Date: 22 Jan 2023
1-22-2023: New Lunar Year
Customer message: Happy new year! My family is Chinese and we celebrate the lunar new year this weekend… the year of the rabbit. Wasn't sure if this email was sent in error (maybe your founder is Vietnamese? I think they celebrate the year of the cat...
Answer: You are right, it is a Year of the Rabbit in Chinese calendar, and it is also a Year of the Cat in Vietnamese, both starting from January 22nd, 2023. While in Chinese culture it is called a Year of the Rabbit, the Cat was seen as more relevant to the daily lives of Vietnamese farmers, who valued the cat's ability to protect their crops from rats, squirrels... Here at Top Tropicals we have a multi-national team, and although we don't have a Vietnamese person yet, but we have lots of cats - all kinds!
Happy New Year of the two furry friends:
RABBIT and CAT!
Flowers in the photo above: Clerodendrum philippinum - Cashmere Bouquet, Scent Malli. Very fragrant off-white flowers, carnation-like, coming in big clusters. Shade tolerant shrub, great for shade gardens as well as indoor culture to enjoy tropical fragrance year around.
Date: 9 Mar 2022
The brightest lives of Sunflowers
"...Despite knowing they won't be here for long, they still choose to live their brightest lives - sunflowers..."
- Rupi Kaur -
Photo above: Ukrainian Sunflowers. This photo was sent to us today from Ukraine by Alex & Lena, and Oksana (daughter of our Catalog Editor Marina Rybka
Date: 4 Dec 2021
Sunday Breakfast with Peanut Butter and Blackberry Jam...
It's time for our favorite day and another Easy stroll through Top Tropicals' Garden with savings of 50% and MORE! What a wonderful way to start the day.
Speaking of wonderful, is there any memory as wonderful as a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich from back in the day?! PB&J's, a true Classic, easy,
savory and delicious and a universal favorite... And for a truly Top Tropicals
variation of the Classic sandwich, have we got something special for
you...
Bunchosia argentea and Randia Formosa. OK, we admit it may not roll off the
tongue quite as easily as PB&J, but your tongue and taste buds will be
thankful for the delicious flavors of the Peanut Butter Fruit Tree - Bunchosia argentea, and Blackberry Jam Fruit - Randia formosa.
Combine the rich and creamy delicious Peanut Butter with the not too sweet and fresh pulp of the Blackberry Jam Fruit and you have a unique and tasty combination destined to be a classic of its own while making your garden look even more beautiful!
Saving on your favorite plants is Easy.
Easy like Sunday Morning...
For this Easy Sunday we have priced these at incredible savings:
The Peanut Butter Tree, regularly $49, is on Easy Sunday sale for
only $24
The Blackberry Jam, regularly $39, is on Easy Sunday Sale for
only $19
Classic Combination
Combine the two for your own Classic Combination and save even more, instead of full price $88, it's only only $39 for the set!
Blackberry Jam Fruit
Randia formosa - Blackberry jam fruit, Jasmin de Rosa - fragrant white flowers of this Gardenia relative and edible fruit that tastes like blackberry jam... Kids love the fruit! Many claim that it's even better than preserves. This exotic shrub will fruit in a container within a year and produces as many as 25 to 30 fruits at a time. It is relatively cold hardy, blooms for a few months in the fall and winter, so fruiting and flowering can be enjoyed when many other plants are dormant.
Picture of 2 y.o. plant full of fragrant flowers, ready to set fruit:
Peanut Butter Tree
Bunchosia argentea - Peanut Butter Tree.
One of the most fascinating exotic fruit, as amazing as Miracle fruit,
Peanut Butter Fruit is loved by both kids and adults. Yes, it tastes exactly like
peanut butter! Sweet, soft pulp with peanut flavor. The tree is small in
size, grows 10-15 ft max, or can be kept as a bush. Starts fruiting within 2-3
years from seed! Keep it in a pot if you have limited space, it can be grown
indoors, too. The fruit can be eaten fresh or made into milk shakes. Very rare
in cultivation, and relatively cold hardy.
Picture of 2 y.o. tree full of fruit:
Date: 5 May 2021
NEW: Top Tropicals B-Farm
Our new grow farm in Sebring, FL
Since the demand in rare tropical plants increased dramatically, we had
to extend our nursery so we can satisfy all our customers' plant needs. So we
started a new grow farm!
Our new, second location: Top Tropicals B-Farm in Sebring, FL (Highlands
County), is still under construction, but we already grow a huge selection of
rare flowering and fruiting plants for you. And of course Mr B is the supervisor of his own B-Farm!
Those who live in Central Florida, are welcomed to pick up their orders
from B-Farm, save on shipping cost, and eliminate shipping stress for your
plants. Please contact our Customer Service to make an appointment for picking up your order in
Sebring. At B-Farm, our office is still under construction so we do not have
regular hours open for public yet. For now, please shop online and you may pick
up your plants either from our Ft Myers Garden Center, or from B-Farm in Sebring.
Please note: Due to 2 locations, some plants may or may not be
available at one of the locations, please verify over the phone first, before
planning your pick up trip!
Date: 1 Feb 2021
The Secret of Longevity
finally revealed!
"...Time spent in the garden doesn't count against your lifespan..."
Want to live longer? Surround yourself with plants
If you want to live longer, live around green space. The Barcelona
Institute for Global Health found that for every 10% increase in vegetation that's
within 1,600 feet of your home, your probability of death drops by 4%.
LEARN MORE >>
Why gardening could help you live longer:
1. It gets you into Nature.
2. It's good exercise.
3. You'll eat what you grow.
4. It exercises your mind, while also relieving stress.
LEARN MORE >>
Gardening helps you live to 100
Many of the world's centenarians share one common hobby: gardening. Could you extend your life and drop your stress by taking up the pursuit, too? People living in these so-called "blue zones" have certain factors in common - with daily exercise habits and a plant-based diet, for starters. But they share another unexpected commonality. People are gardening well into old age - their 80s, 90s and beyond. Could nurturing your green thumb help you live to 100? Let nature nurture you!
LEARN MORE >>
The healthiest people in the world don't go to the gym.
Moving naturally throughout the day might sound pleasant and romantic,
but the reality is that 100 years ago only 10% of us had sedentary jobs,
whereas today it's 90%. However, there are still easy ways to add more movement into your busy lifestyle. The research also showed that walking even as little as two hours per week could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer, and help you live longer.
What work out can be better than Gardening? Fresh air, lots of exercise, yet fun and rewarding!
See also: Forget the gym and get to gardening.
In the photo: The Father of American Tropical Fruit Horticulture Bill Whitman, age 92, is presenting his book Five decades with tropical fruit to Top Tropicals after giving a tour