Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 28 Sep 2024

What is Barbados Gooseberry?

Perescia aculeata - Barbados Gooseberry, flowers

Perescia aculeata - Barbados Gooseberry, flowers

Perescia aculeata - Barbados Gooseberry

Perescia aculeata - Barbados Gooseberry

Perescia aculeata - Barbados Gooseberry, fruit

Perescia aculeata - Barbados Gooseberry, fruit

What is Barbados Gooseberry?



Perescia aculeata - Barbados Gooseberry, is a very interesting, unusual addition for any self-sustaining landscape due to its fast-growing nature and unique combination of cactus and leafy vine, with beautiful flowers and showy edible fruit.

Low-maintenance plant, it is perfect for covering walls or fences, adds greenery and a productive food source, making it both practical and visually appealing.
  • A unique cactus with real leaves, unlike most cacti. Needs very little water.
  • Fast-growing vine that can cover fences or walls quickly.
  • When in bloom, the vine is covered with beautiful white flowers, followed by bright orange, edible, tangy fruits.
  • Great for adding greenery and a food source to your garden.


🛒 Plant Barbados Gooseberry

#Food_Forest #Hedges_with_benefits

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Date: 13 Oct 2024

What is the prettiest flower for shade?

Spathoglottis Tropical Punch - Sorbet Ground Orchid

⚜️ What is the prettiest flower for shade?

❗️ Ground orchids grow in regular garden soil instead of in the air on tree branches, come in many colors and shapes, bloom in sun or shade and are very easy to grow!

🎥 Spathoglottis Tropical Punch - Sorbet Ground Orchid

📚 Learn more from previous posts:



📱 Watch YouTube video: Ground Orchids

🛒 Order Ground Orchids

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

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Date: 6 Oct 2024

Why is it called Kings Mantle

King's Mantle - Thunbergia erecta

Why is it called King's Mantle

  • ✨ Looking for a hedge that blooms non-stop, even in the shade? King's Mantle - Thunbergia erecta - is ever-blooming superstar is the perfect flowering bush or hedge for those tricky shady spots in your garden.
  • ✨ Unlike its climbing cousins, this Thunbergia prefers to sprawl as a shrub, making it easier to manage.
  • ✨ With its fast-growing, bushy habit, it's ideal for mixed beds or creating a medium-to-low hedge that stays dense and beautiful year-round.
  • ✨ The flowers? Think of morning glories, with stunning purple or white petals and sunny yellow throats. And if you're feeling adventurous, try the 'Lavender Ice' variety with royal, lavender-variegated flowers for a unique twist. The name King's Mantle is well-deserved!
  • ✨Not just a pretty face, King’s Mantle also boasts small, dark green leaves that make the flowers pop even more.
  • ✨ It's a pruning enthusiast's dream - cut it back, and it'll reward you with even more blooms!
  • ✨ Whether you plant it in sun or partial shade, King's Mantle will thrive in well-drained soil, delivering a burst of color all year long.


📚 Learn more from previous post:


Perfect everblooming hedge for shade

🛒 Shop King's Mantle

#Hedges_with_benefits

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Date: 23 Oct 2024

How a fast-growing screen becomes a honey-fragrant wildlife attractor

Acacia farnesiana - Sweet Mimosa

Acacia farnesiana - Sweet Mimosa

😊 How a fast-growing screen becomes a honey-fragrant wildlife attractor

  • 🐝 Acacia farnesiana - Sweet Mimosa - is a delightful evergreen shrub that's as tough as it is charming!
  • 🐝 This large, multi-stem shrub can reach 15 feet tall and wide and sports thorny branches - a real character with a wild streak! But don't let the thorns scare you off; it offers rewards aplenty.
  • 🐝 Its canary-yellow, powder-puff flowers bloom all winter through spring, filling the air with a honey-like fragrance that attracts butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
  • 🐝 This plant doesn't just survive - it thrives in poor soils, tolerates drought and alkaline conditions, and grows incredibly fast!
  • 🐝 Whether you're planting it as a privacy screen or just looking for a pop of cheerful color during chilly months, this hardy shrub keeps its evergreen leaves even through cold snaps when other plants throw in the towel.
  • 🐝 Native to Mexico and Central America, Sweet Mimosa has spread its charm far and wide, becoming popular in southern U.S. landscapes like Florida, Texas, and Arizona. It even finds use in perfume production with its flowers contributing to the fragrance known as "cassie" in Europe.
  • 🐝 Every gardener should have this resilient plant ready to brighten the garden and attract wildlife year-round!


🛒 Plant Sweet Mimosa

#Butterfly_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits

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Date: 21 Oct 2024

What is camphor made of?

Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora)

Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora)

🟢 What is camphor made of?

  • 🌱 Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) - is your aromatic ally in the garden!
  • 🌱 This charming relative of the cinnamon tree is known for its glossy oval leaves that can grow up to 5 inches long.
  • 🌱 Not only does it boast a lovely canopy, but it’s also the source of camphor, a fragrant compound used in medicines and mothballs.
  • 🌱 The leaves and branches can be used to create aromatic saunas and medicinal baths, filling your space with a soothing scent.
  • 🌱 This cold-hardy, slow-growing tree is tough enough to withstand various conditions while developing a dense canopy that provides excellent shade.
  • 🌱 Camphor Tree is a delightful addition that brings a touch of nature's fragrance to your home. While it's little known among gardeners, this underappreciated gem deserves a spot in every landscape for its unique qualities and benefits!


🛒 Plant your own Camphor tree

#Nature_Wonders #Perfume_Plants #Trees

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