Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 13 Jan 2026

Bet how many cups he can jump at the end?

Cat Pelmen jumping over cups barrier

Bet how many cups he can jump at the end?

"I don't think limits." - Usain Bolt

🐈📸 Cat Pelmen and his new athlete record - TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats #Quotes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 13 Jan 2026

A dancing water nymph revealed!

Habenaria repens - Dancing Water-Spider orchid, Floating Orchid, flower spike

Habenaria repens - Dancing Water-Spider orchid, Floating Orchid, flower spike

Habenaria repens - Dancing Water-Spider orchid, Floating Orchid, flower close up

Habenaria repens - Dancing Water-Spider orchid, Floating Orchid, flower close up

Habenaria repens - Dancing Water-Spider orchid, Floating Orchid, flower close up

Habenaria repens - Dancing Water-Spider orchid, Floating Orchid, flower close up

Habenaria repens - Dancing Water-Spider orchid, Floating Orchid, flowers

Habenaria repens - Dancing Water-Spider orchid, Floating Orchid, flowers

💃 A dancing water nymph revealed!

Habenaria repens - the tiny Dancing Water-Spider orchid, Floating Orchid, a dancing fairy, sprite, sylph, pixie - or a water nymph?
  • 💞 If you look closely, this native orchid really does look like it is dancing. The tiny, spidery flowers of Habenaria repens seem to hover in motion, giving rise to its charming common name - Water-spider Bog Orchid, also called Floating Orchid.
  • 💞 Habenaria repens is one of the few orchids that can live both on land and in water. It naturally grows in wet ditches, marshes, meadows, and along pond and lake edges, and it can even form floating mats in still water. In warm climates, it may bloom almost year-round, sending up tall flower spikes packed with 10-50 delicate greenish-white blooms. The narrow, spider-like petals and lip are designed to attract pollinators, while the light green sepals blend perfectly into wetland surroundings.
  • 💞 This orchid produces several yellow-green leaves along its stem, with smaller leaves near the flower spike. It prefers consistently moist to wet conditions and slightly acidic soil. In cultivation, it does best in bog gardens, shallow pond margins, alongside carnivorous plants like pitcher plants, or even in containers kept very wet.
  • 💞 Small, subtle, and easy to overlook at first glance, Habenaria repens rewards anyone who stops and looks closely. Once you see that little flower dancing, you will never forget it.


❓ What does this tiny flower look like to you?
A dancing fairy, sprite, sylph, pixie - or a water nymph?

🛒 Add Dancing Spider Orchid to your rare plant collection

📚 Learn more:
Habenaria repens - Water-spider Bog Orchid, Floating Orchid in Plant Encyclopedia

#Nature_Wonders #Container_Garden

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 12 Jan 2026

Watch how to squeeze natural shampoo from the Ginger!

Shampoo Ginger, Zingiber zerumbet, Pine Cone Ginger

💄 Watch how to squeeze natural shampoo from the Ginger!
  • 🎆 Shampoo ginger uses and fragrance


    • Shampoo Ginger, also known as Zingiber zerumbet or Pine Cone Ginger, is one of those plants that sounds too good to be true - but isn’t. This tropical ginger has been used for centuries not just as an ornamental plant, but as a practical, fragrant, everyday resource.
  • 🎆 Natural shampoo from a flower cone


    • The most famous use of shampoo ginger comes from its bright red, pine cone-shaped flower bracts. When the cones mature, they fill with a milky, slippery liquid. Simply squeezing the cone releases this natural cleanser, traditionally used as shampoo in Asia and Hawaii. It gently cleans hair, leaves it soft, and adds a light, fresh scent. Even today, extracts of shampoo ginger are still used in commercial shampoos and hair products.
  • 🎆 Fragrance throughout the entire plant


    • Shampoo ginger isn’t just useful - it smells amazing. The leaves, stems, and cones all carry a warm, spicy fragrance typical of true gingers. The scent is fresh and clean, with earthy and slightly citrusy notes. Because of this, the plant has also been used in traditional body rinses, hair treatments, and natural perfumes.
  • 🎆 More than hair care


    • Beyond shampoo, the cones are popular as long-lasting cut flowers, often used in tropical floral arrangements. The plant itself grows into a lush, leafy clump that adds strong tropical character to gardens, especially in warm, humid climates.
  • 🎆 A plant with a traveling history


Shampoo ginger is also known as a “canoe plant.” Ancient Polynesian voyagers intentionally carried it across the Pacific as they settled new islands. Its usefulness, fragrance, and beauty made it valuable enough to earn a place on long ocean journeys.

