your home landscape. You don't need a raised bed for a few little things that will come really handy for your kitchen.

1. Parsley. Get a small 4" pot parsley plant from a local garden center. It grows super fast and just one plant can provide great healthy addition for your cooking for a few months. Plant in in full sun, under a tree or shrub, where it gets hit by a sprinkler.
2. Dill. This one grows from seeds quickly and easily. It also needs full sun and regular water.
3. Chives, or Green Onion. Don't through away "bulbs" from chives you got from the store. Stick them in the ground, pretty much anywhere in your garden. You will have supply of fresh chives loaded with vitamins right away (withing a few days!) and for many months. You can also plant an onion bulb (root-end down... duh) - this one will produce greens even faster!
4. Bay Leaf. If you live in a mild climate, plant a Bay Leaf in your yard (closer to the door - closer to the kitchen!). It is a wonderful healthy spice for soups and stews that makes them super flavorful. If your winters are cold, keep the plant in a pot. Bay Leaf makes a great undemanding houseplant that needs bright light, but very little water.
5. Cherry tomatoes are easy to grow, heat tolerant and even grow in lower light, so they are easy to incorporate into any existing landscape. Get Sunshine Boosters to double your crop: see how it works.
6. More herbs and spices. Check out our large selection of herbs and spices - they are on sale today!
7. Garden work is a great exercise. While the gym is closed - get to gardening. Read about Fun workout and Calories Burning Gardening.
8. Lemons. Vitamin C is your best friend for boosting immune system, and Lemons have tons of it! In areas where citrus can grow outside, Lemon tree is a must-have for your garden, or at least find a friend who has one! Citrus also makes a great house plant, so you can keep it in a pot, too. Just make sure to have a grafted tree that will produce right away.

Lemon Juice Health Booster Recipe

1. Squeeze juice from 1 lemon and mix it with 1 cup of water.
2. Add ice cubes and 1-2 tbsp of any flavored syrup (optional). You may add some fresh mint for Mojito flavor.
3. Enjoy this drink at least once a day.
4. Get a bunch of lemons, squeeze fresh juice into ice cube trays and freeze. 1 lemon = makes 1 ice cube. Store in freezer and use 1-2 cubes to make the above drink, daily.

Besides being rich in vitamin C that will boost your immune system, Lemon juice is a Natural medicine that helps to treat:
- cold and flu
- headaches and high blood pressure
- stomach problems
- insomnia
- and much more
Drinking lemon juice on regular basis will make your body stronger and more resistant to infections and many illnesses.

Back to Earth Check List

1. Stay calm. Remember, it's not the problem that creates the biggest problem; it is our reaction to it.
2. Focus on positive. Do not dwell on things you can't change. The Universe will unfold as it should, and your happy thoughts will provide the guidance.
3. Get connected with the Nature. It has all the answers. Go outside and see the Sun, the Sky. Now it is finally the time to smell the flowers.
4. Bring simple good things in your every day life. Like a simple food recipe, or a good movie with a happy end.
5. Connect with friends and talk only about nice things (remember 2)
6. Start a vegetable and fruit garden. Begin your sustainability with herbs at the end of this email. We will help you step by step in our next letter.
7. Go to bed with happy thoughts. Together, we will make it.

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cats of the Day: Abu, Raja and their 9 lives.

