Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 12 Jul 2020

PeopleCats of the World. Cat of The Day: Sir Nicolas from Sankt Gilgen

We continue inviting PeopleCats of the World to our Blog. Today's story is about very Important Purrrson, director of a Hotel - Sir Nicolas, a Royal Tuxedo Cat.
Sir Nicolas in managing Kendler Hotel located in Sankt Gilgen, Austria. He was interviewed by our columnist and editor Alex Butova - a big time traveler whose first writer's priorities during every trip are - botanical gardens and cats.
Sir Nicolas's lakefront Kendler Hotel located by the beautiful mountain Zwolferhorn. Accoring to what Sir Nicolas told Alex, besides beauties of the Alps, his city is famous with the fact that Mozart's mother was born here. But the most important feature that Sir Nicolas appreciates here is a small butcher's shop which is actually a part of the hotel's property. Sir Nicolas and Alex spent good hour chatting about life, people, and nature. He showed her his business card - a leather collar with his full name, job position (hotel manager), address, and a phone number. He added (off the record) that he also owns (as a silent partner) the Guest House, the Club Restaurant, the Brewery, and - most definitely - the Butcher's shop. He says hi to TopTropicals cats and all the cat-and-plant lovers!

In the photo: Sir Nicolas and Alex

TopTropicals PeopleCat Club and Zoo

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Date: 21 Feb 2020

Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Itembi - the Brave African Cat

by Onika Amell

"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats".
Colonial American Proverb

This is a story of a Cat traveling across the World...
...I found Itembi, a tiny Calico kitten, in 2015 while I was hiking in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve while visiting Cape Town in my mother country South Africa. The little kitty appeared out of nowhere, sitting in the middle of the dusty path I was walking. It took me by surprise to see a kitty there, as I was in the middle of the boonies, with no sign of life for many miles around. She was skin and bones. My heart broke for the kitty. She was sad-eyed and so incredibly frail. I went down on my hands and knees and extended my hand. To my surprise she came over to me immediately and nestled her head into my palm, purring and purring. It was love at first sight. There was nothing else to do but to scoop her up and carry her back to my jeep to take her home with me...

CONTINUE READING >>

Check out Video: and more Cat of the Day stories.

Date: 24 Aug 2019

Growing a Plumeria Tree

Q: I have a graft plumeria that is growing sideways. The leaves seem to be growing upside down. I tied it up with yarn and a bamboo stick last night. Will it grow strong enough to support itself without stakes or should I just let nature take its course and take the yarn and stake away?

A: You should definitely help the tree and keep the stick. The tree will eventually straighten out. It will have a strong trunk and you will be able to remove the supports.

Make sure to feed the Plumeria tree to provide enough energy for fast growth and strong trunk:
Plumeria Top Dress - Smart-Release Booster.

Check out all Plumerias from our store, they are 15% OFF today!

Date: 19 Jul 2019

How to grow Soursop in a pot

Q: Is it possible to grow soursop in a large pot for life?

A: Soursop, or Guanabana - Annona muricata - is actually one of those tropicals fruit trees that can be easily cultivated in a container. Most plants of genus Annona have compact nature, and these fruit trees usually start production at a young age, as early as 3 years from seed. Annona muricata seedlings take a little longer to fruit, this is why we offer grafted trees, which can start producing right away.
We have a very interesting article about growing Soursop in an apartment. The article was written by an indoor gardener who lives in a very small apartment in Moscow, Russia. He grew this tree from seed and after years of cultivation fun, he finally got several large delicious fruit! It is an amazing story. We have it published in our Tropical Treasures magazine, download the whole issue #7, get a hard copy, or you may download PDF file of the single article.

Recommended fertilizers and supplements:

Fruit Festival Plant Food - Super Crop Booster
Mango-Food - Smart Release Fruit Tree Booster
SUNSHINE-Honey - sugar booster

Date: 13 Jun 2019

Millingtonia hortensis - Tree Jasmine

By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist

Q: Q: How fragrant is the Tree Jasmine (Millingtonia) and how tall does it grow?

A: Millingtonia hortensis, or Tree Jasmine, is such a beautiful flowering tree with long, white, slender and trumpet-shaped flowers with a perfume that wafts through the air. These trees are very sought after because they are so highly fragrant. They are fast-growing trees that in Nature (Burma) can easily reach a height of 40-50 feet, however here in SW Florida we have them growing about 20-25 ft. The tree flowers at night and then shed the flowers in the morning. The flowers are waxy and stay fresh for a long time. In India the flowers are picked up and braided for rituals. It flowers from October until the end of December. The tree is also known as the Cork Tree, as an inferior cork is processed from the corky bark. It is a fast growing, tall, straight tree with few branches and its popularity lies in its ornamental value and not in its shade-giving properties. Yet, once you've witnessed the profusion of white flowers, you will understand why. It is a sight to behold! Cork tree is very easy and can grow in a variety of soils. It requires full sunlight.