Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 2 Feb 2020

Compact Bonsai and Money Money...

by Mark Hooten, the Garden Doc

Q: I am looking for a tropical plant to grow indoors as a bonsai which would naturally stay small, tolerate low humidity, and if possible also make flowers or something interesting. Any suggestions?

A: Better than anything, would be a particular variety of Euphorbia millii or Crown of Thorns, which Top Tropicals has exclusively introduced from Thailand, and is called - of all things - Money Money. (Those Thai seem to give their hybrids names which don't seem to make sense to us English speakers). I have one growing as a bonsai myself, and hold it with much esteem. It has all the qualities which you are hoping for...

Date: 29 Jan 2020

The most luscious Hospitality Fruit: Pineapple

by Mark Hooten, the Garden Doc

I wonder how many people know that the Pineapple (Ananas comosus) was actually the very first New World tropical fruit to have been sampled fresh by European royalty? It happened 527 years ago, when one made it to Spain, being personally delivered to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella by Christopher Columbus... He had obtained a huge number of them, however only one actually survived intact and edible! That pineapple was instantly declared to be the most luscious wonderful fruit ever!..
...During the 1700s before the Revolutionary War, the overly monetarily intoxicated super-rich were actually paying a modern equivalent of⁠ - get this - 8000 dollars for a single fruit!..
...In conclusion, I will add the simple recipe for my personally favorite go-to comfort food...

Pineapple plantation in Hawaii

Date: 15 May 2026

Smokey and Sunshine HIRING NOW: Customer service / sales in garden center

👨‍� Smokey and Sunshine HIRING NOW: Customer service / sales in garden center

Sunshine: Smokey, we need plant people.
Smokey: Does your girlfriend know plants?
Sunshine: Of course. She fertilized my donuts so they would grow larger.
Smokey: Did it work?
Sunshine: Kind of. I gained three pounds.


TopTropicals.com is looking for a part-time customer service and sales team member for our Ft Myers Garden Center.

If you genuinely love plants, enjoy helping people, and don't mind getting your hands dirty in a tropical nursery environment – then working with rare tropical plants, fruit trees, and fellow plant lovers can be fun and rewarding!

💼 Responsibilities



· Help walk-in customers select plants and check out
· Answer customer questions by phone, email, social media, and message board
· Open and close office, operate cash register
· General customer service and sales support

📚 Requirements



· Genuine love for plants and willingness to learn. We will train
· Friendly, patient, and polite with customers
· Strong work ethic and reliability; punctuality is essential
· Ability to follow instructions and work efficiently
· Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs and comfortable working outdoors in Florida heat and weather
· Drug-free - background check and drug test upon employment
· Valid Florida driver's license and reliable transportation
· Must love cats - our famous "PeopleCats" helpers patrol the gardens daily

‍� Preferred qualifications



· Basic computer skills (email, office, internet). We will train
· Previous plant knowledge or nursery experience
· Sales or customer service experience

💰 Pay



· Starting pay: $18/hour depending on experience and performance
· Opportunity for growth based on performance

📅 Schedule



· Part-time to start, potential for full-time later
· Friday and Saturday, 9 am - 4 pm

📍 Location:



Top Tropicals Garden Center
13890 Orange River Blvd
Ft Myers, FL 33905

✍️ How to apply:



Please email a brief resume and a short paragraph explaining why you'd like this job.

Resume guidelines:
· Keep it brief; include job history and education
· Please avoid long descriptions of unrelated experience
· Tell us why working with plants and people interests you

🚶‍➡️ To apply in person:



You are welcome to visit our Garden Center during business hours:
Monday-Saturday, 9 am - 4 pm
To apply in person, ask for Kristi - our manager.
No phone calls please.

Thanks for applying - we hope to see you working alongside our plants, #PeopleCats, and fellow plant lovers soon.


🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 8 Feb 2024

Mark your calendars: March 2, 2024

March  2,  2024  -  SATURDAY  -  Spring  Plant  Market:  March  into  Spring!

Plant Festival "March into Spring!"
Saturday, March 2, 9 am - 4 pm

Save the date! On March 2, 2024, join us for our vibrant Plant Festival, "March into Spring!"
Dive into a world of lush greenery, blooming delights, and rare fruit trees at our garden event. Discover unbeatable sales, exclusive deals, delightful gift bags, and receive free plants with every purchase.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to embrace the beauty of spring and elevate your garden to new heights!

Highlights of the event:

30% OFF online prices, one day only! (excluding 15 gallon material and rare plants)
Gift bags - for first 25 customers with $50 order
Secret Garden: Super savings area 50-70% off
$5 and $10 plants
Raffle
Free plant with any purchase as a token of our appreciation

Event discounts valid at both locations:

Ft Myers Garden Center: 13890 Orange River, Ft Myers, FL
Sebring B-Farm: 9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL

Facebook event page - Download invitation

Cat  with  plants  in  a  bag

Date: 12 Dec 2023

Easy compact bush for sandy soil

Caesalpinia  pulcherrima  -  Red  Dwarf  Poinciana,  Bird  of  Paradise

Caesalpinia pulcherrima - Red Dwarf Poinciana, Bird of Paradise.

Q: Can you recommend a flowering bush that will be in full sun and in sandy soil. I do not want it to exceed 10 feet.

A: For a garden specimen bush that is medium size and tolerates poor soils, we can recommend to choose from the plants below. These are all easy to grow, not fussy about soil and water, and stay compact and require minimal or no trimming at all.

Calliandra surinamensis - Powderpuff - 6-8 ft
Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy - Mallow Hibiscus - 5-6 ft
Dombeya seminole - Tropical Rose Hydrangea 4-6 ft
Allamanda schottii - Dwarf Allamanda Bush 3-4 ft
Brunfelsia pauciflora Compacta - Dwarf Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow - 4-5 ft
Calliandra schultzii - Dwarf calliandra - 4-5 ft
Plumbago auriculata Imperial Blue
Caesalpinia pulcherrima - Red Dwarf Poinciana, Bird of Paradise - 2-4 ft
Hibiscus schizopetalus - Coral Hibiscus - 5-6 ft
Jatropha integerrima compacta - 4-5 ft
Clerodendrum bungei - Glory Bower - tolerates shade, 4-5 ft
Eranthemum pulchellum - Blue Sage, Lead Flower (prefers shade) - 4-5 ft
Magnolia figo - Banana Magnolia - small tree, 6-8 ft
Megaskepasma erythrochlamys - Brazilian plume (tolerates shade) - 5-6 ft
Tibouchina lepidota - Ecuador Princess, Jules Dwarf - 3-4 ft
Leonotis leonurus - Lions Ears - 3-4 ft

Also, for your further reference, check out the reference chart Hedges with Benefits Chart to see different flowering bushes that are great for hedges as well as garden specimens, depending on your specific needs.

Megaskepasma  erythrochlamys  -  Brazilian  plume

Megaskepasma erythrochlamys - Brazilian plume.

Brunfelsia  pauciflora  Compacta  -  Dwarf  Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow

Brunfelsia pauciflora Compacta - Dwarf Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow.

Leonotis  leonurus  -  Lions  Ears

Leonotis leonurus - Lions Ears.