Just a couple weeks ago you met Abu and his tiny sister Raja whose Mom died after a car accident, and Kristi rescued her two little kittens. Who knew that the troubles were not over... yet. The kittens looked very weak and undernourished, with lots of fleas and infected wounds... Kristi took them to the vet and after intensive care they started to look much better... until a few days ago Raja woke up with paralysis in her back legs... while sores on Abu's paws didn't heal. Kristi rushed them both to the hospital again.
The vet said it all didn't look good... that symptoms looked like possible rabies or cat coronavirus! He said that chances are, the kittens wouldn't last long and he put them in 10 days quarantine.
Day and night we all at TopTropicals have been praying for the little babies. Every day vet's updates got worse... it was hard to believe that after all the efforts to save them, they may be gone!
Then all the sudden, after 5 days in the hospital, a miracle happened. All tests came out negative! And the kitties started getting better, fighting bad infections under doctor Bowers care. Raja got back on her feet. There is still a long way to full recovery from their miserable experience of a street life, but Something saved their lives! Doctors, prayers... or simply Kristi's BELIEVE that they WILL make it! She told them when she left them in the hospital: "You have to keep fighting, you are fighters." And they did. The Nurse said Raja hissed at her every time she walked by, but when Kristi came to pick her up and opened the cage, Raja rubbed her ears and just pressed her head in Kristi's hand.
Now they both at home, sweet home, taking medication and eating sooo much!
"I just kept thinking after all they have been through this can't be the way their story ends!" - Kristi says.
Have happy and loooong lives, kitties! All 9 of them or whatever you have saved!

TopTropicals Cat Club

Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCats, especially local customers who leave donations in our Cat jar in the office. If you would like to help Raja and Abu to pay their bill for 5 day hospital stay under intensive care, you may do it directly from our online store, by purchasing item 6464 Donation for Cats - TopTropicals Cat Club. Every little bit helps. All donations will go to cat care, and you will receive appreciation surprise presents from TopTropicals, including TopTropicals Cat Club bumper sticker. Thank you, and God bless you and your pets!

Check out the Video: Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals and more Cat of the Day stories.

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Poor Little Raja

In our last newsletter we told you about little Abu, a Baby-Purrrson that Kristi rescued from the woods where he had been surviving along with other feral cats: his little sister and his Mom who was badly injured in a car accident. We received messages from our customers asking if we were able to rescue the other two cats...
For the past few days Kristi, Jamie and Onika have been trying to capture them... The feral cats didn't want to come to humans, they were hiding away. The ladies were able to trap Abu with a tuna can... then tried and tried again with the other two with no luck... Even tried to call Animal control asking for help catching the animals so we could give them medical help. We were told that they don't trap cats! ("unless it's a cat-hating neighbor going against a crazy cat lady" - Crazy Cat Lady's comment). The girls continued their efforts again and again, with treats, traps and different capture plans... day after day.
Unfortunately, the sick mother-cat did not survive and we found her yesterday with her little baby crying over her cold body.
Kristi was able to grab the tiny kitten who was even smaller than her brother Abu. She named her Raja - a friend of Abu. Raja said that her poor mother's words were: "Go to that lady, my baby, she looks kind. It's my time to go now, and you will be in good hands..."
The little Raja was in very poor shape herself, with eyes full of tears. She was covered by fleas, and looked like passing out from anemia. Her paw was injured and infected, and her little nose... first we just thought she was pig-nosed! But her nose is also swollen. Kristi rushed her to the vet where Raja got treatments and meds. She got much better the same day and finally stopped crying. Raja finally recognized her brother Abu and cuddled with him.
Now Raja is on her way to recovery and will be sending her updates soon!

Thank you everybody for supporting us in helping PeopleCats. Every dollar you spend on TopTropicals plants is split between plant growers and PeopleCats who help us become better people.

Check out the Video: Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals and more Cat of the Day stories.

7 secrets of a Happy Avocado Tree

Q: I purchased an avocado tree from local garden centers three times but every time it dies on me. My neighbor has a nice tree in his yard and it grows beautifuly. I just purchased one online from you and I need to know what I was doing wrong? Are there any secrets how to make an Avocado tree happy? I have a big garden and several mango trees, but no luck with Avocado...

A: Avocado tree is famous for being such a pain to establish. But once it starts growing, it's growing! We will share a few simple tricks how to make it right.

