Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 8 Feb 2026

How to grow Chinese Hat Flower - when

🎩 How to grow Chinese Hat Flower - when winter colors most needed

  • The Holmskioldia sanguinea, better known as the Chinese Hat Flower, gets its name honestly. Each bloom looks like a tiny hat or parasol - a little tube backed by a flat, round disc. Once you notice it, you cannot unsee it!

  • What really makes this plant special is when it blooms. While most gardens slow down, Chinese Hat Flower kicks into gear from winter through early spring. The branches fill with flowers first, and the leaves follow later. It is one of those plants that quietly steals the show when everything else is taking a break.

  • More than one color

    • Most people know the classic red form, but there are several color varieties worth mentioning:

🔴 Red - the most common and bold
🟡 Yellow - Holmskioldia citrina, bright and cheerful, harder to find
🟠 Bronze / orange-bronze - warm tones that glow in winter light
Having different colors makes it easy to mix them or use just one as a winter focal point.

  • How it grows and where it works best

    • Chinese Hat Flower is a fast-growing, scrambling shrub. It is not stiff or formal. Think loose, graceful branches that like support. It does great when trained on:

· Trellises
  • · Fences
  • · Arbors
  • · Large containers with a support
  • · You can also let it grow as a free-form shrub and lightly prune to keep it tidy.

  • Care, the practical version

· Light: Full sun to light shade
  • · Water: Regular watering, especially while establishing
  • · Soil: Well-drained, not picky
  • · Pruning: After flowering to shape and encourage new growth

    • Once established, it is easygoing and forgiving.


Bonus points
  • · Blooms when the garden needs color most
  • · Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
  • · Works as a flowering screen or accent plant
  • · Looks tropical without being high-maintenance


    • If you like plants that earn their space and do something interesting in winter, Chinese Hat Flower is one to keep in your garden.


🛒 Explore varieties of winter-blooming Chinese Hats

📚 Learn more:

#Butterfly_Plants #How_to #Hedges_with_benefits

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Date: 7 Feb 2026

Yes, you can grow an Avocado tree on your patio - here is how to do it right

Yes, you can grow an Avocado tree on your patio - here is how to do it right
Yes, you can grow an Avocado tree on your patio - here is how to do it right

  • If you would love to grow your own avocado but don’t have a big yard, good news - avocado trees can grow very well in containers. Compact or dwarf varieties, often called condo avocados, are especially suited for pots, patios, balconies, and even indoor growing near a sunny window.

    • Growing avocados in pots is also a smart choice in cooler climates, since you can move the tree indoors when temperatures drop. With the right variety and basic care, potted avocado trees are easy to manage.

  • Pick a compact avocado variety

    • Choosing the right variety is the most important step. Standard avocado trees grow very large, but condo or compact varieties stay much smaller and adapt well to containers.
    Good choices for pots include:

· Wurtz (Little Cado) - a true dwarf, perfect for containers
  • · Fuerte - a semi-dwarf that stays manageable with pruning
  • · Joey - naturally compact and easy to keep smaller

    • Dwarf avocado trees usually grow 6 to 10 feet tall. Fruit size is normal, but yields are smaller than on large trees.

  • Choose the right pot

    • Start with a pot about 12 inches wide (around 5 gallons). This size is easier to water correctly and helps prevent root rot. Avoid planting a small tree into a very large pot too soon.
    As the tree grows, move up gradually. A mature potted avocado will need an 18- to 24-inch container. Repot every couple of years when roots show through drainage holes.
    Always use a pot with excellent drainage.

  • Use well-draining soil

    • Avocados love water but hate wet feet. Use a loose, fast-draining mix, such as Abundance Professional Soilless Mix. You can improve drainage by adding perlite or coarse sand. Avoid heavy garden soil.
    Water deeply, but not too often.
    Water thoroughly, then let the soil dry before watering again. Always check moisture first. In summer, watering may be needed once or twice a week; in cooler weather, much less.
    Overwatering is the fastest way to kill a potted avocado.

  • Give plenty of sun

    • Avocado trees need at least 6 to 8 hours of full sun daily. Outdoors is best, but indoors place the tree near a bright south- or west-facing window. Grow lights can help if light is limited.

  • Fertilize and prune

    • Feed during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer such as Green Magic (every 6 months) or liquid Sunshine Boosters (safe to use with every watering, year-around). Prune lightly to keep the tree compact and well-shaped.

  • Protect from cold

    • Most Avocados are sensitive to hard freeze. When temperatures drop below 35F, move the pot indoors or into a protected space. Reduce watering in winter as growth slows.
    Cold hardy varieties can take cooler temperatures down to 18F once established. For example, Joey is both cold hardy and dwarf - perfect choice.

  • Final thoughts

Growing an avocado tree in a pot is practical and rewarding. With good drainage, sun, careful watering, and the right variety, you can enjoy homegrown avocados even without a yard.
Small space? No problem. Just think condo avocado. According to Southern Living, Lemons can be grown in pots - and so can Avocados!

