The Best Pineapples

Q: What varieties of the Pineapple are the best for planting in Florida? When do they fruit? I have a small yard, with a room for one or two, but can I keep more in pots? I am excited to grow my own pineapples!

A: Pineapple is truly the King of fruits! One of the most delicious fruits in the world. They start flowering from January to March in Florida and yes, they happily grow in the ground as well as in pots. Heaviest fruiting is in Summer (May to September), and some staggered throughout the year.
Be careful with watering, keep in mind that like any bromeliad, Pineapple needs very little water and needs the soil to get dry between waterings. Use only acidic soil and acidic plant food.
Make sure to feed these plants on regular basis, especially if grown in pots. Pineapples are heavy feeders but are also very sensitive like all bromeliads, so be careful with traditional fertilizers, do not exceed recommended dosage. It is safe to use liquid amino-acod-based Sunshine Boosters Ananas fertilizer year round.

The mot popular pineapple varieties for home growers are:
Elite Gold
Royal Hawaiian - Royale
Sugar Loaf

Plant of the Month: Golden Dewdrop - Duranta erecta

Stevie's Pick: what's in bloom?

Duranta - Golden Dewdrop - is simply stunning with cascading flowers in abundance. Either it has lavender, blue, or solid white flowers, it is a sight to behold. The popular name Golden Dewdrop is inspired by the clusters of bright orange-yellow berries that follow the flowers, in such quantities that they often cause the slender branches to droop gracefully.
Duranta erecta blooms off and on all year and can be pruned to size as a bush or a standard tree. If let go, it can grow up to 20 feet tall and wide.
Durantas are excellent butterfly and hummingbird attractors. They will complement your tropical garden or a stand alone in your Southern landscape. Great for providing a color contrast in the landscape, they are especially well-suited as a bright-colored background or screening.
White Golden Dewdrop has pure white flowers that appear in loose clusters, and both berries and blossoms are often seen on a plant. This evergreen fast growing shrub spreads and arches to 10 feet tall and wide and is great for live hedges and covering fences and corners.
Variegated variety, also called Variegated Sky Flower, is grown for its summer flowers, and very showy leaves that are dark green with bright white variegation and creamy-yellow margins around the one inch long serrated leaves.. In the summer, cascading clusters of blue tubular flowers appear followed by wonderfully contrasting orange-yellow berries.
In mild climates, Durantas can be in flower nearly year round with flowers and fruit appearing at the same time. It does best in full sun with frequent deep watering and is pretty hardy, to about 20-25F. It is a good choice for espaliers, as a small tree or large bush; all forms benefit from frequent selective pruning. Prune back in late-winter to encourage a more compact shape and strong flush of fresh spring foliage. Requires moderate watering in a well-drained soil.

Plant of the Month: Tecomaria capensis Apricot

Stevie's Pick: what's in bloom?

Summer is in full bloom and everyone is wanting dirt under there nails after being quarantined for two months! Enjoy warm tropical breezes with Apricot flowers of this showy African Tecomaria in your garden.
Tecomas and Tecomarias make a wonderful splash of color in any garden, and apricot is no exception. Tecomaria Apricot has pretty unusual color of flowers, ranging from bright apricot color to light-salmon. Ever blooming in warmer climates, it can grow 3-4 feet high and a whopping 4-5 feet wide. In addition to its beautiful flowers, this plant has many medicinal benefits. An easy fast growing addition to any landscape, it is a great hummingbird and butterfly attractor. It is pretty cold hardy and can tolerate light frost which is a great benefit for gardeners living in subtropical climates with cooler winters.

Nature's pharmacy: Star Anise or Tamiflu will beat the flu?

by Onika Amell, tropical plant expert

Star Anise - Illicium verum - gets its name from the star shaped fruit... with many culinary uses. So many international dishes get their unique flavor from this wonderful spice. Any lovers of wonderful Vietnamese noodle soup "Pho" out there? Did you know that beautiful, aromatic spiciness in the broth derives from this very plant? In fact, it is the signature flavor of Pho!

Not only does this spice shine in the kitchen, but it has amazing health benefits. It contains shikimic acid, which is a vital component of the influenza-fighting drug Tamiflu! It boasts with antioxidants and vitamin A and C, which help to fight free radicals responsible for premature aging and diabetes. The oil derived from this plant contains thymol, terpineol and anethole, which is used to treat cough and flu. In addition, drinking Star Anise tea will help digestive issues such as bloating, gas, indigestion, constipation and nausea. It is one of the main ingredients of Masala Chai...

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Back to Earth Check List

1. Stay calm. Remember, it's not the problem that creates the biggest problem; it is our reaction to it.
2. Focus on positive. Do not dwell on things you can't change. The Universe will unfold as it should, and your happy thoughts will provide the guidance.
3. Get connected with the Nature. It has all the answers. Go outside and see the Sun, the Sky. Now it is finally the time to smell the flowers.
4. Bring simple good things in your every day life. Like a simple food recipe, or a good movie with a happy end.
5. Connect with friends and talk only about nice things (remember 2)
6. Start a vegetable and fruit garden. Begin your sustainability with herbs at the end of this email. We will help you step by step in our next letter.
7. Go to bed with happy thoughts. Together, we will make it.