Cat of the Month:
Winter Adventure of Lisa the Cat

After publishing the story about Skogkatts - Norwegian Forest Cats, we received inquiries about Lisa, if she is available for adoption? Luckily, Lisa now has her wonderful sweet home in Sweden, so unfortunately for those who fell in love with her, she is not adoptable. But Lisa's life story wasn't all that sweet and simple! Rather thrilling and adventurous. So we decided to share her story with you...

By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

"...Lisa, who illustrated our story about Skogkatt Cat Breed, lives with my daughter Vanda, along with her family: husband Vitaly and two children - Max and Maria. They live in Sweden. Lisa is 13 years old now. About 10 years ago, Lisa had a heartbreaking adventure almost ended with a tragedy... But luckily, she made it through. However, since then, she can't jump high and sometimes walks funny, sways and limps... And here's what happened..."

Top Tropicals is now in Telegram!

Welcome to our new Telegram Channel!
We finally did it, and excited to connect with all of you on this amazing platform. After using Telegram for a few years for both business and personal communications, we realized it is a winner of the modern Social Media!

In Top Tropicals Telegram Channel you will find much more than on our website or Newsletter: Fun Plant Facts, Nature Wonders, Amazing Plant Videos, Gardening How-to Tips, Exotic Recipes, Contests, Sweepstakes, Give-aways and so much more. Plus, of course, your favorite PeopleCats!

Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security, it's super-fast, simple and free. You can use Telegram on all your devices at the same time - your messages sync seamlessly across any number of your phones, tablets or computers. It's perfect for sharing your comments, photos, videos, even making calls.

You can watch news, browse your interest, message to friends and colleagues, save your files, create groups, make phone calls, and the most amazing thing - Telegram works where nothing else works, no WiFi or cell service! It proved to be more reliable than any other apps and (surprise!) even works in airplane without wifi connection - proved!

The platform has its own cloud and offers limitless storage. And the last and not least - it's ad-free! Telegram is free and will stay free - no ads, no subscription fees, forever. It's a clean, clear and easy to use for all ages and applications. Try it yourself and discover how easy and pain-free it is!

Telegram is for everyone who wants fast and reliable messaging and calls.
See you in Telegram!

Heavenly Angel's Trumpet

By Onika Amell, tropical flower specialist

Q: Can you please tell me which zones are the best for growing Angel Trumpets? When do they bloom and is there a specific fertilizer to use on them? Do you sell any variegated varieties?

A: If you are lucky enough to live in an area that doesn't freeze or only has light frosts, you can grow Brugmansia (common name Angel Trumpet) outside all year long. They are only entirely hardy in USDA zones 9-12, but they remain very popular throughout the United States. They do really well in coastal settings in the Southwest. They are simply glorious in the coastal areas of South California. In the southwestern states, as well as in the tropics, they bloom spectacularly throughout the spring, summer, and autumn.

Angel Trumpets are very heavy feeders and they need huge amounts of nitrogen. You can use a standard balanced slow-release fertilizer on Brugmansia, but then you must apply it very generously. We've created a specialized fertilizer just for them. Angel Trumpet Delight is a perfect Brugmansia food for frequent monthly feed. It's a 30-day Smart-Release formula that works wonders for Angel Trumpets. A a well-balanced combination of macro- and micro- nutrients with a slow release action, it provides continuous feed, maintains vigor and disease resistance. It also contains coated nitrogen, early release nutrients and extra iron (water soluble and chelated) for quick green-up.

Angel Trumpets come in a dazzling array of colors: orange, yellow, green, white, pink, red, emerald and even purple (closely related Datura). One of our favorites is the beautiful Variegated Orange Angel Trumpet, a new hybrid with variegated leaves and a large single bloom that starts white and turns orange. Another amazing variety is "Sun Explosion" - with a variegated orange flower.

Most folks are usually in awe of the enormous trumpet flowers when they see it for the very first time. They most definitely need to be planted where they can be admired… near a deck, terrace, lanai or, entryway. The blossoms are short-lived, but numerous, continuous, and truly show-stopping! And they smell so good! This is a must have in any tropical garden. They can be grown either as a bush or a small tree. They are easy peasy to grow and root extremely easily, making them great as pass-along gifts for friends. They are sun-loving and super fast-growing plants. Plenty of water and fertilizers keep them happy and at their best. Did I mention they smell good too? ;)

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Sonya, the Co-Author

In our previous newsletter, you met our editor/photographer tandem - Tilda & Marina. Today we introduce our columnist assistant - Sonya. For the past decade, this True Norwegian Forest Cat has been a great helper and inspirational co-author for Alexandra, TopTropicals website writer and social media blogger.

Alex has been with TopTropicals since Day One (2003). In 2011, she got Sonya, a 3-month old kitten that someone kicked out: at that young age she already had quite a temper of a real Wild Cat. No one wanted to adopt her and Sonya was doomed to suffer a street life... So Alex invited her in the house... and it took her many months to teach Sonya some good manners! And Sonya turned into a beautiful and affectionate Purrrson as well as became the Boss in the house (what a surprise, duh) and Alexandra's dearest life companion. Sonya also discovered her talent in writing plant stories for TopTropicals, sitting on Alex's shoulder and whispering into her ear while she is typing Sonya's horticultural tips. And when Alex stares at monitors for more than 5 hours, Sonya lays on her keyboard saying: "Now get up and get some stretch lady! Let's go re-pot some plants for a change!"

We will be following up on Sonya's creative work, and you will hear from her again soon...

Check out and more Cat of the Day stories.