Shampoo ginger is a rare mix of beauty, history, fragrance, and function - a plant that proves some of the most interesting garden plants are also the most practical.

🛒 Get your own natural shampoo from Pine Cone Ginger

📚 Learn more:

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden #Remedies #Discover #Food_Forest

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 12 Jan 2026

Cherry of the Rio Grande quick compote: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Cherry of the Rio Grande quick compote over pancakes

Cherry of the Rio Grande quick compote over pancakes

Eugenia aggregata - Cherry of the Rio Grande fruit

Eugenia aggregata - Cherry of the Rio Grande fruit

🍴 Cherry of the Rio Grande quick compote: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
  • 🔴Simmer the cherries with a tiny bit of water until they slump.
  • 🔴Mash lightly and spoon over pancakes or warm bread.


🛒 Plant Cherry of the Rio Grande

📚 Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Recipes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 11 Jan 2026

Did you know why its an Akee time, too?

Cat Bob with his Ackee fruit (Blighia sapida)

Cat Bob with his Ackee fruit (Blighia sapida)

🍊 Did you know why it's an Akee time, too?

Akee (Ackee) starts fruiting late Summer through Fall, but we still have some fruit on the trees through the Winter!

🐈📸 Cat Bob with his Ackee fruit at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 11 Jan 2026

How to cook perfect Ackee?

How to cook perfect Ackee?

  • 📱


🛒 Plant Ackee tree for delicious vegetable

📚 Learn more:
📱 What is Akee - Jamaica's National Fruit - and how to grow it
📱 How to cook perfect Akee?

#PeopleCats #Fruit_Forest

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 11 Jan 2026

How to lose weight naturally with tropical fruit and plants

Fat orange cat on treadmill with tropical fruit that help lose weight naturally

Fat orange cat on treadmill with tropical fruit that help lose weight naturally

🍑 How to lose weight naturally with tropical fruit and plants

🏃‍♀️ Losing weight isn’t about starving yourself - it’s about supporting your body with the right nutrients and keeping things balanced. Plants can help by boosting your metabolism, keeping you full longer, improving digestion, and regulating blood sugar. When you build a food forest with the right plants, you’re investing in long-term health that tastes good and feels good.

🏆 15 TOP TROPICAL plants and fruits that naturally help with weight management:
  • 💚 Papaya – Contains enzymes like papain that aid digestion, and it’s high in water and fiber—great for feeling full.
  • 💚 Mango – Supports fat metabolism and reduces inflammation. Its fiber helps regulate appetite and digestion.
  • 💚 Avocado – Full of healthy fats and fiber, avocado helps you feel satisfied longer and supports steady energy levels.
  • 💚 Banana – Rich in resistant starch (especially when underripe), bananas help support gut health and fat metabolism.
  • 💚 Jackfruit – High in fiber and low in fat, this fruit keeps blood sugar steady and supports slow, sustained energy.
  • 💚 Yerba Mate – A natural tea with gentle stimulant properties that may help reduce appetite and increase fat burn.
  • 💚 Moringa – Known as a superfood, moringa helps regulate blood sugar and boosts metabolism with powerful nutrients.
  • 💚 Galangal (Thai Ginger) – Supports digestion and contains compounds that may help increase fat burning, like regular ginger.
  • 💚 Cinnamon – Can improve insulin sensitivity and help with sugar cravings, making it easier to stay on track.
  • 💚 Insulin Ginger (Costus igneus) – Traditionally used to manage blood sugar, it also supports digestion and energy. Chewing the spiraled leaves or brewing them as tea is a natural way to get more from your garden.
  • 💚 Dragon Fruit – Extremely high in fiber, dragon fruit supports healthy digestion and helps regulate metabolism, which can aid weight loss.
  • 💚 Pomegranate – Used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to improve metabolism. Its antioxidant-rich juice supports fat burning and digestion.
  • 💚 Tea Leaf Tree (Camellia sinensis) – The source of green, black, and white tea. These teas are linked to metabolism boost, heart health, and appetite regulation.
  • 💚 Noni – A powerhouse fruit traditionally used for inflammation, immune health, blood sugar balance, and metabolism support. It may also help reduce fat accumulation and boost overall vitality.
  • 💚 Canistel (Eggfruit, Pouteria campechiana) is a naturally sweet, nutrient-dense fruit that helps curb sugar cravings while keeping you full longer. Its rich fiber content and slow-digesting carbs make it a great choice for supporting weight management without reaching for processed snacks.