1. Plant high and provide good drainage. Wet feet is number one reason for failing an avocado tree. It doesn't like wet soil and won't tolerate soggy conditions. Plant it in the highest spot of your yard and slightly on a "hill" (3-4" higher than the surrounding ground).
DO NOT plant Avocado tree in low spots or wet spots of your yard. Save those spots for Cannas or Black Sapote or even a Mango if you want a fruit tree there.
2. Use quality soil. Use only well-drained soil with high content of organic matter. You may add compost to existing sandy soil, or add some professional potting mix that contains pine bark and perlite. Remove rocks from the hole if you see any while digging. Dig a big hole and fill it with a good soil; compact the soil in the hole very well before setting the root ball. Reminder: plant the tree high!
3. Water regularly. After planting an Avocado tree in a nice high spot with a good drainage, start watering it... daily! Avocado likes water, although it doesn't like wet feet! Once you figure out this combination, you've got the recipe of success. Water by hand daily for the first week after planting, then twice a week for couple weeks, then once you notice new growth - you may rely on sprinklers, but keep watching the tree and don't let the soil over-dry. It must be slightly moist, but not soggy.
4. Fertilize. For such finicky tree, we suggest mild formulas of fertilizers. Dry fertilizers may burn roots, especially of a young tree. Even smart-release granulated fertilizers should be used very carefully. The best way to feed your young avocado tree - get a complete set of Sunshine Boosters Pro system. It has all necessary elements for all stages of plant development and never burns the roots. Sunshine Boosters Pro can be used with every watering - no need to guess how much and when. Besides, it is a natural fertilizer based on amino acids - exactly what you want to use on your fruit trees and other edibles!
5. Boost immune system of the tree. Apply Sunshine Epi plant hormone every 2 weeks as a foliar spray to boost immune system and metabolism of the tree and protect it from diseases. Epi makes plants (especially young plants) grow twice faster! It also enhances effect of fertilizers by increasing plant metabolism.
6. Do not prune until you see significant growth. The tree is small and can use as many leaves and branches as possible for photosynthesis and healthy metabolism. We suggest to avoid pruning for at least the first year. On the second year your tree most likely will be covered with flowers (assuming you followed fertilizer program). Let it go through the blooming stage and setting fruit; prune in Fall after fruiting is over.
7. Keep number of fruit to minimum for the first crop. Don't let the small tree exhaust itself. Keep just 2-3 fruit to develop. The next year, no need to control fruit quantity, the tree will develop as many as it can support.
P.S. If you got the tree from a mail-order, remember to establish it in a pot before planting in the ground; move gradually from shade to sun. Follow planting instructions.

Learn more about Sunshine Nutrition System - a Natural solution for your garden.

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Itembi - the Brave African Cat

This is a story of a Cat traveling across the World...
...I found Itembi, a tiny Calico kitten, in 2015 while I was hiking in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve while visiting Cape Town in my mother country South Africa. The little kitty appeared out of nowhere, sitting in the middle of the dusty path I was walking. It took me by surprise to see a kitty there, as I was in the middle of the boonies, with no sign of life for many miles around. She was skin and bones. My heart broke for the kitty. She was sad-eyed and so incredibly frail. I went down on my hands and knees and extended my hand. To my surprise she came over to me immediately and nestled her head into my palm, purring and purring. It was love at first sight. There was nothing else to do but to scoop her up and carry her back to my jeep to take her home with me...

Check out Video: Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals and more Cat of the Day stories.

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Mister Booster

Everybody knows our Sunshine-colored Mister B, because... he is the Boss?... Not only that, but he is also very intelligent Purrrson. After over a decade of running TopTropicals marketing team, energetic Mr B decided to lead a new project: Sunshine Boosters.

What's in his store for us? He will guide you through his new website and show you around, where you can find all kinds of good stuff for your plants. For many years, TopTropicals customers have been enjoying the benefits of many effective plant supplements, and today Mr B with Sunshine Boosters brings new formulas of scientifically developed, natural, environmentally safe plant food for all your growing needs!
- For home gardeners and professionals.
- For small plant collections and large commercial growing facilities.
- For flowers and fruit trees.
- For medicinal plants and vegetables.
- For all to be happy.

