Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Date:
📅 Mark Your Calendar - Holiday Plant Market

Holiday season in Florida means sunshine, green leaves, and cats on patrol. On Saturday 12/13/25, our PeopleCats are hosting a special Holiday Plant Market at TopTropicals, 9 am to 4 pm. This is not a regular nursery day. This is the one where you grab a donut in one hand, a mango tree in the other, and try not to trip over a cat giving you a tour.
We are bringing out the best plants we grew all year: big fruit trees with real branches, flowering and fragrant beauties, rare collectors plants, and vines that are ready to take off as soon as you get them home. December is perfect planting weather in Florida, so while the rest of the country is scraping frost from windshields, you can be choosing which banana, mango, or jasmine will perfume your yard next summer.
Holiday extras: 30% OFF online prices, free plant with purchase, 5 to 10 dollar specials, mini donuts and holiday treats, iced tea and citrus water, tropical Christmas music, and raffle prizes. If there is enough ripe fruit in the morning, we will set up a tasting table too. Our PeopleCats will be on duty all day, rearranging plants, checking on visitors, and occasionally allowing themselves to be petted between tours.
Event discounts and specials are valid at both locations:
- Ft Myers Garden Center: 13890 Orange River Blvd, Ft Myers, FL 33905
- Sebring Farm: 9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL 33875
Save the date, tell a friend, and plan your plant hunting route now. Come celebrate the holidays the Florida way: sunshine, rare fruit trees, happy cats, and a car full of tropical plants going home with you.
Facebook event page - Download invitation
Content with little
"The greatest wealth is to live content with little." - Plato
🐈📸 Visitor Cat found his comfy spot with Desert Roses at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden
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Stop buying macadamias - plant this tree to enjoy your own nuts
Macadamia tree (Macadamia integrifolia)
- 🐿 How to grow a Macadamia tree and enjoy your own nuts - the priciest nuts in the world? Macadamia trees (Macadamia integrifolia) are surprisingly easy to grow once you know what they need. They handle a wide range of soils, prefer regular watering, and adapt well to warm, humid climates. Young trees appreciate consistent moisture, but once established, they can tolerate short dry spells and even brief flooding.
- 🐿 The most important step is nutrition. Macadamias are heavy feeders and rely on balanced microelements for strong roots, steady growth, and reliable nut production. Use a liquid fertilizer Sunshine C-Cibus and add microelements on a regular schedule. Sunshine SuperFood plant supplement is especially helpful for preventing the leaf yellowing and slow growth that happen when microelements run low.
- 🐿 Choose a sunny spot, give the tree room to grow, and mulch around the base to keep moisture steady. As the tree matures, it will bloom and form clusters of green husks that dry and split to reveal the sweet nuts inside.
- 🐿 With the right care, a single tree can reward you with a generous harvest of rich, expensive macadamias right from your garden.
💖 Macadamia nut health benefits
- 📍 Macadamia nuts are packed with healthy monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
- 📍 They support heart health by lowering total and LDL cholesterol, help steady blood sugar thanks to low carbs and good fiber, and aid digestion and weight management by keeping you full longer.
- 📍 Their antioxidants, including tocotrienols, protect cells from damage and may reduce risks of diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and certain cancers.
- 📍 Macadamia oil is great for skin and hair, offering moisturizing, healing, and strengthening benefits.
- 📍 Even though they are calorie-rich, small daily portions can actually support healthy weight goals.
- 📍 Enjoy them raw, roasted, ground, as nut butter, or added to both sweet and savory dishes.
🛒 Grow your own Macadamia Nuts
📚 Learn more:
- ▫️Where do Macadamia nuts come from
- ▫️What are the flowers of Macadamia nuts
- ▫️Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes. # 6: Macadamia Nut Tree.
- ▫️How to grow your own Sweet Macadamia Nuts
- ▫️ Macadamia: Hard Sweet Nut and Hardy Tree
📱 Video about growing Macadamia trees
#Food_Forest #Remedies #How_to #Discover
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Lychee sorbet: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
- 🔴Blend Lychee pulp with lime juice, freeze until firm.
- 🔴A refreshing tropical ice treat.
Lychee Sorbet Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh lychee flesh, peeled and seeded (or canned lychees, drained)
- 1/3 cup sugar or honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup cold water, as needed for blending
- Fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the lychees by peeling them, removing the seeds, and collecting the white flesh. If using canned lychees, drain them well.
- Place the lychee flesh, sugar or honey, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of the cold water into a blender.
- Blend until completely smooth. If the mixture is too thick to move easily, add a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Pour the mixture into a shallow freezer safe container. Cover tightly.
- Freeze for 2 to 3 hours, stirring with a fork every 30 to 45 minutes, until the sorbet is firm but scoopable.
- Scoop into bowls and garnish with fresh mint leaves and extra lychee fruit if desired. Serve immediately.
🛒 Plant your Lychee tree - Litchi chinensis
📚 Learn more:
- ▫️How long until I get fruit from my Lychee tree?
- ▫️Why I can't grow a Lychee tree from a seed?
- ▫️How to grow a Lychee tree and have a reliable crop. Practical Guide to Growing Lychee.
- ▫️What are the best varieties of Lychee Tree?
- ▫️What is the best fruit in the world? How to grow your own Lychee tree.
