Date: 17 Mar 2021
Golden Loquat - the symbol of Prosperity
by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
...The Loquat is a wonderful tree, ideally suited to small gardens
thanks to its compact growth habit. The plant is very fast growing, drought
tolarant, and cold-tolerant to mild frost. It is an ideal fruit tree for the
beginner...
...The flavor is a mixture of peach, citrus and a mild mango...
...In China, the Loquat because of its golden color, represents gold and wealth. It is often one in a bowl or composite of fruits and
vegetables to represent auspicious wishes or the "Five Prosperities" or
wurui...
CONTINUE READING >>
Chinese believe that planting a Golden Loquat Tree will bring you prosperity and wealth. Growing a Loquat is like growing your own Money tree!
Date: 4 Feb 2021
2021: White Cow with a Golden Udder... not an Ox!
by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
In China, the zodiac system calculations are quite complicated... Learn
the science of the Chinese horoscope and find out why the symbol of Year 2021
is actually the Metal Cow - not an Ox!..
...See what lucky flowers this year brings you and meet the most bizarre
plant - Nipple Fruit, or Cow's udder!..
CONTINUE READING >>
Date: 22 Dec 2020
The Blue Tea Remedy from the Magic Clitoria
By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
Butterfly-pea flower tea commonly known as Blue Tea is a caffeine-free herbal tea, or tisane, a beverage made from a decoction or infusion of the flower of the Clitoria plant. There are not many who know about the benefits of blue tea. For centuries the butterfly-pea flower tea was only known in South East Asia... The bright blue petals from the flowers of the butterfly-pea plant have been used as an ingredient in herbal tea drinks throughout the region for centuries as well as used in cooking...
CONTINUE READING >>
Date: 15 Dec 2020
Plant of the Month:
Fragrant Dombeya Tree
Every tropical gardener wants to have a Dombeya (a.k.a. Tropical Hydrangea) in their collection - an easy to
grow, fast growing winter bloomer. These plants don't require any special care,
thrive in neglect in both sun or shade, and flower profusely during
Fall-Winter months - what an awesome treat! Dombeyas are also wanted for their
vigorous growth habit - they can cover unwanted view in no time, fill and empty
corner in your yard, create a colorful tropical display, and attract lots of
butterflies and bees. They are not afraid of water logging, in fact the more you
water them, the faster they grow. The large tropical leaves are beautiful -
soft, fuzzy, with shallow, maple-like lobes. This plant is tolerant to both
light frost and periods of drought.
Most Dombeyas grow into round, dense bushes, but this one variety of is
very special. Dombeya burgessiae from South Africa actually grows into a small (10-15
ft), pretty, upright tree that is covered with beautiful blossoms during
winter. The flowers are creme color with raspberry centers, attracting lots of
pollinators, and what is the most special - they are sweetly fragrant! What a
beauty!
Surround yourself with aromatic cloud of Dombeya winter blooms!
Date: 29 Sep 2020
Shipping Tropical Plants Worldwide
Q: We are very interested in introducing frost-hardy avocado varieties into Switzerland. We would really, really like to have our own avocados in our garden. And we believe that the plants have a large sales market here. Do you see a way to send some plants to Switzerland? Which varieties would you recommend, which are the cold-hardiest?
A: Yes, we do ship plants all over the world, including Europe. For basic information on international shipping, please refer to these guidelines. Shipping plants internationally is a bit complex procedure, however we have over 17 years experience with that and you came to the right place. For a quote on shipping cost and to make sure you get all the necessary paperwork, contact our international department direct number 239-771-8082 or email us .
Regarding your questions about Avocado varieties:
First, please take a look at Cold hardy Avocado varieties guide pdf file. The most cold hardy
varieties like Brazos Belle, Fantastic, Joey, Lila, Poncho, Winter Mexican - can
take short period of light freeze as long as they well established. This means,
for the first year or two you need to protect them from freeze. Keep in mind
that if you have hard freeze every night for several weeks, then even
cold-hardy Avocados must be grown with cold protection. It is possible to do by
creating a greenhouse/conservatory around plants in the ground, see example from one of our customers in Virginia. Even better - grow them
in large pots. This way plants will be easier to handle and move around as
needed. See the photo above of avocado production in pots.
