😘 Happy Birthday!

🎉Today is the birthday of one of our PeopleCats - Google (a.k.a. Gutalin). 🎈
He is one of the Founding Fathers of TopTropicals.

🥂 Happy Birthday, Gu! Wishing you 9 more lives 🍾

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🌟 Why is it called Star Apple?

• ⭐️ Caimito Tree, or Star Apple - Chrysophyllum cainito - is a rare and exotic gem of tropical fruit world, related to Sapote and Sapodilla.
• ⭐️ Exotic & Rare: Hard to find, this tree is a favorite in the Caribbean, Central America, and Southeast Asia.
• ⭐️ Unique Fruit: The fruit has a mild, grape-like flavor and is best enjoyed fresh. When cut, the inside reveals a star-shaped pattern.
• ⭐️ Attractive & Delicious: A great addition to your garden with both aesthetic and edible benefits!

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🪚 What is in bloom right now?

😡 Orchid trees are among the most spectacular trees in Florida, flowering from late winter through spring. They are fast-growing, not fussy about soil or water, and bloom for several weeks in a stunning display of white, purple, pink, or red flowers.

📸 Bauhinia alba (candida) - White Orchid Tree - the most cold-hardy of all Bauhinias, tolerating temperatures as low as 26F. You can see them in full bloom across Florida right now!

📚 Orchid trees from previous posts:

• 💋Pure white and elegant
• 💋The most beautiful of all orchid trees - Hong Kong
• 💋Orchid tree with stunning red-and-yellow flowers
• 💋How to grow Orchid Trees in pots
• 💋Pride of De Kaap or Nasturtium Bauhinia
• 💋What is the best shade tree that is fast growing and beautiful?
• 💋Why Bauhinias are called Orchid Trees: orchid flowers with butterfly wings

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🌳 Anticipation

"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides." - W.E. Johns

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🎈 Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii

📸 Clerodendrum wallichii (left) and Clerodendrum schmitii (right)

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🧐 What is the difference between Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii?

• 
  ⭐️ The main difference between Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii lies in the color of their flower stalk and a slight variation in their growth habits, though both share similar overall characteristics.
• 
  ⭐️ Clerodendrum schmitii - also known as Chains of Glory or Light Bulb Flower, is a rare species that features elegant white, fragrant flowers held in loose, pendulous panicles. These blooms are showy against the plant's dark green foliage and typically hang down a foot and a half or more. This winter bloomer often has two flowering periods during the season and is distinguished by its striking red stems, adding a touch of drama to its graceful form.
• 
  ⭐️ Clerodendrum wallichiii, also known as Bridal Veil, has a similar cascading growth habit with fragrant white flowers in loose panicles, which appear around Thanksgiving. The flowers are beautiful, but the key difference is in its green stems. This plant grows up to 7 feet tall and has narrow, pointed leaves. It blooms from fall to spring, preferring to be protected from wind and hot afternoon sun.
• 
  ⭐️ While both plants feature fountain-like shapes and are covered in flowers during the winter to spring season, the red flower stalks of Clerodendrum schmitii and the green ones of Clerodendrum wallichii set them apart.

🎥 Clerodendrum schmitii - Chains of Glory, Light Bulb Flower.
More pictures in next post ⬇️

📚 More about Clerodendrums in previous posts:

• 💋What is the most spectacular Clerodendrum
• 💋How to grow Clerodendrums
• 💋Fireworks of Winter
• 💋Fragrant Cashmere Bouquet
• 💋Fountain Clerodendrum
• 💋What is better - Blue or Pink
• 💋Why is it called Blue Butterfly
• 💋Clerodendrum paniculatum
• 💋Seaside Clerodendrum
• 💋Pink Bleeding Heart
• 💋Why is it called Musical Notes
• 💋Bleeding Heart Vine
• 💋Cashmere Bouquet

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🤫 A Prayer for Our Feline Friends 🐱

O holy St. Gertrude of Nivelles, Patron Saint of Cats,
I ask you to pray that my sweet kitty(ies) will always be content, energetic, curious, playful, and good-natured.
I pray my cat(s) will be a joy to me and those I love.
Carry my cat(s) to the throne of the Father and ask Him to bless them with long life and great happiness.
Pray, dear saint, that my cat(s) stay free from illness and always feel safe, protected, and loved.
Thank you for asking blessings upon my cat(s).
Ask the Lord to pour out special graces upon all cats and cat owners.
May they bring great love to one another and live companionably in peace.
Amen.

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😳 March 17: not only St. Patrick's Day! St. Gertrude of Nivelles: Patron Saint of Cats, Gardeners, and Those Who Fear Mice! 🐭

• 
  🐈 March 17 isn't just about St. Patrick! It's also the feast day of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, the Patron Saint of Cats, Cat Lovers, Gardeners, and Travelers! While her feline connection only emerged in the 1980s - over 1,300 years after she lived - the idea has spread far and wide. Some trace it back to a 1981 Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog, which first linked St. Gertrude to cats.
• 
  🐈 Gertrude, a 7th-century Benedictine abbess, was known for her kindness, hospitality, and yes - her love of cats! She cared for the monastery's feline friends, offering them food and affection. In her honor, Nivelles, Belgium, holds an annual Le Tour Sainte-Gertrude, a grand procession celebrating her legacy.
• 
  🐈 Gardeners also look to St. Gertrude's feast day as the perfect time to start spring planting - because a beautiful, sunny March 17 is seen as a sign of a good growing season ahead! So, when you're decked out in green for St. Patrick's Day, give your furry friend an extra cuddle in honor of the original Cat Lady Saint!
• 
  🐈 And of course, Plant People usually are Cat People - this is why we have our PeopleCats.Garden!

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😥 Shower of Joy

"Do anything, but let it produce joy." – Walt Whitman

📸 Our friend Pelmen enjoying the moment

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😊 The fruit tree that every garden must have

• 🍎 Fig Tree (Ficus carica) is a great addition to your garden or patio, offering delicious fruit and attractive, lobed leaves with minimal care.
• 🍎 Delicious Fruit: Figs come in violet, brown, or black colors, offering a sweet flavor with health benefits.
• 🍎 Nutrient-Rich: High in Iron, Fiber, Potassium, and Calcium - perfect for a healthy treat!
• 🍎 Beautiful Leaves: Large, lobed, green leaves provide landscape value even when the tree isn’t fruiting.
• 🍎 Cold Hardy: Sensitive to frost during active growth but can withstand up to 10°F when dormant.
• 🍎 Low Maintenance: Grows easily with minimal attention, prefers alkaline soil (unlike most tropical plants!), and can tolerate wet conditions.
• 🍎 Prolific: Bears fruit from early summer to late fall, with fruits maturing quickly. It is self-fertile and low-maintenance, perfect for growing at home.

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