Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 28 May 2025

How to make your own coffee from homegrown beans

Coffee Tree in a cup (Coffea arabica)

Coffee Tree in a cup (Coffea arabica)

Coffee Tree with fruit (Coffea arabica)

Coffee Tree with fruit (Coffea arabica)

Coffee beans (Coffea arabica)

Coffee beans (Coffea arabica)

Coffee beans (Coffea arabica)

Coffee beans (Coffea arabica)

Coffee beans (Coffea arabica)

Coffee beans (Coffea arabica)

Coffee cherries on a tree (Coffea arabica)

Coffee cherries on a tree (Coffea arabica)

☕️ How to make your own coffee from homegrown beans



Q: Can you make coffee from your
own tree? Isn't there a process involved to prepare beans for it?
A: Absolutely! Yes, it is quite a process... But homegrown coffee lets you enjoy the freshest, chemical-free beans with rich flavor and the satisfaction of growing it yourself. Besides, it's fun! Below is a quick guide how to grow and make your own coffee from freshly harvested coffee fruit (called "cherries").
  • Harvest the ripe cherries


    Pick the bright red fruits when they are fully ripe. These contain the coffee beans inside.
  • Remove the beans


    Squeeze the cherries to pop out the seeds (beans). Rinse off any pulp and soak them in water for 1-2 days to ferment and remove the slimy coating.
  • Dry the beans


    Spread the clean beans on a tray in a sunny, dry spot. Let them dry for 1-2 weeks, turning them daily, until they feel hard and papery.
  • Remove the parchment


    Once dried, crack and remove the thin husk around each bean. You now have green coffee beans ready to roast.
  • Roast the beans


    Use a dry skillet or oven. Heat until beans turn brown and fragrant, stirring constantly. The longer you roast, the darker and stronger the flavor.

Cool and grind


Let roasted beans cool completely, then grind them just before brewing. Enjoy your homemade cup of fresh coffee!

🛒 Grow it. Pick it. Roast it. Drink it. Buy your coffee tree now!

📚 Learn more from previous posts:


#Food_Forest #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Discover

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Date: 27 May 2025

Too weird to ignore, too easy not to grow!

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus, flower

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus, flower

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus, leaves

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus, leaves

Too weird to ignore, too easy not to grow!

  • ⚡️Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus. Also known as Anthony's Rick-Rack or Fishbone Cactus, this oddball epiphyte is famous for its zigzagging, succulent leaves that look like a green lightning bolt.
  • ⚡️ In nature, it climbs trees using aerial roots, but it's happy in a pot too.
  • ⚡️Give it bright, indirect light and let the soil dry out completely between waterings.
  • ⚡️In spring, it may reward you with a rare night-blooming flower that lasts just one magical evening.
  • ⚡️ Easy, sculptural, and full of character!


🛒 Add this oddball to your jungle

📚 More about exotic epiphytic cacti:


Disocactus ackermanni - Red Orchid Cactus
Epiphyllum oxypetalum - Queen of the Night
Pseudorhipsalis (Wittia) amazonica - Blue Flame
Epiphyllum guatemalense Monstrosa - Orchid Cactus, Curly Locks

#Fun_Facts #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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Date: 31 May 2025

Where do almonds come from?

🌰 Where do almonds come from? From the prettiest red-leaved tree with health benefits!

  • 📝 Most commercial almonds come from the Prunus dulcis tree, a close relative of Peach Tree, native to the Middle East and South Asia. However, Tropical Almond (Terminalia catappa), also called Indian almond or Sea almond, produces a similar nut in tropical regions.

  • 📝 The Tropical Almond tree puts on a spectacular fall display rarely seen in evergreen tropical regions. As a deciduous tree, it sheds its large, glossy leaves in a burst of color - shifting from green to brilliant shades of red, orange, and especially bright mauve. This fiery transformation sets it apart from most tropical trees. At the same time, the almond-like fruits ripen, making this tree not only a visual showstopper but also a source of delicious, nutritious nuts.


