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Index > Garden Blog

Date:

Gardening for the Soul:
why your garden is healing...

cat in the garden

"The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul." - Alfred Austin

...Healing gardens are good for your soul and morale. They can improve your mood and help with depression, and they have even been proven to increase our physical wellbeing.

...Gardening offers therapeutic benefits by providing a calming connection to nature, which reduces stress and anxiety.

...The physical activity involved improves overall health, promoting better cardiovascular function and increased strength.

...And last but not least, the act of nurturing plants fosters a sense of purpose and accomplishment, which can alleviate symptoms of depression. Spending time outdoors and in sunlight also boosts mood by increasing serotonin levels.

Date:

What is the best flowering bush that everyone loves?

Calliandra schultzii - Dwarf Powderpuff

💑 What is the best flowering bush that everyone loves?

Calliandras
, commonly known as powderpuffs, are vibrant and delightful additions to any garden. Their distinctive, fluffy flower heads and ease of care make them a favorite among gardeners. Calliandras are an excellent choice for anyone looking to enhance their garden with minimal effort while enjoying the beauty and benefits they bring.
  • 💖 Striking Blooms: Calliandra's unique, powderpuff-like flowers come in shades of red, pink, and white, adding a splash of color.
  • 💖 Attracts Wildlife: These flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
  • 💖 Low Maintenance: Calliandras are tough plants that require minimal care. Once established, they are quite drought-tolerant, ideal for water-wise gardening.
  • 💖 Year-Round blooms: Many varieties bloom multiple times a year.
  • 💖 Planting Options: Suitable for hedges, borders, or container planting, offering flexibility in garden design.
  • 💖 Pest Resistant: Generally resistant to common pests and diseases.


🎥 Calliandra schultzii - Dwarf Powderpuff
📚 More Calliandras from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Calliandras - Powderpuffs

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants

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Date:

What hibiscus has the most health benefits

Hibiscus sabdariffa (Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel, Roselle)

🌺 What hibiscus has the most health benefits

🥃 Hibiscus sabdariffa (Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel, Roselle) flowers have deep red calyces that are used worldwide to make a refreshing teas "Agua de Flor de Jamaica" and Karkade Tea, known for its tart flavor and health benefits. This is one of the most fast growing plants, bringing from seed to big bush a big flower crop within just one season.

📚 Learn more:

🎥 YouTube video: Jamaican Hibiscus Tea: what's in it?

🛒
Shop Edible Hibiscus

#Food_Forest #Remedies

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Date:

How to create your personal retreat

How to create your personal retreat How to create your personal retreat How to create your personal retreat
🌳 How to create your personal retreat

Bob, Scooby and Cash: "Grow your plants in the bathroom, and watch as your tropical oasis flourishes right where you begin and end your day."

Share your cats in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇

🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden 

#Quotes

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Date:

Mark your calendars: September 7, 2024

September 7, 2024 - SATURDAY - Fall Plant Market

Fall Plant Market
Saturday, September 7, 9 am - 4 pm

Save the date! Join us on September 7, 2024, for our Fall Plant Market!

This Event will be featuring the largest selection of flowering and fruiting plants! Get unbeatable deals with plants starting at just $2, $5, and $10. Plus, enjoy a free plant with every purchase, and if you’re one of the first 25 guests to spend $50, you'll receive a special gift bag!

Our plants have grown big and beautiful over the summer, so don’t miss this chance to fill your yard at fantastic prices. Bring friends and family, and let our friendly PeopleCats guide you around the garden. We look forward to seeing you there!

Highlights of the event:

30% OFF online prices, one day only! (excluding 15 gallon material and rare plants)
Gift bags - for first 25 customers with $50 order
$2, $5 and $10 plants
Raffle
Free plant with any purchase as a token of our appreciation

Event discounts valid at both locations:

Ft Myers Garden Center: 13890 Orange River, Ft Myers, FL
Sebring B-Farm: 9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL

Plant Market

Plant Market

Fall Plant Market

Fall Plant Market Cat

Date:

How big is Giant Granadilla fruit and does it come from a Passion Vine?

Passiflora quadrangularis - Giant Granadilla Fruit

🍆 How big is Giant Granadilla fruit and does it come from a Passion Vine?

Passiflora quadrangularis - Giant Granadilla Fruit is one of the species of a Passion Vine. Known for its impressive fruits and exotic flowers, it offers numerous benefits to gardeners.
  • ☸️ Edible Fruit is impressive in size: 6-12 inches in length; it can weigh between 2 to 4 pounds! Though some may grow even larger under optimal conditions.👀

  • Granadilla fruits that are not only delicious but also rich in vitamins and nutrients.
  • ☸️ Showy Flowers: Produces large, fragrant flowers with intricate designs
  • ☸️ Attracts Pollinators: The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, promoting a healthy garden ecosystem.
  • ☸️ Vigorous Grower: This vine grows rapidly and can cover trellises, fences, and pergolas, providing lush greenery and shade within just one season.
  • ☸️ The fruits can be eaten fresh, juiced, or used in desserts and culinary dishes
  • ☸️ Medicinal Properties: Traditionally used in some cultures for its potential health benefits, including digestive aid and anti-inflammatory properties.
  • ☸️ Heat Tolerant: Thrives in warm climates and is relatively drought-tolerant once established.


