Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Date:
Five most useful edibles for your Food Forest
Tired of mowing a boring lawn? Use your yard instead of being used by your yard - grow edible landscape! Below are several plants that made our life happier and meals healthier. Besides, these are fun to grow! Try them out:
1. Hibiscus
sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel - Flowers are used to make
a tea "Agua de Flor de Jamaica". Medical studies show that it lowers blood
pressure and has diuretic effects. The pleasant flavor is on the tart side
similar to a cranberry juice. We make this cold tea every day - perfect for hot
summer. Full sun.
2.
Gynura procubens - Longevity Spinach, Cholesterol spinach - one of the
Superfoods, and there are many claims that it lowers cholesterol. We use it in
our cooking all the time and so far we are all alive! Full sun.
See recipe >>
3.
Sauropus androgynus - Katuk, Tropical Asparagus. Delicious young shoots,
one of the most popular leaf vegetables in Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, people
cook it in stews and soups. It is among only a few flora containing vitamin K.
Full sun or semi-shade.
Learn more >>
4. Cymbopogon citratus - Lemon grass: Versatile performer in the kitchen where it can be used in teas, beverages, herbal medicines, Eastern inspired soups and other dishes. Full sun or semi-shade.
5. Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf: Mexican herb with incredibly sweet leaves that can be eaten from the plant like candy or tossed into fruit salads for an unusual addition. It has been used since the time of the Aztecs for coughs and colds. Tastes great, can be used by diabetic patients. We add this herb to Karkade or Mint tea as a sweetener. Shade or semi-shade.
How Mulberry fruit helps with diabetes
Fruit of Mulberry Tree (Morus x Alba hybrids)
Mulberry fruit
🍇 How Mulberry fruit helps with diabetes
🛒 Plant your own Mulberry tree
#Food_Forest #Remedies
🏵 TopTropicals
- 💜 Mulberry Tree (Morus x Alba hybrids) originated from China. Everyone knows this sweet, tasty, juicy fruit but very few people are aware of its amazing health benefits.
- 💜 Mulberry fruit can lower blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes. They improve the absorption of carbohydrates in the gut. Eating this fruit slows the breakdown of sugar in the stomach so that it's absorbed more slowly into the blood. This helps the body keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range.
- 💜 Mulberry fruit have a low glycaemic index, making them suitable to consume after meals to avoid spikes in sugar levels.
- 💜 More health benefits of Mulberry:
- 💜 Mulberry is called Tree of Life for a reason.
- 💜 Mulberry Tree is very cold hardy and can grow in wide range of climate zones, from USDA 5 to 10. Dwarf cultivars available - perfect for container culture. One of them is called Dwarf Everbearing - it fruits virtually year around!
- help prevent fatty liver diseases, and lower cholesterol levels.
- Mulberry leaves show their benefits against cardiometabolic risks, including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity
- Due to flavonoids and other phytochemicals, Mulberry juice has been shown to have anti-cancer properties, specifically against breast cancer cells.
Revelation 22, Verse 2: "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
🛒 Plant your own Mulberry tree
#Food_Forest #Remedies
🏵 TopTropicals
Why is it called Rabbits Foot Fern
Humata (Davallia) tyermannii - White Rabbits Foot Fern
Humata (Davallia) tyermannii - White Rabbits Foot Fern
Humata (Davallia) tyermannii - White Rabbits Foot Fern
⚡️ #Fun_Facts: Why is it called Rabbits Foot Fern
🐰 Humata (Davallia) tyermannii, or White Rabbits Foot Fern has fuzzy rhizomes resembling soft rabbit's feet, adding a whimsical touch to its appearance.
🛒 Order
#Container_Garden
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🐰 Humata (Davallia) tyermannii, or White Rabbits Foot Fern has fuzzy rhizomes resembling soft rabbit's feet, adding a whimsical touch to its appearance.
🛒 Order
#Container_Garden
🏵 TopTropicals
When you lost your mouse in a black hole
🕯 When you lost your mouse in a black hole... Sound on 📢
Share your cats in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇
🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden
🏵 TopTropicals
Share your cats in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇
🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden
🏵 TopTropicals
What is the best Avocado variety? Five more most popular Avocado cultivars - total of 10
Avocado Joey
Avocado Day
Avocado Ulala (Super Hass)
Avocado Fantastic
Avocado Monroe
What is the best Avocado variety? Five more most popular Avocado cultivars - total of 10!
🏆 We introduced 5 most popular varieties in our previous post. Here is 5 more, making it 10 total.