🌰 Health benefits of Tropical Almond:


  • ✅ Rich in omega-3 fatty acids - supports brain and heart health.

  • ✅ High in protein and healthy fats – helps build and maintain muscle and energy.

  • ✅ Strengthens bones and teeth – due to its calcium and phosphorus content.

  • ✅ Improves eye health – thanks to antioxidants like vitamin E.

  • ✅ Reduces inflammation – naturally anti-inflammatory.

  • ✅ Supports liver and digestive health – traditional medicine uses the leaves for liver diseases, diarrhea, and dysentery.

  • ✅ Used as an aphrodisiac – in some traditional systems.

Tropical Almonds can be grown in the ground or containers and are tolerant of heat, drought, and salt, making them great for tropical and coastal gardens.

🛒 Plant the Tropical Almond Tree with mauve fall color


#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover #Fun_Facts

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Date: 7 Jun 2025

From seed to fruit. How to grow Loquat from seeds, step-by-step guide. Part 1: planting seeds

Loquat tree (Eriobotrya japonica) - seedlings

✍️ From seed to fruit. How to grow Loquat from seeds, step-by-step guide. Part 1: planting seeds

  • 🍑 1. Harvesting and Preparing Seeds


  • Harvest: Select ripe Loquat fruits (when they are bright yellow color) and remove 1-3 seeds from each.
  • Clean: Rinse seeds thoroughly in cool water to remove all fruit residue. Like with every fruit seeds, any pulp leftover may prevent germination and/or cause rot of the seeds.
  • Storage: If not planting immediately, wrap seeds in a damp paper towel and store in a vented container with moist sawdust or moss (to avoid drying out) at room temperature (if stored a few days) or at 40F if stored for over a week. Seeds can remain viable for up to 3-6 months. Refrigerating the fruit doesn't harm the seeds, although may take seeds longer to germinate. If the seeds are slightly dry, soak them in water overnight.


🍑 2. Planting Seeds

  • Container: Use a pot with a good drainage.
  • Soil: Fill with well-draining, soilless potting mix (no compost or top soil). Perfect seed germination mix is Abundance Mix: peat moss (or coconut fiber) - 80%, perlite - 10%, small pieces of pine bark - 10%.
  • Depth: Plant seeds 1"deep. Place them horizontally.
  • Spacing: Multiple seeds can be planted in one pot or tray (with drainage holes); space them adequately. You can use so called “community pots”, then separate the seedlings once they reach 2-4" in height.


🍑 3. Germination Conditions

  • Light: Place the pot in a bright, warm area with temperatures at least (and above) 70F . The warmer, the faster the germination. We germinate seeds in a "hot house" where temperatures can reach 100F.
  • Moisture: Keep the soil consistently moist but not wet.
  • Germination Time: Loquat seeds germinate within 2-4 weeks.

Continued in next post ⤵️

🛒 Shop Loquat Trees and enjoy fresh fruit benefits

#Food_Forest #Loquat

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Date: 5 Jun 2025

The purrrfect hypoallergenic Cat Tail

Acalypha hispida - Chenille Plant, Red Hot Cattail

🐈 The purrrfect hypoallergenic Cat Tail

  • 🔥 Acalypha hispida, also known as the Chenille Plant or Red Hot Cattail, is a bold tropical bloomer with long, fuzzy red tassels that look just like fluffy cat tails!
  • 🔥 This fast-growing shrub can reach 5-10 feet tall, or be kept trimmed as a showy hedge or container plant.
  • 🔥 In warm climates, it blooms year-round with dramatic, pendulous flowers in shades of red, pink, white, and crimson. Its vibrant tassels dangle like living ornaments, making it a favorite for tropical gardens, patios, and sunrooms.
  • 🔥 Tough and salt-tolerant, it even thrives near the coast. Give it bright light, occasional trims, and enjoy a non-stop floral display -with no sneezing required!


🛒 Bring home the allergy-free cat tail

#Trees #Container_Garden

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