📚 Learn more about Passion fruit and vine from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Passiflora plants

#Food_Forest #Hedges_with_benefits

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Date:

Unlock the Beauty of Nature at Home!

🌺 Unlock the Beauty of Nature at Home!  

🥭 Transform your living space into a tropical paradise with our stunning selection of tropical plants and fruit trees (#Food_Forest) at TopTropicals. Each plant is a gateway to vibrant colors and fresh scents, bringing life and joy to your home.

🌻 But that’s not all! Join our channel for exclusive tips on #How_to nurture your new green companions.

From watering schedules to sunlight needs, we provide everything you need to become a tropical plant whisperer!

🔴 Subscribe now for expert advice: 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Colorful Mexican Clay Pottery:
Now available at our Garden Center!

Colorful Mexican Clay Pottery

Pick up only, no shipping

We've listened to your requests for beautiful planters and pots, and now we're excited to introduce these new items for our local customers!

Discover the charm of Mexican pottery with this handcrafted Talavera clay planter! Each pot is hand-painted with colorful flowers and geometric patterns, making every piece a unique work of art. Plus, it comes with a handy drainage hole to keep your plants happy and healthy!

Handcrafted in Mexico. Each pot has a unique, author's design. Exact details of pattern and color saturation vary.

Colorful Mexican Clay Pottery

Date:

Florida native plants for Florida and beyond

Florida Native Plants

If you live in Florida community with HOA, you may need these plants!

Did you know that we carry Native Florida plants?

At Top Tropicals, we have the biggest selection of tropical plants from around the World, with a special selection of Florida Natives. If you are looking for a particular Florida Native plant, just let us know - we can get them for you, because... we are here in Florida and we know them all!

If your Florida yard is regulated by a Homeowners Association, you may be required to plant native plants or those species on approved list. Why? These policies aim to promote sustainable landscaping practices and protect Florida's unique ecosystems. Although this may seem to limit your choices, there are plenty of Florida-friendly plants to choose from!

In general, native plants are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, making them more resilient and requiring less water, fertilizer, and pesticides. This makes them easy to grow and great for beginners.

Native plants provide essential habitat and food sources for local wildlife, including birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. And Florida flora has a lot to offer for the wildlife!

If you live outside of Florida, our native plants may appear to you as much exotic and rare as those from Asia, S. America or Africa! Let's take a peak at some Natives...

Erythrina herbacea - Coral Bean

In the photo above: Erythrina herbacea - Coral Bean. Coral trees - Erythrinas are very showy, red-flowering small trees that are perfect for locations with poor soil and limited irrigation, very easy to grow, great butterfly and hummingbird attractors..

Acacia farnesiana - Sweet Mimosa

In the photo above: Acacia farnesiana - Sweet Mimosa. One of the most useful tropical plants that is very cold tolerant, blooms all winter through spring with honey-fragrant flowers - canary yellow powder puffs, attracting bees and butterflies. Fast growing bushy tree, tolerates poor soils and drought.

Date:

What is hotter that hot pepper?

Capsicum annuum x chinense - Biquinho Pepper

Capsicum annuum x chinense - Biquinho Pepper

Capsicum annuum x chinense - Biquinho Pepper

Capsicum frutescens - Wiri Wiri Papper

Capsicum frutescens - Wiri Wiri Papper

🔥 What is hotter that hot pepper? Wiri Wiri Pepper! - it's about how to live long and have a great skin.

🌶 These two peppers are a must for spice lovers - intense fruity habanero flavor packs quite a bang! 💥
Extremely showy, these ornamental peppers have culinary benefits and are great for container garden.
  • ❤️ Capsicum annuum x chinense - ❤️-shaped Biquinho Pepper that you saw in earlier post. An exceptionally distinct pepper, an ancient hybrid of Capsicum annuum (bird pepper) and Capsicum chinense (habanero group). While of small size (1"), these heart-shaped red fruits are prolifically produced along the branches of compact plants.

  • 🔴 Capsicum frutescens - Wiri Wiri Pepper from Guyana is the illustrious gem; hard sought and rarely found. This plant produces good yields of small 1/2" berry shaped hot peppers. Peppers grow upright, are very hot, and turn from green, to orange, to red when mature. Guyanese dinners will only take one of those meals for you to never forget! The secret of their food is the flavor, and one of the cornerstone ingredients in many of their dishes is the Wiri pepper. The Guyanese population claim that it is not just a key ingredient to their diet, but also to why they are so good looking, live so long, and have such great skin.


❗️ What makes these peppers so much different than any other hot peppers?
Hot? Yes, it is important that hot peppers are, but the people who really know, know that it is not just about heat, it is about flavor! And that is exactly what makes these little red gems so special.

🧪 For abundant crops, fertilize with Sunshine C-Cibus plant booster.

🛒 Order Hot Peppers

#Food_Forest #Container_Garden


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