Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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Edible cactus with health benefits that your tortoise will love too. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Edible cactus with health benefits that your tortoise will love too

Opuntia cochenillifera - Velvet Nopal Cactus, Nopales, Prickly Pear, leaves and flower

Opuntia cochenillifera - Velvet Nopal Cactus, Nopales, Prickly Pear, leaves and flower

Opuntia cochenillifera - Velvet Nopal Cactus, Nopales, Prickly Pear, leaves

Opuntia cochenillifera - Velvet Nopal Cactus, Nopales, Prickly Pear, leaves

Opuntia cochenillifera - Velvet Nopal Cactus, Nopales, Prickly Pear, leaves and flowers

Opuntia cochenillifera - Velvet Nopal Cactus, Nopales, Prickly Pear, leaves and flowers

Opuntia cochenillifera - Velvet Nopal Cactus, Nopales, Prickly Pear, large plants

Opuntia cochenillifera - Velvet Nopal Cactus, Nopales, Prickly Pear, large plants

🐢 Edible cactus with health benefits that your tortoise will love too
  • 🌵 Opuntia cochenillifera - Velvet Nopal Cactus, Nopales, Prickly Pear - is one of the most useful and forgiving cactus species you can grow. Unlike most desert cacti, this one thrives even in humid tropical climates like Florida, making it one of the few rain-tolerant cacti that actually loves moisture. Fast-growing and ornamental, it produces bright red flowers and makes a beautiful, low-maintenance landscape plant that thrives in heat, drought, and even neglect.
  • 🌵 Prickly Pear is a very valuable edible, used as a vegetable with impressive medicinal properties. The young pads, called nopales, can be stir-fried or sauteed with onions and garlic for a tangy, nutrient-rich side dish.
  • 🌵 In Hispanic cooking, this plant is known simply as Nopal or Nopales – a traditional ingredient used in dishes like ensalada de nopales (nopal salad), nopales con huevo (eggs with cactus), and nopales asados (grilled cactus).
  • 🌵 Regularly eating Nopales has been linked to improved blood sugar control, and many people who include it in their diet report significant help in managing diabetes.
  • 🌵 Nopales is also a favorite treat for tortoises and other herbivorous pets. Its smooth, spineless pads are packed with hydration and nutrients, making it a safe, natural food source.
  • 🌵 So, this is not just a cactus - it’s a food, medicine, and ornament all in one. Tough, beautiful, and endlessly useful!


🛒 Plant your own food and pharmacy Nopales

#Food_Forest #Remedies

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Smile - you are on camera! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Smile - you are on camera!

Cash the the cat

Cash the the cat

👀 Smile - you are on camera!

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." - Wayne Dyer

🐈📸 Cash the the cat looking at things from a different angle at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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It smells like bananas but its a magnolia! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

It smells like bananas but its a magnolia!

Magnolia figo, Banana Magnolia

🍌 It smells like bananas… but it’s a magnolia!
  • 🌸 Magnolia figo, or Banana Magnolia - is in bloom! It is now filling the air with its unbelievably sweet fragrance! Its creamy, cup-shaped flowers smell like fresh bananas mixed with fine perfume - you have to smell it to believe it.
  • 🌸 This compact evergreen shrub grows only about 5-6 ft in a container, making it perfect for small gardens, patios, or even near an entryway where you can enjoy the scent up close. Glossy green leaves, elegant shape, and that irresistible aroma - it’s pure charm in a pot.
  • 🌸 Cold tolerant, heat tolerant, sun or shade - this little magnolia doesn’t ask for much but gives so much back.


🛒 Plant Banana Magnolia

📚 Learn more:

#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees

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Rose apple salad: quick-n-fun exotic recipes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Rose apple salad: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Syzygium jambos - Rose Apple

Syzygium jambos - Rose Apple

Rose apple salad

Rose apple salad

🍴 Rose apple salad: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
  • 🔴Slice rose apples, toss with cucumber, lime, and mint.
  • 🔴Light, crunchy, and fragrant.


🛒 Plant exotic Rose Apple Tree

📚 Learn more:
Fruit that smells like roses

#Food_Forest #Recipes
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Cats now demand cable! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cats now demand cable!

Riki the cat is watching TV

💻 Cats now demand cable!

"The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth."

- Dorothy Frances Gurney

🐱 Every cat deserves a good show. Who needs Netflix when you have Catflix? Our cats got Cat TV. What about yours?