✔️ Check outAvocado Variety Guide interactive chart. Sort them by flower type A or B, tree habit, fruit shape and quality, cold hardiness, origin, season and more!

🛒 Explore Avocado varieties and Dwarf Avocado

📖 Our Book: Avocado Variety Guide, Snack or Guacamole?

📚Learn more:

🎥 What is a Dwarf Condo Avocado that fruits at 3 ft tall? 📱

#Food_Forest #Avocado

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Date: 6 Feb 2026

Tigerlily of the Buckingham

Tigerlily of the Buckingham Tigerlily of the Buckingham
🌳 Tigerlily of the Buckingham... road.

🐈📸 Tigerlily is the Queen of Buckingham: yes, TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden is off Buckingham road!

#PeopleCats

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Date: 6 Feb 2026

💕How would you like to give a Valentine plant gift?

Valentines themed arrangement of tropical plants and fruits including heart shaped hoya, orchids, gardenia, jasmine, cacao pod, figs, and pomegranate with red heart decorations

Choose the plant

If you already know what feels right, choose the plant now. Sweetheart Hoya is a favorite for a reason, and there are other Valentine plants to explore if you want options.

A good choice when you feel confident, love plants, or are gifting something meant to live indoors.

Let your Valentine choose

If timing, weather, or choice feels uncertain, a Gift Card keeps the moment simple. Your Valentine can choose the perfect plant when the time is right.

Especially helpful for gardeners up north, or when you want the gift to unfold later.

About shipping and timing

We ship live plants with care and pay close attention to weather along the way. If conditions are not right, we may hold a shipment briefly to keep plants safe.

If timing or weather makes you hesitate, a Gift Card is an easy way to give a Valentine gift now and choose the plant later, when conditions are perfect.

Valentine Day Gift Card Bonus
To make Valentines Day a little sweeter, we are offering a special gift card bonus for a limited time. When you purchase a gift card, we add 15% extra value. Just add Valentine greeting in gift card message field. For example, a $100 gift card becomes $115 to spend.
Offer valid through 02/15/2026.
The bonus value is not valid with other promotions or discounts. Gift cards cannot be used to purchase other gift cards. Bonus value is added at the time of purchase.

🎁 Buy Gift Card

More Valentines Gift Plants

  • Valentines plants from around the world that symbolize love, connection, and appreciation. 👉Learn
  • Top nine plants of love, desire, and the senses: aphrodisiacs and sensory connections. 👉Learn
  • Four popular plants of friendship, appreciation, and shared connection. 👉Learn
  • Eight favorite plants of romance, affection, and emotional connection. 👉Learn
✍️ More About Velentines Gift Plants from Blog

🎁 Shop Gift Plants

Date: 6 Feb 2026

💘Rooted love lasts longer than flowers

Smokey the tuxedo cat and Sunshine the ginger cat sit in a greenhouse beside a Sweetheart Hoya with heart-shaped leaves, a tag reading rooted love, and a cup of coffee with donuts on a wooden table.
Sunshine: Valentine Day soon. We need flowers.
Smokey: Nope. Heart-shaped hoya. Flowers fade. Plants stay.
Sunshine: Alright. One for my Valentine. One for me, with coffee.

💖 Sweetheart Hoya: a Valentine gift that lasts

Sweetheart Hoya (Hoya kerrii) has thick, heart-shaped leaves and a compact form that fits easily on a windowsill, desk, or shelf. It does not need constant attention, bright sun, or frequent watering. In fact, it prefers a lighter touch.

This is a plant that works well indoors, grows slowly, and forgives missed waterings. It is comfortable in normal home conditions and does not require special tools or experience. That makes it a good gift not only for plant lovers, but also for people who have never kept a houseplant before.

Unlike flowers, it does not come with an expiration date. It becomes part of daily life and stays there quietly, doing its job. Over time, it feels less like a purchase and more like something chosen with intention.

For Valentines Day, Sweetheart Hoya is a simple, lasting way to give something real.

Sweetheart Hoya care: quick how-to

  • Light: Bright window light is ideal. Avoid harsh, hot direct sun.
  • Water: Let the potting mix dry between waterings. When you water, water thoroughly, then let it drain.
  • Feeding: Light feeding during active growth helps. A balanced fertilizer like Sunshine™ Robusta keeps growth steady and leaves healthy.
  • Pace: Slow-growing and patient. Do not overwater or overpot.

❓Sweetheart Hoya: quick FAQ

  • Is it good for beginners? Yes. It is forgiving and does not need constant attention.
  • Can it live indoors year-round? Yes, in bright indoor light and normal home conditions.
  • Does it need flowers to be special? No. The heart-shaped leaves are the main feature.
  • Learn more: What is the best Valentines Day gift that actually lasts?

♥️ Shop Sweetheart Hoya

Valentine Sweetheart Hoya Plant

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