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Index > Garden Blog

Date:

Plant Horoscope - Scorpio

What is your lucky Zodiac Plant?

By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

Zodiac lucky plant - Scorpio - Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

...Scorpio is the "hottest" among aquatic...
...Scorpio loves plants very much, they can provide invaluable assistance to this sign. Plants are able to calm Scorpio, transfer his attention and passionate energy to himself and transform it, directing it into a creative direction.... Scorpio is an aesthete. He loves flowers - unusual, bright, large - and lovingly grows them if he has such an opportunity. Their favorite plants, despite all their effectiveness, are often unpretentious and can grow in the most unfavorable conditions... Of particular importance in the sensual relationships of Scorpio with plants is the smell to which this sign is extremely sensitive. Aromas of some plants can affect Scorpio as an aphrodisiac...
CONTINUE READING >>

Zodiac lucky plant - Scorpio - Cup of Gold (Solandra grandiflora)

Date:

Add a little Sunshine
to keep your plants looking their best

By Ed Jones, the Booster Guy

Mango leaves before and after Sunshine Boosters application

...Just like people, a little sunshine goes a long way in keeping them happy. It is usually easier to keep a plant healthy than it is to fix it when it is not well. Proper plant nutrition is often times the issue. The good news is that it is easy to keep your plants looking good by following proper nutrition practices...
...Feeding your plants with micronutrients that they just don't get in regular fertilizers can prevent deficiencies. Let's get started on a regular program of using foliar sprays to help keep your plants looking their best...
We recommend using three products in combination - the Complete SUNSHINE Microelement Supplement Kit that consists of:

- Sunshine Superfood
- Sunshine Epi
- Sunshine Power-Si

How often do I need to treat my plants?

We are recommending a foliar spray once per week to maintain optimal health conditions. This is based on recent studies done in Ukraine by the scientist who invented Sunshine Boosters products...
Continue reading to see an easy treatment schedule that will provide your plants with:
- Increased photosynthetic activity
- Increased insect and disease resistance
- Reduced mineral toxicity
- Improvement of nutrient imbalance
- Enhanced drought and frost tolerance
- Enhanced plant growth

Read more about these wonderful products and what they do >>

Sunshine Plant Supplement Kit

Sunshine Boosters are developed in Ukraine and manufactured in the USA. We support Ukraine fight for freedom. All profits from these fertilizers will be donated to support our Team in Ukraine.

Date:

Project Ian

A letter from a gardener:
"We just want our paradise back!"

PeopleCats Botanical Garden

"...My name is Ian, and I am a 21 y/o Natural Resource Management student at South Dakota State University. In 2006, my family found a small barrier island lush with foliage and virtually untouched by the modern world, and we fell in love. Little Gasparilla Island became a piece of our family and now after 16 years, we still spend months out of each year enjoying the island's natural beauty.
Enter Hurricane Ian.
With the eye of the hurricane traveling directly over the island, many homes and materialistic items were destroyed, but more importantly, the once beautiful "jungle" is now more comparable to a barren desert.
This is where I was hoping to get some help... to restore the beauty of Little Gasparilla. After almost 3 weeks, neither the county nor FEMA has made it out to survey our island. And it is almost as if we feel forgotten. After fending for ourselves for clean-up, I am ready to get to work on landscaping. Plants are my passion and it pains me each day to wake up and see that 90% of our Australian and Norfolk Island Pines are completely gone, along with most foliage and palms.
We just want our paradise back, and many of us will work for it by any means necessary..."

We replied to Ian who suffered from Ian... We are willing to help his beautiful island, as well as everyone who is looking for help restoring our Florida beauty. Check out our deals and re-leaf discounts we send in our Newsletters. Remember to attend our Garden Festival on Nov 19, with some big discounts as well as free plants for after-Ian re-leaf!

We will make Florida beautiful again.
We will call it Project Ian!

PeopleCats Garden and pond

Date:

Fertilizing in Fall:
Plants need food too!

Sunshine boosters products collage

Q: I know that I am not supposed to fertilize plants in winter. But I just bought several ground orchids from you, they are blooming now and I wonder if I can give them some food to support their bloom energy? When should I do the last application of fertilizer? I will keep them in a sun room during Winter until Spring.

A: Traditionally, end of October to November is the time when we give the last dose of fertilizer to our tropical plants. Liquid fertilizers, and especially amino-acid based Sunshine Boosters, are safe to apply year around. This means, you can continue feeding your plants with Sunshine Boosters through the Winter without risk of over-feeding or burning roots. Why?
The answer is very simple: even with their metabolism slowed down in Winter, plants will use all that food.
Sunshine Boosters have special mild formulas that are scientifically designed and based on Amino Acids. Plants will use all essential elements from the solution as needed.
Liquid fertilizer is diluted in water, and will be applied only when you water the plant. During Winter, water needs are lowered = watering times are less frequent, with less amount of water = the plants will get less water and less fertilizer accordingly.

Importance of micro elements
in combination with plant food during winter

winter chlorosis on Kumquat leaves

In the photo: winter chlorosis on Kumquat leaves that is very hard to treat and should be prevented instead

Keep in mind that feeding your plants regularly during Winter will help to avoid "winter chlorosis" and other deficiency problems. So called "cool-temperature-induced chlorosis" (CTIC) is especially common in Spring on young, actively growing leaves. Unless chlorosis is prevented by micro-element applications, affected leaves may remain in this condition for the rest of the growing season.

Make sure to select proper type of fertilizer for your over-wintering plants. We have special formulas for foliage, flowering plants, fruit trees, young seedlings, even for for orchids and bromeliads. Check out our selection!