📱 Youtube: Cat TV for PeopleCats at TopTropicals

🐈📸 Riki is watching his TV bird show at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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The vine with square stems that heals bones and turns heads. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The vine with square stems that heals bones and turns heads

Cissus quadrangularis - Veld Grape, hanging basket

Cissus quadrangularis - Veld Grape, hanging basket

Cissus quadrangularis - Veld Grape, stems

Cissus quadrangularis - Veld Grape, stems

Cissus quadrangularis - Veld Grape plant

Cissus quadrangularis - Veld Grape plant

Cissus quadrangularis - Veld Grape, fruit

Cissus quadrangularis - Veld Grape, fruit

The vine with square stems that heals bones and turns heads
  • Cissus quadrangularis - Veld Grape. This plant is anything but ordinary! It has four-winged stems – square, chunky, and unlike anything else in your garden. Each stem looks like a little green sculpture, with ribs running down the sides. It’s technically a vine, but behaves like a succulent, with thick, juicy stems and tiny tendrils that climb or spill from a pot.
  • Native to Africa and India, veld grape thrives on sunshine, heat, and a bit of neglect. Perfect for hanging baskets or as a quirky groundcover. Just give it some light and occasional water, and it’ll keep growing strong.
  • It’s also famous as a traditional "bone-healing" herb, earning it the nickname Bone setter plant. But even if you don’t use it for that, it’s a total show-stopper for anyone who loves plants with personality.
  • A true show-stopper for collectors and anyone who loves the strange and beautiful side of nature.


🛒 Get your own Veld Grape show stopper

#Container_Garden #Remedies #Fun_Facts

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Cat Bob and BobCat. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cat Bob and BobCat

Cat Bob and little Lion

Cat Bob and little Lion

🐱 Cat Bob and BobCat

"We’re basically the same species. Just different subscription plans."

🐈📸 Cat Bob and his mini-version at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats

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You thought you knew Gardenias, until you saw this one! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

You thought you knew Gardenias, until you saw this one!

Gardenia nitida (Posoqueria), Shooting Star Gardenia

⭐️ You thought you knew Gardenias, until you saw this one!
  • ⭐️ Gardenia nitida (Posoqueria), Shooting Star Gardenia, is one of the most unusual gardenias you’ll ever see! Native to tropical Africa, it is a rare and elegant shrub that’s as fascinating as it is fragrant.
  • ⭐️ Unlike common gardenias with thick, waxy foliage, this one has large, diamond-shaped leaves that feel soft and delicate. The plant grows slowly into a rounded form, making it perfect for containers or small gardens.
  • ⭐️ When it blooms, the show is unforgettable. The long, tubular white flowers burst out in clusters, looking like tiny shooting stars against glossy green leaves. The scent is rich, sweet, and exotic - filling the air even from a distance.
  • ⭐️ Blooming several times a year, this gardenia lights up your garden whenever it decides to put on a show. A true collector’s piece for those who love rare, fragrant plants that stand out from the crowd.


🛒 Add these stars with scent to your collection

📚 Learn more:
Shooting Star Gardenia: a rare scent from Africa

#Perfume_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits

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Marinated green olives: quick-n-fun exotic recipes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Marinated green olives: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Olive fruit

Olive fruit

Marinated green olives

Marinated green olives

🍴 Marinated green olives: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
  • 🟢Soak fresh Olives in brine with garlic, lemon peel, and herbs.
  • 🟢A zesty snack after curing.


🛒 Grow your own Olive tree

📚 Learn more:
▫️How to grow your own Olive Oil

#Food_Forest #Recipes

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The Secret of knowing everything. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The Secret of knowing everything

Georgie the cat

🐱 The Secret of knowing everything

"People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." - Isaac Asimov

🐈📸 Georgie the cat is the smart one at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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How to protect Avocado from cold and how hardy is it? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

How to protect Avocado from cold and how hardy is it?

Avocado tree fruiting indoors

Avocado tree fruiting indoors

❄️ How to protect Avocado from cold and how hardy is it?

Growing Avocado trees in cooler regions is possible with the right variety and care. By choosing Cold Hardy types and protecting them during cold spells, you can successfully grow avocados outside tropical climates. The more mature your tree, the better it handles the cold.
  • ❄️ What is Avocado cold hardiness?


    • Most Avocados are sensitive to frost, but some Mexican varieties can survive lows around 15°F once established, and brief dips near 10°F with good care.

  • 👉 Cold tolerance depends on:

  • ✦ Duration of cold: Short freezes are easier to survive.
  • ✦ Sun exposure: More sun means better cold resistance.
  • ✦ Wind protection: Wind can do more harm than temperature alone.
  • ✦ Tree health: Regular fertilization, such as Sunshine Boosters, helps strengthen plants.