#Food_Forest #Recipes
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Home is where they understand you
"Home is not where you live but where they understand you." - Christian Morgenstern
🐈📸 Cat ShortStuff is guarding his buddy Beagle Bobby finishing leftovers at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden
#PeopleCats #Quotes
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How to keep your house plants beautiful all year by feeding them right
- 🌱 Healthy house plants are not just about light and water. They need food, just like we do. A good fertilizer routine keeps them green, strong, and blooming through every season. Here is a simple guide to feeding indoor plants the right way.
- 🌱 General rules for fertilizing house plants
- ▪️Feed lightly but regularly. Indoor plants grow in limited soil, so nutrients run out faster. Small, frequent feedings work better than one heavy dose.
- ▪️Never fertilize dry soil. Water first, then feed.
- ▪️Reduce feeding in winter when growth slows.
- ▪️Watch your leaves. Pale, yellow, or slow-growing plants are asking for nutrients.
- ▪️Use a complete formula. House plants need both macro-elements (N-P-K) and micro-elements, not just nitrogen.
- 🌱 What fertilizer to use
- 🌱 The simple routine
Sunshine Boosters - the everyday diet.
Sunshine Boosters are simple, balanced liquid fertilizers you mix with water. They give your plants everything they need for steady, healthy growth. They contain the right blend of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace minerals. They do not contain harsh chemicals, so they are safe for homes with pets and kids. Regular use keeps plants growing faster, stronger, and more resilient to stress.
Sunshine Superfood - the vitamin supplement.
If a plant turns yellow or looks weak, it often needs micronutrients. These are the plant version of vitamins, including iron, zinc, copper, and manganese. Sunshine Superfood delivers these quickly and in the right proportions. Mix it with water and apply when you notice yellowing or slow growth. It corrects deficiencies fast and keeps leaves lush and green.
Green Magic - the long-term slow feeder.
Green Magic is a controlled-release fertilizer that works for six months. It uses poly-on coating technology to release nutrients slowly, without burning roots. It is perfect for repotting or for plant owners who want a set-it-and-forget-it option. Mix one teaspoon per gallon of soil during repotting or every six months. Excellent for container fruit trees and ornamentals that need steady feeding.
- ▪️For regular watering: use Sunshine Boosters.
- ▪️Once a month: add Sunshine Superfood to prevent yellowing.
- ▪️Every six months: mix Green Magic into the soil for long-term support.
With the right diet, your house plants stay green, strong, and beautiful year-round. Feed them well, and they reward you every day.
📸 In the photo: Indoor garden of Marina Rybka, Israel, the Editor of TopTropicals.
🛒 Get your plants some food
📚 Learn more:
- ▫️Why do you need Sunshine Boosters?
- ▫️Which dry fertilizer to use - slow release or controlled release?
- ▫️Green Magic effect: before and after
- ▫️The SECRET growers never tell you: simple trick how to bring plants back to life and keep green
📱 What are Sunshine Boosters
#Fertilizers #How_to
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Stare for 15 seconds without blinking to watch her tail wet!
Cat Niki
"Some test the water with a toe; others just send the intern." - Dave Barry
🐈📸 Cat Niki testing the waters at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden
#PeopleCats #Quotes
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When the Goldfish blooms
Columnea Melissa - Flying Goldfish Plant
- 🐡 If you’ve never seen a Columnea Melissa - Flying Goldfish Plant in full bloom, get ready for a surprise. Columnea Melissa is one of those houseplants that looks almost too whimsical to be real. Its bright orange flowers pop out along long, velvety stems, and every single one looks like a tiny goldfish with wings. When the plant starts cascading, it really does look like a whole school of flying fish drifting through the air.
- 🐡 This plant comes from tropical cloud forests, so it loves humidity, gentle light, and steady moisture. An airy mix, a hanging basket, and a bright window are all it really asks for. Cooler winter temps are fine, just keep watering on the light side.
- 🐡 Give it a kitchen or bathroom windowsill and it will reward you with nonstop color. It’s one of those plants that visitors always point at and say… okay, what is THAT?
🛒 Add showy Flying Goldfish Plant to your collection
📚 Learn more:
- ▫️The most colorful houseplant
- ▫️This goldfish lives in a pot and Why is it called Gold Fish Plant
- ▫️Six colorful plants for your indoor garden
#Container_Garden
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Feijoa coconut loaf: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
- 🔴Mix Feijoa pulp into a coconut quick-bread batter.
- 🔴Bakes into a fragrant tropical treat.
Feijoa Coconut Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup feijoa pulp, finely chopped
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, coconut, and salt.
- Mix eggs, sugar, melted butter, milk, and vanilla.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet, then stir in feijoa pulp.
- Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until golden and a toothpick tests clean.
- Cool before slicing.
🛒 Plant exotic fragrant Feijoa - Pineapple Guava
📚 Learn more:
- ▫️Pineapple Guava: fragrant fruit, beautiful blooms, and real health benefits
- ▫️Why is it called Pineapple Guava? It tastes just like strawberries! Feijoa Superfood.
#Food_Forest #Recipes
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When eggs hit luxury status, you know times are tough
Cat James Coconuts
"An egg today is better than a hen tomorrow." - Benjamin Franklin
🐈📸 Cat James Coconuts, who owns the kitchen, says that at these prices, he is guarding them like gold at PeopleCats.Garden
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