Date: 30 Aug 2024
Save Double This Labor Day Weekend!
"The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest." - Deepika Padukone
Labor Day is the perfect time to transform your yard into a tropical paradise! Join us this weekend to find large, well-developed fruit trees and stunning flowering tropical plants, ready to add beauty to your life. Take advantage of the summer growing season and give your garden the boost it deserves. Don't miss out on these incredible plants to make your yard a true oasis!
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Date: 6 Oct 2024
Eight most spectacular gingers
Photo above: Costus arabicus - Spiral Ginger
Q: I grow ginger for cooking, but I know that some varieties have showy flowers. What gingers can you recommend as ornamentals?
A: Ginger is famous for its culinary and medicinal uses, and many species are also strikingly beautiful, making them perfect centerpieces for tropical gardens or potted plant collections, especially in shaded spots. Here are a few of our favorite cultivars.
1. Yellow Butterfly Ginger
Hedychium flavum x coronarium - Yellow Butterfly Ginger, Nardo Ginger Lily - rare hybrid of White Butterfly ginger we mentioned earlier (https://t.me/TopTropicals/710), it is more vigorous and tall than its parent. With attractive long green leaves with a slight fuzziness, this ginger has open long spikes of pastel yellow flowers with a beautiful heady aroma. Exquisitely fragrant!
2. Variegated Spiral Ginger
Costus arabicus (amazonicus) variegata - Variegated Spiral Ginger - is a tropical stunner originally from South America but adored in Hawaii and Florida. This ginger's eye-catching, spiraling stems are streaked with striking white variegation, topped with elegant pure white flowers with yellow centers. The pure white blooms are truly a piece of art! Perfect for shade gardens, this plant thrives in moist soil and loves plenty of water. If you're looking to add a bit of drama and elegance to your garden, this beauty is a must-have!
3. Pine Cone (Shampoo) Ginger
Zingiber Zerumbet - Pine Cone Ginger, Shampoo Ginger - is probably the most popular one. All parts of this ginger are spicy fragrant. The cone shaped flowers are long lasting and useful for cut flower arrangements. It is in fact used as a shampoo in Asia and Hawaii, and as an ingredient in several commercial shampoos! Pinecone ginger is considered a "canoe plant", that is, a plant introduced throughout the Pacific by the ancient Polynesian settlers.
4. Spiral Raspberry Ginger
Costus vargasii - Spiral Ginger Raspberry Yogurt - The name refers to the colorful raspberry colored stem, but that's not the only colorful thing about it: the leaves are dark green, long and glossy with velvety deep purple undersides. The inflorescence is a vivid red with tight bracts and bold yellow flowers. The butterflies love to drink the nectar from the flowers. Large vigorous ginger, growing up to 5-6 ft tall.
5. Cameroon Costus African Princess
Costus fissiligulatus - African Princess, Cameroon Costus - from Gabon in West Africa. It has a dazzling pink trumpet flower with a yellow throat. It is very floriferous with an inflorescence of numerous flower buds on a shortish plant of 3-4 ft that stands very erect. It is an easy grower.
6. Red Button Ginger (French Kiss)
Costus spicatus x woodsonii - Red Button Ginger, French Kiss: this ginger's inflorescence resembles a cluster of bright red buttons, making it a standout in tropical gardens.
7. White Butterfly Ginger
Hedychium coronarium - White Butterfly Ginger is a must for every Southern garden. It is famous for its intense, sweet scent. Symbol of Hawaiian Paradise along with Plumeria and Jasmine. It is popular in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands for leis and hair adornments and bears fragrant, butterfly-resembling flowers in summer. It has long lasting cut flowers, ideal for scenting the home. Can survive light freezes, with tops regrowing in the spring. Takes sun or shade.
8. Laos Silver Stripe Peacock Ginger
Kaempferia angustifolia - Laos Silver Stripe is one of the most beautiful of all the Kaempferia Peacock Ginger cultivars. It is one of the large types. The plant has boldly striped leaves of green and silver. The flowers are orchid shaped white and purple. Small, compact perennial, great for container culture. This hard to find variety is a must for every Ginger collector.
Date: 22 Dec 2024
What are the easiest, low maintenance plants?
Photo above: Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree. The most beautiful of all orchid trees. This winter bloomer starts flowering in very small size, when only 2-3 ft tall, and grows fast. (Bonus plant: makes it 7 easy plants!)
