👨‍� 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.
Smokey: Perfect. Bring her in.

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.

#Smokey_Sunshine


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🎙 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Behind the scenes with Smokey and Sunshine - after years of rumors they speak out!

Many people loved our mascots - Smokey and Sunshine - and kept asking the same questions over and over. So we finally decided to sit them down for an interview and ask everything at once.

Smokey is the tuxedo "engineering cat" with professor glasses, serious plant advice, and strong opinions about fertilizer and soil pH.

Sunshine is the fluffy orange Aloha guy of the group - chubby, relaxed, permanently snack-oriented, and somehow never in a hurry about anything. He approaches life with the confidence of a cat who believes coffee breaks, warm sunshine, and donuts are all basic human rights. He is also the one asking the questions normal people are actually thinking.

Together, they somehow turned gardening into conversations about plants, coffee, cats, donuts, and the meaning of life in a greenhouse.

In this interview, you will find out:

🐾 Are Smokey's glasses fake?
🐾 Are Sunshine's donuts real?
🐾 Are these cats based on real rescued Top Tropicals cats?
🐾 How many cats have been adopted by Top Tropicals over the years and how many are currently living in the gardens?
🐾 Why does Smokey take gardening so seriously?
🐾 Why does Sunshine think every problem can be solved with snacks?

Some answers may surprise you.
Some may explain a lot.

Read the full Smokey & Sunshine interview

📚 Learn more:

About Smokey & Sunshine

#PeopleCats #Smokey_Sunshine

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April 22 - Earth Day! 🌎

This is a simple reminder that every step counts!
You can go all in and plant a real tree, work the soil, and grow something that will last for years.
Or you can start small, with a single plant and a simple moment that gets you outside and thinking differently about your space.
Both matter.
The difference is not in the intention, but in what happens next.
A small start is fine - as long as it turns into something real.

Sunshine: It’s Earth Day - this counts as planting, right?
Smokey: I’m sure the Earth appreciates the thought.

📚 Learn more:

About Smokey and Sunshine

🛒 Shop tropical flowers and plants

#PeopleCats #Smokey_Sunshine

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Easter morning with Smokey and Sunshine

Happy Easter to all who celebrate today - especially across Eastern Europe and Orthodox communities around the world.

Smokey and Sunshine are taking a well-earned break with coffee, sweet Easter bread, and a table full of spring color. Wishing you a day filled with peace, renewal, and quiet joy. And of course - the perfect time to plant flowers and fruit and bring new life into your garden.

🛒 Shop tropical flowers and plants

#PeopleCats #Smokey_Sunshine

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Rare Night-Blooming Cactus that Glows and Grows Large Edible Fruit 🍅

Did you know this nigh blooming beauty has large edible fruit? Why the Epiphyllum hookeri is the ultimate two-for-one plant for tropical garden lovers.

🌠 The Midnight Spectacle

Most gardeners grow the Epiphyllum hookeri for its "ghostly" white flowers. These massive, fragrant blooms wait until sunset to unfurl, reaching their peak beauty under the moonlight before fading at dawn.

🌠 The Edible Bonus

What many don’t realize is that this specific seed-grown type is a "fruiting" powerhouse. After the dramatic floral display, the plant sets smooth, elongated fruit. The flavor? Mild, sweet, and surprisingly refreshing -think of it as a garden-grown secret.

🌠 How to Grow It

Light: Filtered sun or bright shade (no harsh midday sun!).
Hydration: Regular watering in well-drained soil.
Display: It’s a natural climber/cascader—put it in a hanging basket and let it shine.

🛒 Claim your fruiting night-bloomer

Collect epiphytic jungle cacti:
· Epiphyllum hookeri - Large-Fruiting Night-Blooming Cactus
· Epiphyllum oxypetalum - Queen of the Night
· Pseudorhipsalis (Wittia) amazonica - Blue Flame
· Epiphyllum guatemalense Monstrosa - Orchid Cactus, Curly Locks
· Disocactus ackermanni - Red Orchid Jungle Cactus

📚 Learn more:

Epiphyllum species in Plant Encyclopedia
Moonlight Cactus, the Night Blooming Wonder with a mystical twist: Epiphyllum oxypetalum FAQ
Epiphyllum oxypetalum - Queen of the Night Cactus in Plant Encyclopedia
Does Queen of the Night bloom only one night out of the year?
Weird cactus looks like pasta with Dragon Fruit
This giant red stared right back at me
Red Orchid Cactus puts out the biggest bloom show
Pseudorhipsalis (Wittia) amazonica - Blue Flamу Jungle Cactus
Epiphyllum guatemalense Monstrosa - Orchid Cactus, Curly Locks

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Food_Forest

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