6. Joey - very cold hardy variety. Produces medium size, egg shaped purple-black fruit. It has excellent flavor. Heavy bearer. Season: September-October. It survived temperatures around 10F near San Antonio, Texas (Zone 8b). Can take temperatures down to 15F for a short period of time without significant damage.
7. Day - green, smooth skin and is shaped like a club. The fruit is of very good quality and has a nice buttery consistency. The slender tree is very cold tolerant and produces July through September.
8. Ulala (Super Hass) - sometimes called Uhlala or Uh-La-La. Cold hardy variety that can take temperatures down to 18F for short period of time without significant damage. The fruit is black skinned, with smooth texture. Seed is very small.
9. Fantastic - very cold hardy variety, supposedly the most most cold hardy of all avocados. Produces green, paper thin skin. The fruit has a creamy texture. It survived temperatures around 10F near San Antonio, Texas (Zone 8b) and can take temperatures down to 15F for short period of time without significant damage.
10. Monroe - inherited from its Guatemalan-type parent some degree of cold hardiness. In addition, the trees produced a very large, elliptical-shaped fruit with good eating qualities. Good producer, commercial cultivar in Florida. Legend has it that "it was found in Homestead, Florida on a cool dark rainy night after a meteor crashed into an abandoned papaya plantation."
📚 Learn more: Avocado Variety Guide - check this out for interactive chart of Avocado varieties and sort them by flower type A or B, tree habit, fruit shape and quality, cold hardiness, origin, season and more!
❔ What is your favorite Avocado variety?
Share in comments👇
🛒 Shop Avocado Trees
#Food_Forest
🏵 TopTropicals
🏆 We introduced 5 most popular varieties in our previous post. Here is 5 more, making it 10 total.
6. Joey - very cold hardy variety. Produces medium size, egg shaped purple-black fruit. It has excellent flavor. Heavy bearer. Season: September-October. It survived temperatures around 10F near San Antonio, Texas (Zone 8b). Can take temperatures down to 15F for a short period of time without significant damage.
7. Day - green, smooth skin and is shaped like a club. The fruit is of very good quality and has a nice buttery consistency. The slender tree is very cold tolerant and produces July through September.
8. Ulala (Super Hass) - sometimes called Uhlala or Uh-La-La. Cold hardy variety that can take temperatures down to 18F for short period of time without significant damage. The fruit is black skinned, with smooth texture. Seed is very small.
9. Fantastic - very cold hardy variety, supposedly the most most cold hardy of all avocados. Produces green, paper thin skin. The fruit has a creamy texture. It survived temperatures around 10F near San Antonio, Texas (Zone 8b) and can take temperatures down to 15F for short period of time without significant damage.
10. Monroe - inherited from its Guatemalan-type parent some degree of cold hardiness. In addition, the trees produced a very large, elliptical-shaped fruit with good eating qualities. Good producer, commercial cultivar in Florida. Legend has it that "it was found in Homestead, Florida on a cool dark rainy night after a meteor crashed into an abandoned papaya plantation."
📚 Learn more: Avocado Variety Guide - check this out for interactive chart of Avocado varieties and sort them by flower type A or B, tree habit, fruit shape and quality, cold hardiness, origin, season and more!
❔ What is your favorite Avocado variety?
Share in comments👇
🛒 Shop Avocado Trees
#Food_Forest
🏵 TopTropicals
What is the safest alcohol?
Mango Xoai Thuong (Elephant)
Citron 'Buddha's Hand' (Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis)
Citron 'Buddha's Hand' (Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis)
Variagated Lemon "Pink Lemonade"
🍾 What is the safest alcohol?
📸 Mango Xoai Thuong (Elephant)
Citron 'Buddha's Hand' (Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis)
Variagated Lemon "Pink Lemonade"
🛒 Shop Fruit Trees
#Food_Forest #Recipes
🏵 TopTropicals
- 🍹"Rum and Tequila are the safest alcohol drinks", - says Addiction Specialist, - "But only when consumed in combination with fruit juice".
- 🍹Rum is considered the "safest" alcohol due to its content of zinc, potassium, and phosphorus, which result in a less aggressive impact on the liver. It should be mixed with fruit juice such as Mango or Orange (Check out our Mango Gelato Recipe)
- 🍹 Tequila, often consumed with salt and lemon, introduces sodium chloride and vitamin C into the body, which can help reduce hangovers.