❗️When you grow these plants in your home garden or food forest, you're not just planting food - you’re planting tools for better health.
And bonus: gardening itself keeps you active and stress-free, which is another win for your waistline.

🛒 Explore tropical fruit and edibles

📚 Learn more about natural weight loss with plants:

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 10 Jan 2026

No fixed plans!

Cat Philemon in a bag

Cat Philemon in a bag

😰 No fixed plans!

"A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving." - Lao Tzu

🐈📸 Cat Philemon always has his travel bag ready - TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats #Quotes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 10 Jan 2026

How to grow Patchouli indoors

Patchouli - Pogostemon cablin

How to grow Patchouli indoors

Patchouli - Pogostemon cablin is easy to grow indoors if you give it what it likes. It is one of those plants that does double duty - it looks great and makes your home smell amazing. Those big, soft leaves release that deep, earthy scent just by being there.
  • ☘️ Light and temperature


    • Patchouli loves bright shade. Think filtered light near a window, not harsh direct sun. Too much sun can burn the leaves, especially indoors. In lower light, it still grows well and keeps its fragrance. It is a tropical herb, so keep in warm - at room temperature.
  • ☘️ Water and soil


    • This plant loves water. Use a well-draining soil mix and a pot with drainage holes, but do not let it dry out. Daily watering is usually fine in warm conditions. Good air circulation is important.
    Growing patchouli is similar to growing herbs in containers - just be more generous with water than you would be with basil or oregano.
  • ☘️ Containers and growth


    • Patchouli grows fast. Start in a 1-gallon pot, but plan to move it up to a 3-gallon container fairly quickly. More room means bigger leaves and a stronger scent.
  • ☘️ Feeding


    • Feed regularly. You can use Sunshine Boosters Robusta with every watering, or apply Green Magic controlled-release fertilizer every 6 months and at each transplant. Patchouli responds quickly to feeding with lush growth.
  • ☘️ Pruning and uses


    • Prune as the plant gets bigger to keep it full and bushy. Do not throw the leaves away - dry them for sachets or use fresh/dry leaves for tea.
  • ☘️ Propagation


Patchouli roots very easily from cuttings. Snip a healthy stem, place it in water or moist soil, and it will root fast. It is one of the easiest plants to share with friends.

If you want a plant that grows fast, smells incredible, and actually does something useful indoors, patchouli is hard to beat.

🛒 Grow calming Patchouli Scent at home

📚 Learn more:

#Perfume_Plants #Remedies #Food_Forest #How_to

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 10 Jan 2026

Long pepper curry: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Long pepper curry

Long pepper curry

Piper longum - Indian Long Pepper, Bengal Pepper or Pippali

Piper longum - Indian Long Pepper, Bengal Pepper or Pippali

🍴 Long pepper curry: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
  • 🟢Crush dried Indian Long Pepper (Piper longum) and add to coconut milk curry.
  • 🟢Adds a deep, smoky heat with hints of clove and ginger.


🌿 About the plant:
Indian long pepper, also known as Pippali or Bengal pepper (Piper longum), is an ancient spice and medicinal plant from South Asia. Closely related to black pepper, it has a warmer, slightly sweeter heat and a complex aroma. Long pepper has been used for centuries in traditional medicine for respiratory and digestive support, including coughs, congestion, and stomach discomfort.

🌱 In the garden:
Piper longum grows as a climbing vine or shrubby climber that can be trained on a trellis, fence, or tree. It prefers warm conditions, regular moisture, and shade to partial shade. The plant starts with heart-shaped leaves that become more elongated as it matures, making it both useful and ornamental in tropical and subtropical gardens.

🛒 Add an easy plant - Indian Long Pepper - to your garden

📚 Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Recipes #Remedies

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Next page >Most recent entryBlog table of contents