Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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Possum Pete's night visit. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Possum Petes night visit

Possum Petes night visit
🐭 Possum Pete's night visit

"If it fits in your mouth, it’s yours." - Garfield (Jim Davis)

What do possums eat?
Obviously, cat food!

🐈📸 Possum Pete invited himself for a cat food dinner at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Before you open a bottle of wine, A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Before you open a bottle of wine,

Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora)

🍷Before you open a bottle of wine, meet the Secret Wine Tree from Brazil
  • 🍷Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora) grows grapes right on its trunk! It's one of Brazil’s most fascinating and beloved native fruits. Its name alone sounds exotic, but wait until you see it in fruit: shiny, grape-like berries bursting straight from the bark!
  • 🍷 Jaboticaba is the source of the famous Brazilian wine Vinho Tinto de Jabuticaba. The fruits are small, dark purple, with a thick skin and a sweet, melting pulp that tastes a lot like black currant. They can be eaten fresh, made into jams, or fermented into homemade wine with an incredible aroma and rich color.
  • 🍷 Jaboticaba tree is slow-growing and compact, often used as a bonsai because of its small leaves and graceful shape. But patience pays off - mature trees covered in purple fruits are absolutely stunning! The fruiting habit, called cauliflory, means the fruits grow directly from the trunk and main branches, creating a truly one-of-a-kind look.
  • 🍷 Jaboticaba trees can handle some cold (down to mid-20's once mature), don't mind wet rainy seasons and can be grown in containers in cooler areas. They make beautiful landscape trees and conversation starters wherever they’re planted.
  • 🍷 If you've ever dreamed of making your own wine from fruit grown in your backyard, this is the tree for you. Jaboticaba isn’t just a plant - it's an experience, a piece of Brazil's culture, and a living work of art that rewards patience with magic.


🛒 Grow your own wine from Jaboticaba Tree

📚 Learn more:
🎥 From our customer: video about a mail ordered Jaboticaba tree

#Food_Forest #Nature_Wonders #Container_Garden
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Jaboticaba wine: quick-n-fun exotic recipes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Jaboticaba wine: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora)

Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora)

Jaboticaba wine

Jaboticaba wine

🍴 Jaboticaba wine: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
  • 🔵A quick homemade fruit wine with rich berry flavor. It's famous in Brazil!
  • 🔵Ferment Jaboticaba fruit with sugar for a few days:

• Crush fresh Jaboticaba fruits and mix with sugar - about 2–3 cups per gallon of pulp.
  • • Cover loosely and let it ferment 5-10 days, stirring daily while it bubbles.
  • • Strain, bottle, and rest 2-4 weeks in a cool spot for a rich, fruity homemade wine.


🛒 Grow your own exotic Jaboticaba fruit

📚 Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Recipes
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Snitch flower. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Snitch flower

Cat Snitch

Cat Snitch

😳 Snitch flower

"Look at this lovely flower that just bloomed!"
"Snitch flower?"
"A total Snitch flower!"

More about Snitch: 1️⃣•  2️⃣•  3️⃣•  4️⃣• 

🐈📸 Cat Snitch at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Grow your own brain food: Avocado and Cocoa. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Grow your own brain food: Avocado and Cocoa

Avocado and Cocoa recipes

Avocado and Cocoa recipes

Chocolate tree fruit (Cocoa, Cacao beans) - Theobroma cacao

Chocolate tree fruit (Cocoa, Cacao beans) - Theobroma cacao

Avocado fruit

Avocado fruit

☕️ Grow your own brain food: Avocado and Cocoa
  • Avocado and cocoa aren't just a delicious combo - they’re also great for your brain. Studies show that Avocado's healthy fats improve blood flow and memory, while Cocoa’s flavonoids boost attention, mood, and overall cognitive performance. Together, they help protect brain cells from inflammation and aging.
  • Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats and lutein, nutrients that support sharp thinking and long-term brain health. Cocoa, meanwhile, enhances circulation in the brain and has been linked to lower risk of stroke and dementia. So, growing your own avocado and cacao trees means growing your own natural brain boosters right in your garden.
  • Try blending the two in simple treats like avocado chocolate mousse or a smoothie with banana and almond milk - creamy, rich, and packed with brain-loving nutrients.


🍽 Delicious Avocado-Chocolate recipes:
  • 🍵 Avocado Chocolate Mousse

    • To make this, simply blend ripe avocado, unsweetened cocoa powder, honey (or maple syrup), and a splash of vanilla for a rich, creamy mousse that feels indulgent yet guilt-free.
  • 🍵 Avocado Chocolate Smoothie

    • This is perfect for breakfast and to make it, combine avocado, cocoa powder, banana, almond milk, and a touch of nut butter for a thick, chocolatey breakfast smoothie.
  • 🍵 Avocado Brownies

    • This one is for the sweet tooth lovers, use mashed avocado in regular brownie batter, add cocoa powder, and bake for fudgy, nutrient-dense brownies.
  • 🍵 Chocolate Avocado Pudding Pops

To make this bite-size snack, blend avocado, cocoa powder, dates (or honey), and coconut milk, then freeze in molds for refreshing delights.

