How to help a weak tree to recover and thrive?

Elderberry Kir Royale

Grow your own... drink and medicine

In the summertime, Elderberry bushes transform into small, bushy trees adorned with sizable umbels of white flowers. As late summer approaches, the tree produces an abundance of dark purple berry clusters. Elderberry is known for its ability to withstand cold weather and can thrive in a variety of soils in either full or partial sun. While it typically grows to a height of 10 feet, its spreading can be managed through pruning.

This dense shrub is beloved by nesting birds, who are not the only creatures that appreciate its fruit. People also prize Elderberry for its delicious uses in winemaking, cocktails, and jellies. Elderberry syrup or cordial can be used to create flavorful fruity drinks and cocktails, like the Elderberry Kir Royale. Alternatively, the berries can be left to infuse their flavor into spirits, with Elderberry gin being a particularly delightful option.

Elderberry Cordial

When it comes to combating various strains of the flu virus, Elderberry Cordial ranks among the top natural remedies. Whether sipped in small servings or drizzled over a delectable dessert, Elderberry Cordial is a guilt-free way to fortify your immune system against colds and flus.

2 cups of fresh elderberries
16 oz water

1. 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 lemon (rind + juice)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1. stick cinnamon, crushed
   1 ¼ cups dried elderberries

1/4 cup dried rosehips
About 3 cups brandy
Honey, to taste

Add all ingredients in a jar and cover with a lid. Set aside in a cool, dark place for 3-4 weeks. When ready to decant, strain and squeeze through cheesecloth. For every 1 cup of liquid retained, add 1/2 cup honey. Mix thoroughly. Pour the cordial into a decorative bottle for storage, or gift giving.

Elderberry Kir Royale Cocktail

5 oz white wine, sparkling wine or champagne
2 oz Elderberry cordial
Rocks
Mint leaves (optional)
Pour the Champagne in a flute glass. Add the Elderberry Cordial slowly.
Party time!

Hibiscus: TopTropicals' first plant

- September 2001 @ TopTropicals -

Q: I wonder how you started your plant business and what was your first plant?

A: It was 20 years ago this month that we started Top Tropicals Project. No idea where it was going or how to even get "there", just started with the idea of sharing these wonderful creatures we call plants with anyone and everyone who felt the same way.

Believe it or not, the first plant at TopTropicals was a hibiscus. Right before we opened our plant nursery in Florida, we ran into a place called Winn Soldani's FANCY HIBISCUS. The variety of colors inspired us to start our own tropical plant business. We asked the owner Winn Soldani: what plants do you suggest us to grow in Florida? His answer was, "Your plant will find you". Very soon we discovered jasmines, then perfume trees and fruit trees - all those became our specialty. Then very quickly TopTropicals.com turned into a large Plant Mall where you can find every tropical plant you can think of!
But at TopTropicals we still grow hibiscus!

- September 2004 @ TopTropicals -

Hibiscus Plus

Hibiscus is a wonderful plant, considering there are thousands of hybrids with color palettes you can only imagine. Especially interesting are those rare and useful species, yet very easy to grow, such as:
- Salad Hibiscus - Hibiscus furcellatus - yes, used in salads
- Coral Hibiscus with crazy pendant flowers - Hibiscus schizopetalus
- African Cranberry hibiscus that is used for making teas and salads - Hibiscus acetocella
- Cotton Candy Hibiscus mutabilis - the flower changes color, opens as white and turns into bright pink within 3 days, like Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow

Photo above: Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy

Care of Hibiscus and other flowering tropicals

"If your plant isn't flowering, feed it."
- Winn Soldani, Fancy Hibiscus -

Among gardeners, Hibiscus plants have a reputation to have couple maintenance issues:
1) they can get bugsy (because they must be so tasty!)
2) they can get leggy, especially fancy grafted cultivars, and after a while they don't look as perfect as when they came from a nursery.

4 tips for healthy and pretty hibiscus plant

1. Full sun. Essential for profuse flowering and keeps away diseases.
2. Pruning. Keep it pruned and it will get bushy and produce more blooms.
3. Well-drained soil. Hibiscus likes regular watering but hates wet feet.
4. Nutrition program. Hibiscus plants are heavy feeders. But keep in mind that if you just keep pushing granulated plant food, you can over-fertilize the plant. Excessive salts will accumulate in soil and you will end up with a sickly looking plant.

Keys to balanced plant food and bloom booster

1) Use liquid fertilizer, preferably amino acid based, it won't create nutrients lock up
2) Fertilize on regular basis, it's better dilute concentration and add food with every watering
3) Always add micro-elements - they are essential for plant health

If you do this part right, the result will be:
- healthy, green plants, like they just came from a nursery
- reliable blooming circle
- better cold tolerance and disease resistance. Remember that a strong plant will be less stressed and less "bugged" by bugs!

We always suggest Sunshine Boosters - scientifically balanced liquid fertilizers that are amino acid based = they are natural and organic, can be used for both flowers and edibles, and what's most important - year around. They are safe to use virtually with every watering.

This is all you need for healthy plants and lots of flowers!