Father's Day Belongs in the Garden

Some gifts are forgotten by next month.

A plant is different.

A fruit tree planted today may provide fruit for decades. A flowering tree may bloom every spring long after the holiday is over. The best gardens aren't built in a single afternoon - they're built one season at a time, one generation at a time.

This Father's Day weekend, come spend the day the way it was meant to be spent: outdoors, unhurried, surrounded by growing things.

Top Tropicals is hosting our Summer Solstice Plant Market, and this is one of the best times of the year to visit the nursery. The longest days of summer bring out the flowers, the fragrance, and the fruit. Thousands of plants at their peak, in the kind of Florida light that makes everything look like it belongs on a postcard.

You'll find rare fruit trees, flowering trees, fragrant plants, and collector varieties rarely available elsewhere. There will be event specials, raffle prizes, free plants with qualifying purchases, tropical music, and cold drinks. And somewhere in the shade, King, Snitch, and the rest of the PeopleCats will be doing what they always do - making themselves at home and pretending to supervise.

But the real reason to come isn't the event. It's the reminder.

Whether you're planting your first fruit tree or adding one more chapter to a garden that's been growing for years, Father's Day is a good day to remember what we're really building. Not just a yard. Something that keeps giving long after the I love you, Dad card is forgotten.

Plant something today.

Every garden is a promise to the future.

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Variegated Shell Ginger - Alpinia zerumbet

By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist

Q: I live in Deltona, Florida and hoping to find spreading ginger with interesting foliage to grow in a partially shaded area in my garden under a group of trees. Any suggestions?

A: Variegated ginger Alpinia zerumbet variegata is a clumping ginger valued for its beautiful variegated foliage. The dark, green leaves have striking yellow stripes. This ginger is sought-after, not only for the stunning foliage but also for its beautiful flowers. The flowers are different from other members of the ginger family and appear in drooping racemes from the ends of leafy stems rather than directly from the rhizomes. This ginger is also commonly known as Shell Ginger because the flowers resemble seashells! They are pink-tinged, fragrant and appear in summer. This evergreen perennial grows in upright clumps 3-5 feet tall. You may prune the plant to control size.
It does not tolerate drought or a hard freeze but can take a few hours or light frost (goes dormant in such case). In colder areas, rhizomes should be dug up and stored in a cool room during winter.
This ginger will love a shaded corner in your garden. Plant it in organically rich, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and spread a thick layer of organic mulch around the plant for moisture retention. There are no serious insect or disease problems to worry about!
This ginger can be also be grown as a house plant as long as it has bright light and humid conditions. It will grow to around 3-4 feet tall as a houseplant.

Recommended fertilizers:

Broad Leaf Plus - Ginger-Heliconia-Banana Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster

Limited time special offer:
Instant $5 off Variegated Ginger - Alpinia zerumbet

Breathtaking Queen's Wreath

By Onika Amell, tropical flower specialist

Q: I've just moved from Virginia to Sarasota, Florida. I'm looking for a vine similar to Wisteria to grow in my new garden. I've so enjoyed my Wisteria vine and I'm hoping to find something equally spectacular for my FL garden. Truth is, I'm getting older and won't be able to keep up with the hard-core maintenance Wisteria needs to keep it in under control. Is there a similar vine you can recommend that is just as showstopping as Wisteria?

A: The vine that immediately comes to mind is Petrea Volubilis or Queens wreath. It looks similar to Wisteria, and though a fast and strong climber, it's not invasive or destructive at all. An occasional pruning is all it will need to maintain it. Much like Wisteria it gives a glorious show of flowers when spring arrives. Masses of long, mauve flowers will continue to appear on and off in summer with another burst of flowers in the fall. Flowers are up to a foot in length!
Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies will all be impressed with you for growing this charmer.
Snip off the gorgeous flowers, put them in shallow bowls of water around your home and be the envy of all your friends and house guests!
This vine prefers the warmth of Zone 10 to thrive, but it will survive in areas of Zone 9B when it borders zone 10A, especially if it's placed in a protected area. It grows best in full sun but will tolerate part shade. It's great for coastal gardens and once established, it has good drought tolerance, medium salt tolerance, and good wind tolerance. It has no major pest problems, which is always a bonus.
Grow and shape it as you like: a large bush, a small tree or a breathtaking espalier. Some people plant Petrea vine by a tree to create that much sought-after ethereal wisteria effect. This is no doubt a very charming vine and a must-have for those who are in love with Wisteria but scared of its vigorous growth and ongoing maintenance.
For Wisteria lovers we also recommend its spectacular tropical relative Millettia reticulata - Evergreen Wisteria.