📸 Mango Xoai Thuong (Elephant)
Citron 'Buddha's Hand' (Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis)
Variagated Lemon "Pink Lemonade"
🛒 Shop Fruit Trees
#Food_Forest #Recipes
🏵 TopTropicals
How to French Kiss the Red Button Ginger
Costus spicatus x woodsonii - Red Button Ginger, French Kiss
Costus spicatus x woodsonii - Red Button Ginger, French Kiss
⚡️ #Fun_Facts:How to French Kiss the Red Button Ginger
💋 Costus spicatus x woodsonii (Red Button Ginger, French Kiss): this ginger's inflorescence resembles a cluster of bright red buttons, making it a standout in tropical gardens.
🛒 Order French Kiss
#Hedges_with_benefits
🏵 TopTropicals
💋 Costus spicatus x woodsonii (Red Button Ginger, French Kiss): this ginger's inflorescence resembles a cluster of bright red buttons, making it a standout in tropical gardens.
🛒 Order French Kiss
#Hedges_with_benefits
🏵 TopTropicals
A garden
😳 A garden without with cats
― Beverley Nichols, Garden Open Tomorrow
Share your cats in your garden in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇
🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden: PeopleCats.Garden
#Quotes
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👀“A garden without cats... can scarcely deserve to be called a garden at all... much of the magic of the heather beds would vanish if, as we bent over them, there was no chance that we might hear a faint rustle among the blossoms, and find ourselves staring into a pair of sleepy green eyes 👀”
― Beverley Nichols, Garden Open Tomorrow
Share your cats in your garden in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇
🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden: PeopleCats.Garden
#Quotes
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How to grow everblooming orchids like these?
Sunshine Orchidasm Fertilizer
Orchids in bloom
🌸❓How to grow everblooming orchids like these?
😊To enjoy beautiful Orchid flowers year around - treat them with Love, give them some Orchidasm!
📚 Learn more: Sunshine Orchidasm
🛒 Order Sunshine Orchidasm
#Fertilizers #How_to #Container_garden
🏵 TopTropicals
- 💋Orchids culture is different from garden ornamental plants. They are epiphytes, so you cannot use regular garden fertilizer on orchids, because they are very sensitive to salts.
- 💋Orchids need a special, acidic type of fertilizer, very mild in action.
- 💋Sunshine Boosters formula is exactly what orchids need. It is amino-acid based, very mild, and doesn't create nutrient lock up (building up salts is one of the biggest enemies of tender orchids). Sunshine Boosters Orchidasm Complete Feed is scientifically balanced orchid food that contains all necessary nutrients, including micro-elements, for healthy, happy, vigorous orchids.
- 💋 Sunshine Orchidasm can be used as often as daily with every foliage spray.
- 💋From our testing experience, after using Orchidasm Booster, orchids not only get happy and thriving - they also bloom more often - up to several times a year, shooting new flower spikes one after another (while normal blooming cycle for most orchids is once a year). It gets even better - the flower display lasts twice longer!
😊To enjoy beautiful Orchid flowers year around - treat them with Love, give them some Orchidasm!
📚 Learn more: Sunshine Orchidasm
🛒 Order Sunshine Orchidasm
#Fertilizers #How_to #Container_garden
🏵 TopTropicals
What is a Snake Plant
Sansevieria cylindrica - Snake Plant
Sansevieria cylindrica - Snake Plant
Sansevieria cylindrica - Snake Plant flowers
⚡️ What is a Snake Plant
🐍 Sansevieria cylindrica (Snake Plant) is known for its cylindrical, upright leaves that add a tough and architectural element to modern interior design. Not everyone knows that it also has sweetly perfumed flowers, which open only at night, emitting a delightful fragrance. This drought-tolerant plant is perfect for indoor growing and xeriscaping.
🛒 Order Snake Plant
#Container_Garden #Fun_Facts
🏵 TopTropicals
🐍 Sansevieria cylindrica (Snake Plant) is known for its cylindrical, upright leaves that add a tough and architectural element to modern interior design. Not everyone knows that it also has sweetly perfumed flowers, which open only at night, emitting a delightful fragrance. This drought-tolerant plant is perfect for indoor growing and xeriscaping.
🛒 Order Snake Plant
#Container_Garden #Fun_Facts
🏵 TopTropicals
Under the watchful eyes of a cat, you realize that youre always being silently evaluated by a mysterious observer
😀 "Under the watchful eyes of a cat, you realize that you're always being silently evaluated by a mysterious observer."
😶 Good night...
Share your cats in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇
🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden
🏵 TopTropicals
😶 Good night...