Cats looking for food in grocery bags

Date:

Re-Leaf discount extended!

The prettiest plants of the month

Aphelandra sinclairiana - Panama Queen

Aphelandra sinclairiana - Panama Queen

We thank everyone who made a purchase in the past few days, you made a big difference! We continue clearing debris and rebuilding our greenhouses. Thanks to your support, we will be able to get our plants ready for winter! This is what we are doing this month:

rebuilding woodframes for greenhouses
installing new shade cloth and plastic
cutting fallen trees
getting new equipment that suffered from flood
adding rock in the nursery to be ready for the Fall Festival

You help us - we help you!
Ask for more RE-LEAF specials when you visit our Garden Center!

Hurricane Ian re-leaf discount extended

For 10% off your entire order, use this code:

IANRELEAF

Use this code on top of our fantastic deals and make it a super deal:
As low as $5 sale of selected items
Secret Garden - 50% off

Min order $100. Exp. 10-08-22.

Hedychium flavum x coccineum Dr. Moy - Variegated Hardy Ginger Lily

Hedychium flavum x coccineum Dr. Moy - Variegated Hardy Ginger Lily

Date:

Fall Festival rescheduled:
now November 19th

Fall Festival Event

Due to hurricane Ian aftermath in SW Florida, many gardeners aren't able to attend our Garden Event that was originally scheduled for this coming Saturday Oct 8. So we decided to reschedule it for November 19, 2022 so everyone can come. Please update your calendars!

We have spent weeks planning this special event and the show will go on, as soon as everybody gets back on their feet. Stay strong and come back, we will help you to restore your gardens!

NEW: Festival RE-LEAF special

FREE plant for every guest - no purchase necessary!

Throughout years of living in Florida with its sometimes harsh weather - hurricanes, flood, freeze, drought - we have lost plants too, and we feel your pain now! To help everyone to restore their gardens after hurricane Ian, we are offering a FREE plant program. Yes, it's absolutely free, and no purchase required. This promotion will be run during our Fall Festival and every guest will receive a free gift plant!

Philemon Cat with Fall Festival on the Monitor

Outlook.com - Office 365 - Google

PeopleCats in the Garden

Date:

For the Love of Plants:
We are still standing!

(ok, maybe leaning over a bit for support)

Top Tropicals still standing

We've been here before, storms are not new to us, and each time, as we survey the damage, start the clean-up process, and prepare to move forward, we are asked the same question by our friends and neighbors, "You must really love what you do to deal with the drought, floods, freezes and storms and pick yourself up and do it all over again?!"

Well, the answer is yes; yes we do love this way of life. Bringing the beauty and vitality of tropical plants to thousands of customers, many of which have been with us since the beginning 20 years ago, is our purpose. It is a labor of love and our reward is seeing so many people discover their joy in and with our plants!

So we will put it all back together, we will continue to do what we love and we hope to continue to have your support along the way.

Next Saturday, October 8 is our October Fall Festival. We have spent weeks planning this special event and the show will go on! For you, that means continued specials all week, a chance to attend in person or participate virtually in our event on Saturday, and the ability to help us as we get set to do it all over again!

Please watch for our newsletters as we approach our October Fall Festival!

Cat with a candle

Date:

Plant Horoscope:
Libra Lucky Zodiac Plants
09/23-10/23

Magnolia - Libra lucky Zodiac plant

By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...We already know that most fortunate "green thumbs" have Air signs - Gemini, Libra and Aquarius - and between them, the "greenest" thumb belongs to Libra. The light of a distant greenish star Zuben-el-Shamali, which controls not only the stability of the Universe, but also gives to people born under this sign the opportunity to make our world better and more beautiful by growing of all kinds of plants. This is the main purpose of Libra.
...Under Libra's green thumb, everything they touch grows and blooms. The plants with large light-colored flowers and a delicious fragrance will be most beloved by Libra...
CONTINUE READING >>

Zodiac lucky plant - Libra - Alpinia nutans (False Cardamom, Cinnamon 
Ginger)

Photo above: Alpinia nutans (False Cardamom, Cinnamon Ginger)

Date:

PeopleCats Botanical Garden Grand Opening
Guided tour with Mark Hooten

PeopleCats Botanical Garden at TopTropicals

Top Tropicals Garden Center is pleased to invite you to visit our new PeopleCats Botanical Garden on the grounds of Top Tropicals in Ft Myers. It is named in honor of the relationship with our beloved Cats, who we treat like People. You'll see our Garden PeopleCats roaming the property. As a matter of fact, they rule the garden!
The Garden has many mature trees and plants so you can see what they look like before your purchase them in our Garden Center. And of course, our PeopleCats will be guiding you in the Gardens!

Peoplecats - cat Marco at Top Tropicals gate

PeopleCats Garden - Top Tropicals Ghost light in the forest the spirit is always watching!

Photo above: blue light in the forest - TopTropicals Garden Ghost, the spirit is always watching!

Date:

Plant Horoscope - Virgo
Lucky Zodiac Plants: 08/23-09/22

By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

Brunfelsia Zodiac lucky plant - Virgo

...Virgo is the most disciplined sign of the zodiac, the most responsible...
...She likes flowers. But she will grow them only if:
a) the task is set: to decorate the house or courtyard;
b) there is a place in her personal organizer to write: "watering, pruning, feeding, etc. - what else according to the instructions?”. And real time to do it. In all other cases, Virgo behave toward plants according to the residual principle, optimistically reasoning: "They want to live - they will survive..."
CONTINUE READING >>

Melia azedarach Zodiac lucky plant - Virgo