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Index > Garden Blog

Date:

We remember 9/11, and we always will

Two kittens, black and white, with American Flag

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King Jr.

As this day approaches, the weight of its memories fills our hearts - honoring the lives lost, the bravery of the heroes, and the resilience that carried us through such a difficult time.

In our journey of healing, let us stand united, supporting one another with love, kindness, and understanding. In times like these, tolerance and mutual respect, regardless of our differences, become gifts we share with the world.

Take a moment to appreciate what we have today, the people who surround us, and the ones who love us. Cherish them while they are here - today. Give a hug to those you love while you have the chance.

Nature offers us healing power in its quiet way. Fragrant flowers calm the mind, young fruiting trees represent renewal, every plant reminds us of life's resilience. As we reflect, may the beauty and growth around us help us find peace, and remind us of the strength that comes from standing together.

Dichrostachys cinerea - Princess Earrings, Sickle bush

In the photo above: Dichrostachys cinerea - Princess Earrings, Sickle bush from West Africa is one of the most unusual and unforgettable flowers of cheerful color combination... Let them bring hope, joy and sunshine into your day.

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Thank You for Joining Us!

Happy Moments of Our Fall Plant Market

Top Tropicals Fall Plant Market

A big thank you to everyone who came to our Fall Plant Market! last Saturday! We had a fantastic time, and we hope you did too. It was a day filled with fun, plants, and smiles all around.

Fall Plant Market

Check out these happy moments captured during the event! If you spot your friends in the photos, feel free to share the joy and forward the pics to them.

We can’t wait to see you again at our December Holiday Market. Stay tuned for more details!

Top Tropicals Gift Bags

The first 25 customers received the most beautiful handcrafted gift bags, made with love by Kristi and Onika, which added an extra special touch to the day!

Date:

How to have the Deep Purple mood year around

Calathea rufibarba - Fuzzy Pheasant Feather, Deep Purple Velvet Furry

🎸 How to have the Deep Purple mood year around
  • 🟣 Calathea rufibarba - Fuzzy Pheasant Feather, Deep Purple Velvet Furry - a favorite of shade garden landscapers. This thin, fuzzy, rippled leaf Calathea is very attractive as well as durable. A purple leaf back adds to this plants rich color and texture.
  • 🟣 The upper foliage of Calathea rufibarba is semi-glossy, and olive green. The under side of the foliage, along with the stems are rich burgundy to deep purple!
  • 🟣 The stems are covered with fine purplish-brown hairs.
  • 🟣 Place your Deep Purple Calathea in bright filtered or indirect light.


🛒
Order Deep Purple Calathea

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

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Date:

Is purple your favorite color? This is your plant!

Tibouchina

💜 Is purple your favorite color? This is your plant!
  • 🟪 Tibouchinas are tropical gems famous for their vibrant purple flowers, which feature unique, eyelash-like stamens that give them an enchanting look.
  • 🟪 Their soft, velvety leaves add another layer of charm, making these plants a delight for both the eyes and the touch.


🛒 Shop Tibouchina plants

#Hedges_with_benefits

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Date:

Join us this Saturday for Fall Plant Market

September 7, 9 am - 4 pm

September 7, 2024 - SATURDAY - Fall Plant Market

Join us this Saturday, September 7, for our exciting 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

Fall Plant Market Cat

Date:

10 common mistakes to avoid
with mail order plants

Cat sleepng on houseplant

Q: How to get happy and healthy plants from mail order? Will they survive the trip and grow well after transportation? What mistakes should I avoid?

A: At Top Tropicals, we have over 20 years of experience shipping plants. We know how to pack them properly and ensure the safest journey possible. We ship the biggest and healthiest plants, and our customers are often amazed at how great they look after a few days in a dark box. But receiving a healthy plant is only half the adventure. Now that the plant is in your hands, it's up to you to keep it thriving. The first couple of weeks after shipping are critical. With the right care, your new plant can reward you with beautiful flowers and fruit for years to come. Here are 10 common mistakes to avoid when buying plants by mail order.

1. Not unpacking plants immediately
Leaving plants in the box too long can cause stress or damage. Unpack them as soon as they arrive to let them breathe and adjust.

2. Ignoring acclimation
Plants need time to adjust to their new environment. Don't place them in full sun or extreme conditions (heat, wind) right away.

3. Overwatering right after arrival
Many people water their new plants too much. Plants often need time to recover from transit, and too much water can cause root rot.

4. Stepping up too soon
Repotting immediately in a large pot can cause root rot. Plant in a pot just the size of a root ball, step up only after the plant is showing new growth.

5. Ignoring the plant's needs
Research the specific needs of your plant before it arrives. Light, water, and soil requirements vary greatly, and misunderstanding them can lead to issues.

6. Placing the plant in the wrong environment
It's important to give your plant the right temperature, light, and humidity based on its natural habitat. We grow tropical plants. They won't survive in areas with freezing temperatures.

7. Not trimming damaged branches.
Transit can cause minor damage to leaves or branches. Trimming these parts can help the plant recover faster.

8. Expecting immediate growth
Plants need time to adjust after the trip. Give them a chance to settle for a few weeks before expecting new growth or blooms.

