The Milkweed and the Monarch, how to
raise your own
by Ed Jones, the Booster Guy
...How to attract butterflies in your garden? What plants do butterflies
love? How to grow those plants when butterfly larvae keep eating them?...
Many gardeners ask these questions and butterfly attracting plants always
have been very popular. But did you know that you could actually turn your
garden into a little butterfly farm?...
Find out from Ed and Juvonda's butterfly mini-farm experience!
CONTINUE READING >
Black and White Bat Lilies (Tacca chantrieri and Tacca
nivea) side by side in bloom
How to Care for Bat Lilies
by Top Tropicals
Plant Expert Tatiana Anderson
🌞 Light
Bright, filtered light. Morning sun or dappled shade is perfect.
Avoid direct midday sun outdoors — it can scorch the leaves.
Indoors, place near a bright window with sheer curtains or use a grow
light.
🌡️ Temperature
Warm and stable, ideally 70-85 F during the day.
Protect from cold drafts or sudden chills.
Ideally, do not let temperature drop below 45 F, although Taccas can
tolerate short period of upper 30's.
💧 Watering
Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy.
Water when the top inch feels barely dry.
Use lukewarm water.
Avoid letting the pot sit in water.
💨 Humidity
High humidity (60-80%) is key.
Mist leaves often, use a humidity tray, or keep near a humidifier.
In greenhouses or bathrooms with a skylight, it thrives naturally.
🌱 Soil
Use rich, loose, well-draining mix
Combine bark, peat, and perlite for ideal airflow around the roots.
Best mix for growing tropical Tacca in pots - soilless potting mix Abundance
. It provides perfect drainage and has a texture similar to a jungle
rainforest media.
🍽️ Feeding
During growth season (Spring through Fall), feed with Green
Magic controlled release fertilizer every 6 months. For even
better results, you may apply liquid fertilizer Sunshine
Boosters Rubusta.
Stop feeding dry fertilizer in cooler months when growth slows. Liquid
Sunshine Boosters are safe to use with every watering, year around.
🏡 Indoor Growing
Great for bright bathrooms, sunrooms, or any warm, humid corner.
Rotate pot occasionally for even growth.
Keep away from heating vents and AC drafts.
🌴 Outdoor Growing (in warm climates)
Partial shade or filtered light under trees.
Excellent in large containers that can be brought inside for
winter.
Shelter from heavy rain and wind.
Sunshine: "So… it’s a diva?"
Smokey: "Exactly. But take care of it - and it rewards you with wings!"
Smokey and Sunshine: "Happy Halloween!"
🌸 Orchid Tree - Bauhinia: Winter Blooms &
Year-Round Beauty
Bauhinia blakeana, Bauhinia variegata var. candida, and
Bauhinia monandra – Orchid Trees in Bloom
Sometimes a plant stops you midwalk. Flowers so bright they almost glow,
leaves shaped like butterflies — that’s a Bauhinia, the Orchid Tree. These fast growers bring color when many
gardens are quiet, with some blooming in the heart of winter.
🌟 Why Grow
Bauhinia?
Exotic blooms in colors from white to deep magenta
Distinctive leaves — nature’s own butterfly design
Many varieties flower in the cooler season
Fast growth, easy shaping, more blooms after pruning
Varieties for large yards, small gardens, and sunny patios
Tolerant of heat, drought, and poor soils
Bauhinia Care Tips
🌞 Outdoor
Full sun for best flowering, well-draining soil, deep
watering once established. Light pruning after bloom keeps shape and encourages
more flowers. Protect young plants from frost. During the growing season
(Spring - Fall), apply a balanced fertilizer - like top-dress slow release fertilizer or controlled-release Green Magic. Liquid fertilizer Sunshine Boosters Megaflor can be used year around - to promote
vigorous growth and abundant blooms.
🏡 Indoor / Patio
Bright sun (south window or outdoors in warm months), large
pot with drainage, even moisture during growth, and a bloom-booster feed in
season. Feed regularly with a balanced fertilizer controlled-release Green Magic. Liquid fertilizer Sunshine Boosters Megaflor can be used year around - to promote
vigorous growth and abundant blooms. Bring indoors before frost.
🍂 Seasonal Note – Bauhinias are
Deciduous
Bauhinias drop their leaves in winter — even in warm
climates. This is normal and part of their rest cycle. Bare branches in the
cool season will leaf out again in spring, often just as flowers begin.
9 tropical vegetables to grow indoors, or how to have garden-fresh produce all year
9 tropical vegetables to grow indoors
🌱 9 tropical vegetables to grow indoors, or how to have garden-fresh produce all year
Cold weather does not have to mean the end of homegrown food. According to Southern Living, vegetables like lettuce, carrots, and radishes can be grown indoors during winter. The downside is that most of these are annuals - you harvest once, then start over.
Tropical vegetables work differently. Many are perennial, long-living plants that grow well in containers and keep producing for years. Grow them indoors year-round, move them outside in summer for extra sun and growth, then bring them back indoors before cold weather. With enough light and regular care, these plants can provide fresh harvests in every season.