Please check out Mr Booster's website , he worked really hard for the past year on making this project happen, and helping the Earth to be a better, nicer, and safer place!

And for those of you who are growing your own business, Mr B would like to help! He is offering FREE samples for small business starters! He knows it's not easy to find a perfect nutrition system and make your growing a success. He is here to help!

On February 13-14, as a Valentines Day Special, Mr B is exhibiting his new business Sunshine Boosters in Phoenix, AZ - in the Largest Arizona Expo! Don't miss our presentation seminar Feb 13th, Seminar Room #2, 1:45 PM: Precision growing with Sunshine Boosters. For those who can not attend the show in purrrrson, the presentation will be available for downloading from our website.

Check out Video: Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals and more Cat of the Day stories.

Jasmine Rex - the hero of all jasmines

Q: I was getting ready to place my order and I saw this plant and it's beautiful. I would love to have it. What does it need to thrive? As far as light, temperature, humidity.

A: Jasminum rex indeed is a very unusual, spectacular jasmine. Unlike other jasmines, this one has almost no fragrance, however the blooms look so amazing that it became one of our favorite plants. Flowers are 2-3 inches across! It blooms profusely, covered with dozens of flowers for many days to a few weeks.
Jasmine Rex is not the easiest jasmine to grow, however it is not difficult either as long as you know its needs. The main critical factor is excellent drainage. It doesn't like soggy soil or wet feet. At the same time it needs regular watering. Full sun is also a must for flowering. Humidity is not a critical factor. Remember it is a tropical plant that needs frost-free environment. It is more cold sensitive than other jasmines although it may survive a few hours of light frost.
Once established, it grows vigorously. Make sure to apply fertilizer during active growth (when temperatures stay above 65F). We recommend Sunshine nutrition system through the whole year. Additionally, you can apply flowering fertilizer Megaflor during summer.
Make sure to plant it in a sunny spot using very good quality soil, and do not overwater.

Check out all Jasmines

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: James Coconuts progress report

Many people asking about James Coconuts who used to be in charge of our Office and Customer Service team. What is he doing now? Did he get a promotion? We addressed this question to Coconuts and here is what he's got to say:

"Hi folks, I am doing just fine. Yes, I got a promotion and currently working in Sunshine Boosters Lab together with Mr Booster (I just call him Mr B). We are developing a revolutionary Sunshine Plant Nutrition Program. It is important that your plants have good food! I can tell from my own experience. When these nice people at TopTropicals picked me up from the street couple years ago, I was nothing but bone and skin... not even much fur. And look at me now! I am still working on my work out, and my resolution for 2020 is to become even more fluffy, just like that chick in the calendar! I think everyone should eat good... and do good... Like someone said:

Check out Video: Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals and more Cat of the Day stories.

Meet People of TopTropicals. Pea Cock of the Day: the Orchid Guard

Recently we started to reveal the secret about who works behind the scenes on TopTropicals project; you have already met our editors and their assistants: Marina with Tilda, and Alex with Sonya. Today's story is about a Magic Peacock who works in orchid greenhouse of Eleanor Wilks - our photographer and tropical plant journalist in New Zealand and Australia. The watermark EleNZ you see on pictures of Australian flora - is Eleanor's!
Today Eleanor is sharing with us pictures of this amazing bird that helps her around her Orchidarium.
This young Pea Cock showed up one day in her backyard from nowhere and set up his living quarters in a tree. She asked around: no one was missing a peacock... so she took the Pea in and now he is in charge of her orchid collection. After a day of a hard work, Pea comes home to the back porch, waiting for Eleanor to sing him a good-night lullaby. Pea won't go to sleep until everyone in the house is ready for bed and the lights turned off. What a responsible house guard!

Check out Video: Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals and more Cat of the Day stories.