Date: 5 Nov 2024
Plant of the month:
Lipstick Tree, Annatto
Bixa orellana - Lipstick Tree, Annatto, Achiote... Meet the plant that lipstick is made of!
The enchanting Lipstick Tree brings a splash of South American magic to your garden with its bold, heart-shaped leaves and charming pink blooms. But the real showstopper? Its vibrant seed pods brimming with annatto - a natural pigment famed for painting dishes with rich golden hues and spicing up kitchens worldwide.
Annatto isn't just a culinary delight; it's a beauty secret too, adding natural, radiant color to lipsticks and cosmetics. Beyond its practical uses, Bixa makes a striking hedge or screen, adding both beauty and function. This tree is your garden's ticket to tropical flair and everyday usefulness!
Date: 4 Jul 2025
Happy Independence Day!
4th of July Sale
"Independence is happiness." - Susan B. Anthony
Happy 4th of July from the tropics! Whether you're staying local or escaping for the long weekend, it's the perfect time to enjoy your garden, start something new, or grab that plant you've been eyeing. Red Desert Roses, white fragrant Gardenias and Jasmines, rare Blue Ginger - tropical blooms are showing off right now, and we are celebrating with a hot summer sale: 20% off everything with code HAPPY4TH25, plus extra savings on combined DEALS and BOGO! Add some color to your summer and let your garden do the fireworks!
Use the code below to save 20% on your entire order:
HAPPY4TH25
Min order $200. Excluding S/H. Exp. 7-7-25
Reminder: use our FREE and DISCOUNTED SHIPPING for qualified orders
Shop Now
In the photo above: Bauhinia madagascariensis
Date: 2 Nov 2018
Happy Hobby: growing tropicals from seeds
Q: What is the best time to start tropical plants from seeds? Should I wait till spring?
A: If you
want to feel happier, get into gardening. If you want to feel God, start
plants from seeds and watch New Life grow from a tiny grain. Fall is a perfect
time to start tropicals from seed.
Traditionally, people prefer sowing seeds in Spring, especially
temperate species for a vegetable garden: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers... My
grandmother up North started them in early Spring in paper cups on a windowsill,
then once the temperatures went just above freezing, she planted them out in the
garden beds, and that early start always helped her to have the best early
crop in the neighborhood.
When we deal with tropical plants, "just above freezing" is not warm
enough. Which means you have to grow small babies indoors for quite a while,
providing additional heating when needed. Heating pads always work best. If you
keep your living space around 75F (ideal for many species), this is a
perfect temperature to get your seeds started. Tropical plants are not like annual
tomatoes that try to grow through the season as fast as possible. They take
time. So the sooner you start, the more chances to get small seedlings just in
time when Spring air outside is "warm enough" for those tropicals - at least
in 70's.
A great advantage of starting tropical seeds indoors is controlled
temperature and moisture. In the plant world, environment extremes are not good
for the germination process. Mild conditions of your home or a greenhouse
create better chances for successful growth. Seeds won't get overheated in the
hot Summer sun, and won't rot because of a sudden heavy rain. Just keep in mind
that some species require light for good germination.
For the best seed germination:
- Use only well-drained mix - we recommend special Seed Germination Mix #3, professional grade. Put seeds not too deep
(1/2 inch deep or less) to allow air circulation
- Soak large seeds for a few hours with Sunshine-S solution
- Keep warm (75-85F) and in bright light
- Keep soil slightly moist but not soggy
- Apply micro-element booster SuperFood
Date: 24 Jun 2018
Date: 22 Jul 2022
Callisia fragrans, Golden
Tendril:
Holistic Medicinal Plant
by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
...This beautiful, low-maintenance plant has been living in our homes
for over two hundred years. The name of Callisia speaks for itself - Callisia
from the Greek is kallos meaning beauty and fragans means
fragrant. It is not only an easy ornamental plant for both garden and indoor
collection, it has wide medicinal use in Europe. Its active biological substances
that can fight infections, stimulate metabolism, strengthen immunity and
circulatory system...
...Moreover, the leaves and flowers of Callisia fragrans are edible, the
plant has been used as a food source in tropical countries. The rhizomes are
also edible and can be boiled or roasted... Every garden or indoor plant
collection should have this easy and useful plant!..
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