  • ❄️ How to protect avocados from cold

  • ✦ Bigger is better: Mature trees resist cold better than young ones.
  • ✦ Wind protection: Plant on the south or southeast side of a building for warmth.
  • ✦ Good fertilization: Healthy trees are stronger and more resilient.
  • ✦ Watering: Water less in winter; overwatering in cold weather can cause root rot.


❄️ Protection for young plants
  • ✦ Cover and mulch: Before a freeze, mound mulch around the base and cover with a blanket. Add Christmas lights or a small heater for extra warmth (use caution).
  • ✦ Use microclimates: Plant near walls or buildings where it’s warmer and wind is reduced.


With a little planning and protection, you can enjoy fresh avocados even in cooler climates!

✔️ Check outAvocado Variety Guide interactive chart. Sort them by flower type A or B, tree habit, fruit shape and quality, cold hardiness, origin, season and more!

🛒  Shop Cold Hardy Avocados

📖 Our Book: Avocado Variety Guide, Snack or Guacamole?

📚Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Avocado #How_to

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Updates from Mittens. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Updates from Mittens

Chiane and Mittens the cat

Chiane and Mittens the cat

Chiane and Mittens the cat

Chiane and Mittens the cat

🕺 Updates from Mittens
  • 🐾 Hi everyone, it’s me - Mittens! I’m all grown up now (well, almost). I still go to work with my Mom Chiane - every single day. I help pack your plants, inspect boxes, and sometimes take important naps on the shipping table. I haven’t missed a single day of work!
  • 🐾 Everyone says I’m part of the team now, not just a trainee. I think they’re right - after all, who else leaves magic paw prints on your boxes?
  • 🐾 If you stop by our Garden Center in Ft Myers, come say hi to me, King, Snitch, and my other friends. We’re the #PeopleCats, and we work hard to make sure your plants travel happy and safe to their new homes!


🐈📸 Chiane and Mittens getting ready for work at TopTropicals / PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats

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The secret Brain Food growing in my backyard (and it tastes like green peas!) A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The secret Brain Food growing in my backyard (and it tastes like green peas!)

Tropical Asparagus (Sauropus androgynus)

🏆 The secret Brain Food growing in my backyard (and it tastes like green peas!)
  • 🌿 Katuk, or Tropical Asparagus (Sauropus androgynus), is one of the most underrated edible plants you can grow. This leafy tropical shrub is a superfood in disguise. It grows fast, looks lush, and its tender young shoots taste just like green peas.
  • 🌿 Native to Southeast Asia, Katuk is a kitchen staple in places like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand. The leaves and shoots are used in soups, stews, and stir-fries with egg or seafood. It’s not only delicious but also incredibly nutritious - rich in nutrients linked to improved memory and reduced cognitive aging: folate, lutein, and especially vitamin K, which is rare in plants.
  • 🌿 Katuk thrives in sun or partial shade, needs little care, and grows into a dense, bushy plant that gives you edible greens all year round. If you want something that feeds both your garden and your health, this one’s a winner!


🛒 Add Katuk Superfood to your Food Forest

Lean more:
🍴 Katuk egg stir-fry: Quick-n-Fun exotic recipes
✔️ Discover the health benefits of Katuk: a Superfood for your mind and body
📚 Tropical Asparagus, Katuk: Grow your own food
📱 How to cook with Katuk

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover

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Do you have Shampoo Ginger in your garden? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Do you have Shampoo Ginger in your garden?

Zingiber Zerumbet, Shampoo Ginger, Pine Cone Ginger

Zingiber Zerumbet, Shampoo Ginger, Pine Cone Ginger

💄 Do you have Shampoo Ginger in your garden?

💄Pine Cone Ginger (Zingiber Zerumbet), is called Shampoo Ginger due to its unique, milky substance found in the cones. If you squeeze these bright red cones, a fragrant, milky liquid seeps out - traditionally used in Asia and Hawaii as a natural shampoo. Even today, you’ll find it in commercial shampoos.

🛒 Grow your own Natural Shampoo Ginger

📚 Learn more:

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden #Remedies #Fun_Facts

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You won't believe who was trapped inside! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

You wont believe who was trapped inside!

Cash-n-Bob Cat Circus at TopTropicals

🐱 You won't believe who was trapped inside!

"What matters most is how well you walk through the fire!" - Charles Bukowski

🐈📸 Cash-n-Bob Cat Circus at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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