Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 1 Dec 2024

What is Pepper Made From? Black, white, green, and red

Black Pepper - Piper nigrum

Black Pepper - Piper nigrum

Black Pepper - Piper nigrum

Black Pepper - Piper nigrum

🔥 What is Pepper Made From? Black, white, green, and red...
  • ♨️ Pepper comes from the dried berries (peppercorns) of the vine Piper nigrum, a plant native to South India and now widely cultivated in tropical regions.
  • ♨️ Pepper has been a prized spice for millennia, with black and white varieties known in ancient times. The modern discovery of green and red pepper has only added to the allure of this versatile spice!
  • ♨️ The different types of pepper - black, white, green, and red - are all derived from the same plant! Their distinct flavors and colors result from variations in harvest timing and processing methods.
  • ♨️ Secrets of the Pepper Colors:



⚫️ Black Pepper: The most common variety, black pepper is made from unripe, green berries that are cooked briefly and then dried. The drying process darkens the skin, giving it a bold flavor with both pungency and aroma.
🔘 White Pepper: Created by removing the outer skin of fully ripe berries, leaving just the seed inside. White pepper has a stronger heat and less aroma, making it ideal for dishes needing subtle flavor.
🟢 Green Pepper: These are unripe berries that are either dried or pickled to preserve their fresh, herbal flavor. Green pepper is milder and more aromatic.
  • 🔴 Red Pepper: A rare variety, red peppercorns come from fully ripened berries, often dried or brined. They have a unique, fruity sweetness balanced with pungency.


♨️ Growing Pepper Plant:

  • · Piper nigrum is a moderate-growing vine that thrives on a trellis and can even grow in containers.
  • · Care: Prefers partial shade and moderate watering, making it suitable for indoor cultivation.
  • · Fertilize with Sunhine Boosters on regular basis. Miscrolement supplement (Sunshine SuperFood) is essential as Black pepper may be susceptible to leaf chlorosis (iron deficiency).


📚 Learn more from previous post:


How to grow your own Pepper plants. Five most valuable 'Pipers'

🛒 Grow your own Pepper

#Food_Forest

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Date: 5 Dec 2024

How to make a simple and delicious mango smoothie

How to make a simple and delicious mango smoothie

🥭 How to make a simple and delicious mango smoothie


  • ✅ Ingredients:


  • · 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped
  • · 1 cup milk (dairy or plant-based)
  • · ½ cup plain yogurt (optional for creaminess)
  • · 1-2 tablespoons honey or sugar (optional, to taste)
  • · 1 cup ice cubes (adjust for desired thickness)


✅ Instructions:


  • · Add mango chunks, milk, yogurt, honey (if using), and ice cubes to a blender.
  • · Blend until smooth and creamy.
  • · Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
  • · Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

For a tropical twist, you can add a splash of orange juice, a banana, or a pinch of cardamom. Enjoy! 🥭

🛒 Plant a Mango Tree today for a happy crop tomorrow

#Food_Forest #Recipes

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Date: 13 Dec 2024

Are you in Florida for Holidays?

Are you in Florida for Holidays?
🎄 Are you in Florida for Holidays? 🔔

Join us on Saturday, December 14, 2024, for our Holiday Plant Market! Our plants have grown big and beautiful over the summer!

🎁 Enjoy amazing deals with plants starting at just $5 and $10

🆓 Receive afree plant with every purchase.

Bring friends and family to explore, and let our friendly #PeopleCats help you find the perfect plants! 🐈🌳😳

Celebrate the season with us in full tropical style - we can't wait to see you there!

🎏 Learn more about this event

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Date: 17 Dec 2024

How big does Paraiso Verde grow?

Philodendron x Paraiso Verde

👍 How big does Paraiso Verde grow?

  • Philodendron x Paraiso Verde is our favorite philodendron with striking leaves!
  • ✅ This large-leaf plant is perfect for growing indoors and is virtually care-free! It has long, beautifully variegated leaves with a mix of green, cream, and sometimes pinkish hues. Each leaf has a unique pattern, just like fingerprints! 💅
  • ✅ It grows fast and pretty big, so it needs some space. Each leaf is over a foot long. The plant can be trimmed as needed. Great solution for those who want to create some green paradise quickly.
  • ✅This variety is highly sought after by plant collectors due to its rarity and exotic appearance, and may be pretty expensive in trade.
  • ✅ As a bonus, Paraiso Verde helps purify the air by removing toxins, making it great for indoor environments - home or office.


👍 Create your tropical paradise indoors in no time!

📚 Learn more from previous post:


Rare showy plant that thrives indoors

🛒 Get your own Philodendron x Paraiso Verde

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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Date: 10 Dec 2024

We ate all pineapples from that ugly corner!

Pineapples fruiting

🍍 We ate all pineapples from that ugly corner!



All the Pineapples that we mentioned in our earlier post, have ripened and we already ate them all!
Note that this amazing fruit grows in the most neglected corner of the yard, with NO irrigation, and in pretty hot sunny spot - by the water treatment tank. Yet look how happy the plants are!

📚 Learn more about pineapple plants from previous posts:


The most luscious Hospitality Fruit: Pineapple
Three must-have fruit for every tropical garden

🛒 Select Pineapple varieties

#Food_Forest

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