🛒 Plant your own Chocolate tree (Cocoa, Cacao), and Avocado tree for long lasting brain power

📚 Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover #Recipes

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King is jealous. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

King is jealous

King the Cat

King the Cat

➕ King is jealous
  • 🐾 Guess who is also helping with shipping plants? King got jealous and told Chiane that it's not fair to give Mittens all the credit for the packing work. He does his share too!
  • 🐾 King is one of TopTropicals oldest cats. He is a veteran of Plant Shipping!
  • 🐾 Check out King's riding a bike and his hobo adventures.


🐈📸 King the Cat is helping Chiane to pack plants at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats

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Before opening a jar, see where the natural peanut butter comes from! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Before opening a jar, see where the natural peanut butter comes from!

Peanut Butter Tree (Bunchosia argentea)

Before opening a jar, see where the natural peanut butter comes from!
  • Peanut Butter Tree (Bunchosia argentea) is a small tropical tree with one of the most surprising fruits on earth. Its red, fleshy berries taste just like peanut butter - creamy, nutty, and sweet, with a texture that melts in your mouth. No nuts, no sugar, no processing - just pure tropical flavor, straight from nature!
  • Native to Central and South America, this rare fruit has been a favorite among tropical fruit collectors for decades. The tree stays compact, reaching only about 8-10 feet tall, and can even be kept as a bush. It's perfect for small gardens, patios, or large containers, and it can thrive indoors with enough light. Within just 2 to 3 years from seed, it begins to reward you with clusters of yellow flowers followed by rich, red fruits that taste like peanut butter candy.
  • The fruit isn't just fun - it's healthy, too. It's rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and beneficial plant compounds that support the immune system and overall wellness. Kids love it, adults can’t stop talking about it, and gardeners love how easy it is to grow.
  • If you’re looking for something truly unique - an edible curiosity that sparks conversation and delights the taste buds - the Peanut Butter Tree is the one. Grow your own, and the next time someone opens a jar of peanut butter, you can smile and say, "Mine grows on a tree!"


🛒 Try the real peanut butter fruit

📚 Learn more:

📱 How to grow the Amazing Peanut Butter Tree - in one short video

#Food_Forest #Nature_Wonders

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Longevity spinach omelet: quick-n-fun exotic recipes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Longevity spinach omelet: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Gynura - Longevity spinach

Gynura - Longevity spinach

Longevity spinach omelet

Longevity spinach omelet

🍴 Longevity spinach omelet: quick-n-fun exotic recipes 🍳
  • 🟢Chop Gynura leaves into beaten eggs with garlic.
  • 🟢A health-boosting twist on a classic omelet.


🛒 Plant Longevity Spinach and live long

📚 Learn more:
📱 What is better than Spinach

#Food_Forest #Recipes

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Meet Mittens! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Meet Mittens!

Chiane and Mittens the cat

Chiane and Mittens the cat

Mittens little kitten

Mittens little kitten

Mittens the kitten sleeping

Mittens the kitten sleeping

Mittens the kitten with a plant

Mittens the kitten with a plant

🐱 Meet Mittens!
  • 🐾 Mittens showed up one day out of nowhere and immediately won everyone's heart. Our Shipping Specialist, Chiane, stood no chance against those bright eyes and tiny white paws - so Mittens was hired on the spot!
  • 🐾 Now she’s in training, assisting Chiane with packing orders, inspecting boxes, and occasionally napping on the job (for quality control, of course). Every evening she clocks out and heads home with Chiane to rest up for another big day of helping.
  • 🐾 If you ever spot tiny paw prints inside your plant box, that’s Mittens saying hello! It’s her little “magic paw” blessing to make sure your plants thrive happily in their new jungle home.


🐈📸 Chiane and Mittens shipping plants - from TopTropicals to your door! PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats

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Weird cactus looks like pasta with Dragon Fruit. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Weird cactus looks like pasta with Dragon Fruit

Epiphyllum guatemalense Monstrosa - Curly Locks or Orchid Cactus

👀 Weird cactus looks like pasta with Dragon Fruit
  • ➰ Epiphyllum guatemalense Monstrosa - Curly Locks or Orchid Cactus - is one of the most unusual jungle cacti you can grow. Instead of the usual flat cactus leaves, this one grows curly, looping stems that twist and spiral in every direction. It looks like a green waterfall of botanical noodles, perfect for a hanging basket or a high shelf where its wild shape can really show off.
  • ➰Curly Locks is actually a natural mutation of a Guatemalan jungle cactus that grows high up in jungle trees, using its stems to absorb moisture and light from the air. Like many epiphytic cacti, it produces large, fragrant flowers that open at night and look strikingly similar to orchids. After blooming, it forms small, oval pink fruits that are edible and juicy - like tiny dragon fruits!
  • ➰This plant is self-pollinating, so you don’t need insects or hand pollination to get fruit. It thrives in bright, indirect light and prefers to be a bit root-bound to trigger blooming. Just water moderately, let the soil dry slightly between waterings, and avoid moving it too often once it’s happy in its spot.
  • ➰Epiphyllum Curly Locks is not your typical cactus - it’s a living sculpture, a conversation piece, and a fruiting wonder all in one.


🛒 Add Curly Locks to your rare plant collection

📚 Learn more:
Botanical bedhead: curly, crazy, and full of surprises

#Fun_Facts #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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