✅ Tips for growing tropical vegetables indoors
📍Place plants near a bright window or supplement with grow lights for steady growth
📍Use containers with good drainage and quality potting mix
📍Keep plants away from cold drafts and heating vents
📍Rotate pots and prune regularly to encourage fresh, tender growth
📍Feed regularly with natural Sunshine Boosters - they are formulated for edibles
✅ Tropical vegetables to grow indoors
🌿 Gynura procubens - Longevity Spinach, Cholesterol spinach - a fast-growing leafy green often called a superfood. The tender leaves are used fresh or lightly cooked and can be harvested repeatedly. This plant stays compact, handles containers easily, and regrows quickly after cutting.
🌿 Sauropus androgynus - Katuk, Tropical Asparagus. One of Southeast Asia’s most popular leafy vegetables. Katuk produces edible shoots and leaves that are cooked in soups and stews. It grows well indoors and rewards regular harvesting with constant new growth.
🌿 Cymbopogon citratus - Lemon grass: a tough, productive plant that adapts well to container growing. The stalks and leaves are used for teas, soups, and flavoring. Indoors, it grows more slowly but stays productive, especially when moved outdoors in summer.
🌿 Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf: a low-growing herb with naturally sweet leaves. The foliage can be eaten fresh or used as a sugar substitute in teas and desserts. It stays compact, tolerates pruning, and performs well in pots indoors.
🌿 Piper sarmentosum - Vietnamese Pepper, Lalot: grown for its aromatic, edible leaves rather than peppercorns. The leaves are eaten fresh, cooked, or used as food wraps. This plant stays manageable indoors with light pruning.
🌿Piper nigrum - Black Pepper: the true black pepper vine. Grows well indoors as a container vine with support. It prefers warm temperatures, steady moisture, and bright filtered light.
🌿 Piper auritum - Root Beer Plant, False Kava-Kava: close relative of Piper methysticum (Kava-Kava) known for its large, fragrant leaves with a spicy, root beer-like aroma. The leaves are used for wrapping foods and flavoring dishes. Best grown indoors with room for its bold foliage.
🌿 Piper betle - Betel leaf: a traditional edible and medicinal leaf used widely in Asia. The glossy leaves are harvested continuously and used fresh or as wraps. This vine grows well indoors with warmth, humidity, and a small trellis.
🌿Piper longum - Indian Long Pepper, Pippali, Bengal Pepper: A tropical pepper relative grown for its elongated spice fruits and edible leaves. Slower to fruit indoors but easy to maintain as a leafy spice plant in containers with bright light and regular feeding.
Tropical vegetables make indoor gardening more rewarding because they do not stop after one harvest. With containers, light, and basic care, these plants can become long-term food producers that move seamlessly between indoors and outdoors - keeping fresh flavors within reach all year.
13 festive shrubs with bright flowers that bring color to your Winter Garden when everything else is dormant
13 festive shrubs for Winter Garden
💐 13 festive shrubs with bright flowers that bring color to your Winter Garden when everything else is dormant
Southern Living points to colorful berries as winter garden standbys. Tropical plants take it a step further, filling the cool season with real flowers, not just fruit. From vivid reds to electric blues, these plants prove winter does not have to be dull.
🌈 1. Gloxinia sylvatica - Bolivian Sunset
This plant waits for cool weather, then suddenly lights up the shade with fire-red blooms. Flowers appear almost overnight and continue through fall and winter. It rests in summer, returns in fall, spreads gently, and makes an easy, festive ground cover that is perfect for sharing.
An unusual vine that surprises in cool weather with delicate, star-shaped blooms followed by tasty fruit. It flowers steadily from fall through winter, adding light, airy color to fences and trellises when most vines are quiet.
Best known for its garlicky scent, this vine really shines in winter. Cooler temperatures bring clusters of lavender-purple flowers that brighten fences and trellises with very little effort.
Large pink pompom blooms hang from bare branches in winter, creating a true holiday look. Lightly fragrant and impossible to miss, it brings hydrangea-style drama to the cool season.
Compact and cheerful, this shrub opens purple flowers that fade to lavender and white. The color shift makes it look like several plants blooming at once, perfect for pots or small garden spaces.
Long, cascading sprays of white flowers of Clerodendrum minahassae - fountain clerodendrum - spill from the plant during the cooler months. It brightens shaded areas and adds movement when the garden slows down. Most clerodendrums bloom through Winter!
Soft, fuzzy purple blooms cover this shrub in winter, backed by velvety leaves that look good year-round. It adds strong color and texture during the cool season.
Bright red, orange or yellow, hat-shaped bracts surround small flowers and hold their color through the cool months. The shape alone makes this shrub a standout in winter.
This tough shrub blooms heavily in winter with rich purple flowers. It delivers dependable color when many plants take a break. There is a golden variety too!
In winter, this woody vine erupts into cascading sprays of lavender star-shaped flowers. It creates a wisteria-like effect right when the garden needs it most.
🌈 12. Tabebuia varieties - dwarf golden and dwarf pink
These trees save their show for winter, blooming on bare branches. Golden forms glow yellow, while pink varieties cover themselves in soft trumpet-shaped flowers.
🌈 13. Bauhinia trees - pink butterfly and Hong Kong orchid trees
Butterfly-shaped blooms open on leafless branches, giving bauhinias their signature winter elegance. The Hong Kong orchid tree stands out with especially large, vivid flowers.
How to Care for Bat Lilies