Share your cats in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇
🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden
🏵 TopTropicals
How to protect fruit in your garden from greedy competitors
Mango Orange Essence fruiting
Fruit bags
Squirrel
🐰🐁🐿 How to protect fruit in your garden from greedy competitors
Here is how we protect our mango and avocado fruit - so far it works great:
These mesh netting bags/covers are made of strong nylon and have an easy drawstring, helping to protect developing fruit on a tree from insects, birds, and rodents. With drawstring closures on both ends, you can easily tighten bag around the fruit. Available from Amazon for only 15 cents a piece.
🍒 Enjoy your fruit!
🛒 Dont's have your own mango tree? Plant one now to enjoy fruit tomorrow.
📚 Fun reading: Penelope, the Squirrel Cat
#How_to #Food_Forest
🏵 TopTropicals
Here is how we protect our mango and avocado fruit - so far it works great:
- 💰💰💰 Fruit Protection Bags
These mesh netting bags/covers are made of strong nylon and have an easy drawstring, helping to protect developing fruit on a tree from insects, birds, and rodents. With drawstring closures on both ends, you can easily tighten bag around the fruit. Available from Amazon for only 15 cents a piece.
🍒 Enjoy your fruit!
🛒 Dont's have your own mango tree? Plant one now to enjoy fruit tomorrow.
📚 Fun reading: Penelope, the Squirrel Cat
#How_to #Food_Forest
🏵 TopTropicals
How does Zig-Zag Cactus grow
⚡️ How does Zig-Zag Cactus grow
Cryptocereus anthonyanus (Zig-Zag Cactus) has zigzag-shaped stems and beautiful night-blooming flowers that make it a fascinating addition to cactus collections.
🛒 Order Zig Zag Cactus
#Container_Garden #Fun_Facts
🏵 TopTropicals
Cryptocereus anthonyanus (Zig-Zag Cactus) has zigzag-shaped stems and beautiful night-blooming flowers that make it a fascinating addition to cactus collections.
🛒 Order Zig Zag Cactus
#Container_Garden #Fun_Facts
🏵 TopTropicals
How does Zig-Zag Cactus grow
Cryptocereus anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus flower
Cryptocereus anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus
Cryptocereus anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus
⚡️ #Fun_Facts: Zig-Zag Cactus
Cryptocereus anthonyanus (Zig-Zag Cactus) has zigzag-shaped stems and beautiful night-blooming flowers that make it a fascinating addition to cactus collections.
🛒 Order Zig Zag Cactus
#Container_Garden
🏵 TopTropicals
Cryptocereus anthonyanus (Zig-Zag Cactus) has zigzag-shaped stems and beautiful night-blooming flowers that make it a fascinating addition to cactus collections.
🛒 Order Zig Zag Cactus
#Container_Garden
🏵 TopTropicals
How to have fresh Papaya fruit year around
Papaya fruit: Waimanalo, Sunrise, Maradol
Papaya tree
🍊 How to have fresh Papaya fruit year around
❓ What to do with so many fruit at once, and where to get the fruit when it's out of season?
🛒 Limited time offer: Papaya collection - 3 trees for half price!
Shop Papaya varieties
📚 Learn more from previous posts:
The secret facts of Papaya's private life
Top 3 most wanted Papaya varieties
#Food_Forest
🏵 TopTropicals
- 🟠 Many people include Papaya fruit in their daily diet because of its healing properties for digestive system. You can eat Papaya fresh as a tasty dessert, add to salads ripe or green, use fruit and leaf wraps in cooking - possibilities are endless.
- 🟠 Buying papaya fruit from the store every day can become costly. So you can plant your own tree - Papayas are heavy producers. But like with many fruit trees, the question may arise:
❓ What to do with so many fruit at once, and where to get the fruit when it's out of season?
- 🟠 The answer is: plant several varieties. Different Papaya cultivars, similar to Mango and Avocado, have different crop seasons.
- 🟠 If you want to enjoy fresh delicious Papaya fruit year around, plant several Papaya varieties in your garden that have different ripening times.
- 🟠 Papaya tree doesn't take any room in your garden: similar to a palm tree, all its leaves/crown is up high, so you can plant as many trees as you want in a very limited space and still use the room under Papaya tree for other plants.
For example:
Waimanalo - ripens from July to October and sporadically throughout the year.
Sunrise - ripens from January through September and sporadically throughout the year.
Maradol - ripens from August through March and sporadically throughout the year.
🛒 Limited time offer: Papaya collection - 3 trees for half price!
Shop Papaya varieties
📚 Learn more from previous posts:
The secret facts of Papaya's private life
Top 3 most wanted Papaya varieties
#Food_Forest
🏵 TopTropicals