9. Fertilizing too soon
Do not fertilize your plant right after arrival. Let it get established first - usually a few weeks - before adding fertilizer to avoid stressing the plant.

10. Not checking for pests
Always inspect new plants for pests. Shipping stress can lead to infestations, so a close check is vital.

By avoiding these mistakes and following the planting instructions included with your order, you'll be on the right path to creating your tropical paradise. Take care of your new plant, and it will thrive, rewarding you with vibrant growth for years to come.

Adenium field

Date:

Edible Landscape

Four must-have herbal edibles for your instant Food Forest

Kitten with veggies in a basket

Q: What attractive and useful edibles or herbs can I grow in my yard landscape without needing dedicated garden beds?

A: When we think of an "herb garden," parsley and chives often come to mind -plants that aren't particularly showy and typically require a dedicated vegetable garden, space, and regular maintenance. However, creating a food forest in your yard doesn't have to be a complex project. Useful edibles and medicinal herbs can also be exotic and beautiful, enhancing the charm of your landscape. Here are some examples of unusual tropical edibles that are not only stunning ornamentals but also bring delicious goodness to your kitchen.

1. For drinks: Jamaica Tea flower - Karkade Hibiscus

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel, Roselle

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel, Roselle, or Jamaica Tea flower (Karkade Tea) - yes, many hibiscus species are edible!
- Flowers of Roselle hibiscus are used to make a tea "Agua de Flor de Jamaica". To be exact, those are flower bracts around flowers and seed pods.
- Medical studies show that it lowers blood pressure and has diuretic effects.
- The pleasant flavor is similar to a cranberry juice and it's so good, you may not even want to add any sugar. We make this cold tea every day - perfect for hot summer.
- Karkade Hibiscus grows into a large bush within just one season from seed! Lots of flowers to harvest will last you the whole winter. It can be treated as annual in cooler areas due to its fast growth and same-year harvest. Thrives in full sun.
- Short video: how to make hibiscus tea

2. For medicine: Aztec Sweetleaf - Lippia

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf is a wonderful fragrant groundcover.
- Fragrant Mexican herb with incredibly sweet and aromatic leaves.
- The fresh leaves can be eaten from the plant like candy or tossed into fruit salads for an unusual addition, or used for making a healing tea.
- It has been used since the time of the Aztecs for coughs and colds.
- The sweetness tastes great, and can be used by diabetic patients. We add this herb to Karkade or Mint tea as a sweetener, instead of sugar or honey.
- Grows like a ground cover, in shade or semi-shade, great perennial container plant.

3. For salads and stews: Longevity Spinach, or Cholesterol spinach

Gynura procubens - Longevity Spinach, or Cholesterol spinach

Gynura procubens - Longevity Spinach, or Cholesterol spinach is a perennial spinach, and once you plant it, you have it for many years, and can grow many more easily from cuttings!
- Longevity Spinach is one of the Superfoods, and there are many claims that it lowers cholesterol.
- We use Longevity Spinach in our cooking all the time and so far we are all alive, so it works! :)
- Longevity spinach can be eaten raw in salads or cooked wherever you would use a regular spinach.
- Grows as a large spreading herbal bush, in full sun. - See some recipes with more pictures

4. For meat wraps: Vietnamese Pepper or Wild Betel Leaf

 Piper sarmentosum - Vietnamese Pepper, Lalot, Wild Betel Leaf, 
Chaa-plu

Piper sarmentosum - Vietnamese Pepper, Lalot, Wild Betel Leaf, Chaa-plu adds wonderful peppery flavor to meats and is great for wrapping meats and cooking in the oven, on a stove or grill. We use it all the time, wrapping ground beef of turkey and putting wraps on a grill or on a frying pan, very easy!
- Vietnamese Pepper leaves are eaten raw in salads or cooked with other greens or dishes.
- The leaves are used as food wraps in Vietnam. It is used medicinally in India and SE Asia.
- It is also chewed with Betel Nut as a tonic and medicine, very similar to Betel Leaf (Piper Betel) which is very popular tonic in Indian culture.
- Vietnamese Pepper grows as a vining herbaceous shrub or ground cover, in both sun or shade, and spreads with runners so you can have plenty if you want to have more. Can be grown in container and indoors, too. - Check out recipes of meat wraps for grilling

Date:

Save Double This Labor Day Weekend!

Happy Labor Day Cat

"The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest." - Deepika Padukone

Labor Day is the perfect time to transform your yard into a tropical paradise! Join us this weekend to find large, well-developed fruit trees and stunning flowering tropical plants, ready to add beauty to your life. Take advantage of the summer growing season and give your garden the boost it deserves. Don't miss out on these incredible plants to make your yard a true oasis!

Labor Day sale: double your savings now!

Automatically save 10% on orders over $200 (excluding S/H), and use code below for an extra 10% off! Double your savings today!

LABORDAY24

Use the code to get an extra 10% off on orders over $200 (excluding S/H). If your total after the code still exceeds $200, enjoy an additional automatic 10% discount! Exp. 9-2-24

Additional instant discount:
5% off $100-200 orders
...and more deals below - make it a steal with the code!

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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