Date: 30 Oct 2019
Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Fearless Mr Barcy, the Boss
Mr Barcy is the Boss. He owns the property, the street, the
neighborhood, and the City of Ft Myers. Once he told us that he owns the whole State of
Florida too but he won't go any further... for political reasons he preferred
not to disclose.
Along with Chief, Mr Barcy is one of the oldest cats of TopTropicals.
His story is, some 10 years ago, he was sitting in Animal Control shelter
in Sebring, FL with no one wanting to adopt him... His "time" expired and he
was supposed to be put down on Friday... Someone sent us his picture in a
shelter cage and... on Wednesday, we picked him up (along with a few other
"scheduled" cats). Since then, Mr Barcy has been living with us, running the
business, and being the smartest Purrrson we ever met.
As a Boss, Mr Barcy has his own GPS tracker - and he walks 3-4 miles every
day (not bad for a senior purrson ah?) around his premises, keeping
operations under control, and himself in great shape.
In his leisure time, Mr Barcy prefers mice- and snake- hunting, keeping the
neighborhood safe and monitored. He can walk a human without using a leash,
and his tail is ALWAYS up!
Check out and more Cat of the Day stories.
Mr Barcy planning his business day
Date: 30 Oct 2019
Fragrant Gold Leaf Orchid Vine
By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
Q: I am absolutely thrilled to see you have this vine. I've tried for years to get this plant! It is so, so rare. It just seemed impossible to find in this country. How do I make it thrive? I am ordering two.
A: We are happy to confirm that indeed we do have this rare vine!
Bauhinia aureifolia - Gold Leaf Orchid Vine - was discovered in Thailand in
1983. It is endemic to Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala in Southern Thailand.
Danish botanist Kai Larsen named this plant and hailed it as one of the rarest
plant species of the world when it was discovered in the eighties.
The Thai people call this vine Bai Mai Si Thong. It is a beautiful
climber with large, bi-loped leaves (7 inches or more!) and good branching.
Young leaves are a stunning burnt orange to terracotta color for about
a week and as they reach full size, they turn green over a couple of days.
This is a very rare color for Bauhinia. It produces leaves all the time and
this means this vine is always full of beautiful color. With its golden leaves,
it sure is reminiscent of Autumn.
This vine blooms from May to November. It bears bunches of small
flowers that are delicately fragrant in the evenings. The cultivated plants range
flower color from pure white to purple and pink, while the wild ones have
often white petals with pinkish patches.
Bauhinia aureifolia needs well-drained soil, full light and good humidity
to thrive. It will tolerate a light freeze once established and it is very
important to protect young plants.
Gold Leaf Orchid Vine also makes a wonderful container plant with staking
or support. It is a must for every rare plant collection!
RECOMMENDED FERTILIZERS:
Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster
Date: 23 Oct 2019
Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Office Snitch
Snitch is an office employee. He is Kristi's personal assistance and he owns half of her desk (well, the middle half). He is helping answering customer calls and messages.
When you visit our Garden Center, be careful when you open the office door and step in - Snitch might be playing a Doormat!
Snitch dozed off after his office hard work
Inspecting the Grounds and Above with Dobi Duck
Date: 23 Oct 2019
Best tasting white guava
Q: What's your best tasting white guava?
A: Our favorite white Guava is Viet Nam variety that is also very rare and hard to find. The fruit is
very large, up to 6"in diameter, the pulp is very sweet and somewhat
crunchy.
The seeds are small which makes it more pleasurable to eat out of hand.
Another great feature of this variety, it stays compact and branches do not
get leggy, unlike most guavas. It can be easily grown in a container,
trimmed to the desired size and it will produce fruit under proper care.
Another cool variety is Indonesian, it also has a large round fruit and very few seeds to compare with others.
And last but not least, if you prefer soft fruit to crunchy, the Peruvian variety is a great choice. The fruit is pear-shaped.
Remember to provide plant food for good production, especially if grown in a container.
Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
