Wounded Warrior Project donation

Thanks to your memorial day orders! In honor of the memory of fallen brothers and sisters in battle, Top Tropicals sent a substantial donation of 5% of Memorial Day Promotion sales to Wounded Warrior Project. Reference ID: 43810379. Thank you everybody for your orders and participation!

Gemini Zodiac lucky plants

Gemini - 5/21-6/20. Ruled by the mutable, changeable planet Mercury (also patron of the art of medicine), Gemini is an AIR sign. Plants ruled by Mercury tend to have ferny or highly-divided leaves or stems (like the bronchi of lungs), hairy or fuzzy leaves (related to the cilia in the lungs), or subtle odors.

Gemini rules the lungs, shoulders, arms, and hands. Its plants help to strengthen the lungs and respiratory system, relax the nervous system, strengthen ears and hearing, the tongue and speaking, the vocal cords, lungs and thyroid, as well as the shoulders, arms, and hands. Gemini has so much going on mentally that they may need a little help to digest all the information they're constantly absorbing. Herbs that have clean, pure flavor not only help physical digestion, but assist spiritual and mental intake as well.

Gemini Zodiac lucky plants: Ferns, Blechnum, Tree ferns and Cyatheas, Fern Tree, Aralias, Jackfruit and Breadfruit, Paulownia, Anthurium, Philodendron, Philadelphus, Clerodendrums, Anise, Lavender, Myrtle, Nut trees, Macadamia, Ficus, Piggyback plant - Tolmiea menziesii, Aloe vera, Fig , Honeysuckle, Azalea, Mint Tree Satureja, Vitex, Ironwood, Mulberry, Osmoxylon, Acalypha, Allamanda, Aphelandra, Iboza, Ruda, Kiwi, Caesalpinia, Cyphomandra, Monstera, Kalanchoe , Magnolia, Oregano, Ocimum, Naranjilla, Zamia, Delionix, Acacias, Calliandra, Patchoili, Palms, Geranium, Grevillea, Eucalyptus.

For other signs information, see full Plant Horoscope.

Forget the gym and get to gardening?

Fun workout? We never have enough time to go to the gym or do an exercise so it's good to know that just doing something that you love can give you a workout. We all know that when we are out in the garden it gives us a bit of exercise but we do not realize how much exactly. Research says that three hours of gardening can have the same effect as an intense 1-hour gym session. The study was carried out with a group of 100 gardeners who were asked to monitor the amount of time spent doing a series of common gardening tasks over a four week period. Gardening tasks that were monitored included weeding, digging, mowing the lawn, hedge trimming, trimming shrubs and trees, raking, planting shrubs, and moving garden waste using a wheel barrow. Here are some facts and numbers:
- Just doing half an hour weeding can burn up to 150 calories and tasks that handle heavy electrical equipment such as hedge trimming will give you a good workout burning 400 calories per hour.
- Spending a day or five hours each week in the garden will burn up to around 700 calories
- Over a gardening season that works out at 20,000 calories per year, equivalent to running seven marathons
- The gardening hobby could help burn a million calories over a lifetime.

Calories burned with only 1 hour of:
340 cal - Chopping wood, splitting logs, gardening with heavy power tools, tilling a garden, chain saw. Mowing lawn, walk, hand mower. Shoveling by hand.
272 cal - Carrying, loading or stacking wood, loading/unloading or carrying lumber, digging, spading, filling garden, composting, laying crushed rock or sod. Clearing land, hauling branches, wheelbarrow chores.
238 cal - Operating blower, walking. Planting seedlings, shrubs, trees, trimming shrubs or trees, manual cutter. Weeding, cultivating garden.
224 cal - Raking lawn, sacking grass and leaves
136 cal - Picking fruit off trees, picking up yard, picking flowers or vegetables. Walking, gathering gardening tools.
102 cal - Walking, applying fertilizer or seeding a lawn
34 cal - Watering lawn or garden, standing or walking

Radio Top Tropicals Live Webcast upcoming event: Saturday May 20, at 11 am EST.
Topic: Come Ride My Peninsula! Discusses the REAL Florida. Our plants, the Everglades, how all of the wonderful plants Top Tropicals has to offer are grown in South Florida. Our Host Robert Riefer - Internationally Certified Crop Adviser and Weed Scientist - answering all your gardening questions.
Listen to Radio Top Tropicals, every Saturday, at 11 am EST! You may use our website radio player DURING AIR TIME. To ask questions using live chat, you need to log in at Mixlr.com or simply call our office 239-887-3323 during air time!
If you missed a live webcast, you may listen to recording by following Showreel item link.
Check out our upcoming radio shows and get your gardening questions ready!

Secrets of flowering of Jasmine Sambac

Q: Q: My Jasmine sambac Maid of Orleans is growing very fast and produced lots of branches and dark green leaves, when will I see flowers? I only saw 2 or 3 flowers since since Spring. I is planted by East wall of the house. Should I use some special fertilizer perhaps?

A: Jasmine sambac is a tropical bush or vine that enjoys hot summers. Since it tolerates wide range of light conditions, it can be grown both in shade or sun; this is why it is highly recommended for indoor culture where light level is limited. Remember though that profuse blooming directly depends on the light level. Your Eastern exposure location may not be providing enough light for the flowering. Dark green leaves are also a sign of a filtered light sitution. Extra fertilizing may not help to induce flowering if the light is low, although it is always beneficial for a plant (it may just start producing even more leaves and branches). The ideal conditions for Sambac's flowering are - full sun all day long, high temperatures (upper 80's-90's, even over 100F is fine), and very good drainage. Some gardeners call Jasmine sambac "almost a succulent", referring to its low watering needs. To be exact, this plant requires regular watering, but will produce lots of flowers only providing perfect drainage. You may never see flowers if the plant has wet feet or water-logging occurs. If your summers are rainy (like in Florida), make sure your jasmine is planted with at least 4-5" elevation and not in a low/wet spot.

See Top Tropicals Video about jasmine Sambac: - varieties, history and use.

Plant Horoscope. Taurus Zodiac lucky plants: Apricot and Verbena

Taurus - 4/20-5/20. Taurus is an EARTH sign ruled by the planet Venus.
Venus is the planet that represents desire and beauty, regarded as the female embodiment of sexual love and human appetite, so Taurus plants often have gorgeous flowers and enticing fragrances and, occasionally, red fruit. It rules the internal sexual organs, the nose and sense of smell.
Because Taurus rules the throat and ears, the best plants for the Bull are often soothing to the throat, or may calm the digestive system after overindulging in the finest foods. Taurus is related to those things we want and value. It harmonizes various body systems, and influences the complexion and facial appearance. Also under Venus's dominion are the abdomen, kidney, thymus, and breasts. Venus-governed herbs are soothing and help to regulate the body's metabolism through the endocrine system (see Libra). Taurus herbs are traditionally used to attract money and resources. Earthy Taurus sign is all about building a stable and comfortable foundation and can help you generate greater abundance and prosperity in your life.

Taurus Zodiac lucky plants: Aglaia, Cananga odorata (Ylang-Ylang), Artabotrys (Climbing Ylang-Ylang), Cerbera, Night blooming jasmine, Chonemorpha, Erblichia, Euodia, Hiptage, Iboza (Musk Bush), Anise, Lavender, Lonchocarpus Lilac Tree, Nutmeg, Parijat, Camphor Basil, Osmanthus, Funeral tree, Quisqualis, Satureja (Kama Sutra Mint Tree), Viburnum, Carissa, Murraya, Curry Leaf, Bunchosia (Peanut butter fruit), Eucalyptus, Lily, Vitex agnus castus (Blue Chaste Tree), Alstonia scholaris (Sapthaparni), Papaya, Maple, Jasmine, Guaiacum, Camellia, Ephedra, Fuchsia, Geranium, Spider lily, Gardenia, Magnolia, Plumeria, Paeonia, Verbena, Clerodendrums, Apple, Pear, Apricot, Peach, Plantain, Olive, Grape, Pomegranate, Mango, Neem Tree, Cherry, Cypresses, all Berries, Raspberry, Asparagus, Mint, Clove, Roses, Stagshorn fern, Catnip.

For links to these plants and other signs information, see full Plant Horoscope.