Six easiest to grow, effortless plants
Q: I'm seeking low-maintenance, tropical plants for my yard since I have limited time for gardening. Could you recommend some easy-to-care-for options that will still give my outdoor space a tropical feel?
A: Tropical plants don't necessarily require extensive care. Many options are low maintenance, effortless, and easy to grow, including a variety of plants, trees, shrubs, and vines that demand minimal upkeep. They are fast growing, not fussy about soil, cold- and heat- resistant, and can rely on regular sprinkler irrigation. Below are six our favorites - the easiest and most effortless tropical plants for your Southern landscape. You can find the full list here.
1. Fruit tree: Lolita Cherry
Eugenia uniflora - Black Surinam Cherry Lolita. The plant is vigorous and ready to fruit the same year. The fruit has exceptional flavor, very sweet, without aftertaste, large 1-1.2 inch, very juicy. Reliable producer. These cherries are cold hardy and can take short periods of frost.
2. Flowering tree: Shaving Brush Tree
Pseudobombax ellipticum - Shaving Brush Tree is one of the coolest looking flowering trees, this fast-growing tree bears spectacular showy staminate flowers in the spring. It usually has no leaves at that time, which serves to show off the large and striking blooms. Very low water needs, grows fast!
3. Flowering shrub: Firespike
Odontonema cuspidatum - Firespike - ultimate butterfly magnet with showy bright red flowers. Will take sun or shade. Very easy and happy plant!
4. Flowering vine: Bleeding Heart
Clerodendrum thomsoniae - Bleeding Heart. One of the most spectacular blooming vines. Spectacular, dramatic flowers are slightly flat, they have white sepals on either side of bright crimson petals. The appearance may be liken to a line of dangling hearts, each emerging from the other. Very easy to grow and undemanding plant. Blooms in both sun or shade!
5. Small perennial: Ground Orchids - many colors!
Ground orchids are the easiest and most rewarding flowers for a tropical garden. They thrive in regular garden soil or potting mix, tolerate both sun and shade, and bloom nearly year-round. They take both sun or shade, are cold-resistant and carefree. And look at these colors! From vibrant purples to soft pinks and yellows, ground orchids bring a splash of tropical beauty with minimal effort. Their consistent blooming makes them a must-have for gardeners seeking color all year.
6. Fragrant exotic: Queen of the Night
Epiphyllum oxypetalum - Queen of the Night - powerfully fragrant at night! This special cactus grows in tropical rainforests and has large wide meaty leaves. The flower is huge, white, and nocturnal. Blooms at night hours, hence the name. One of the most exotic indoor plants, great shade garden specimen. Easy to care, very low maintenance. Very low water needs.
Date: 30 Dec 2024
2025:
The Year of the Green Wood Snake
A Time for Wisdom, Growth, and Renewal
Are You Ready to Transform?
Q: What does the new year 2025 offer in horoscope? And what are the lucky plants for the New Year 2025?
A: On January 29th, 2025, Asia ushers in the Lunar New Year of the Green Wood Snake, a symbol of wisdom, transformation, and creativity. This isn't just any snake year; it's one filled with the potential for significant personal and communal evolution.
What Makes the Snake So Special?
In Chinese astrology, the Snake is known for its intelligence, elegance,
and quiet strength, paired with the Wood element to foster creativity and
flexibility in 2025. Are you ready to shed old habits and embrace new
possibilities?
What Does It Mean to Be Born in the Year of the Snake?
Those born under the Snake sign are intelligent, creative, and determined,
often thriving under pressure. This year offers them a special opportunity to
leverage their talents fully.
How Can the Snake Inspire You?
The Snake's ability to solve problems and adapt to changes encourages us to
face life's challenges with grace. What will you shed this year to reveal
your best self?
What Can We Learn from Snake Myths?
The legend of Nuwa, the goddess who embodies creation and balance, teaches
us about renewal and harmony. How will you harness this energy in 2025?
Why Is 2025 Perfect for Growing Something New?
The Wood Green Snake, as the Patroness of Plants, makes 2025 an ideal year
for gardening and embracing nature. What will you grow this year?
How Can You Blossom in 2025?
This year encourages personal growth, healthier habits, and creativity.
What steps will you take to thrive?
Are You Ready to Embrace the Possibilities?
2025 invites you to grow, create, and transform. Follow the Snake's lead
and make it a year to remember. What will you achieve in the Year of the Green
Wood Snake?
What are Snake's lucky plants and your lucky plants for the New Year
2025?
Find out now! Check out the lucky plants especially for you, depending
on the year you were born:
