Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 14 Feb 2026

🍧Vanilla does not come from a bottle

Tuxedo cat training a vanilla vine on a wooden trellis while orange cat
 drinks coffee beside jar labeled Sunshine Vanilla Creamer.
Sunshine: What are you doing?
Smokey: Growing vanilla for your creamer. It needs support to climb.
Sunshine: I can provide moral support and donuts. Count on me, my friend.

🍨 The orchid behind the worlds favorite flavor

Vanilla does not come from a bottle. It comes from a climbing orchid. Vanilla planifolia is the plant that produces real vanilla beans - and yes, you can grow it at home. It starts simply. A potted orchid with glossy leaves. Then it begins to reach. Vanilla is a climber. It wants something solid to attach to. This is where most people go wrong. They keep it in a pot and wait. Vanilla needs support - a log, a trellis, a wooden board. Once its aerial roots attach firmly and the plant matures, flowering becomes possible.

It is not instant. You need patience. The pods form green and only develop their aroma after curing. That slow process is part of what makes vanilla so valuable. For gardeners who enjoy growing something meaningful - something edible and beautiful - vanilla is worth it. Vanilla is not a novelty plant. It is a long conversation with your garden.

🎁 Shop Vanilla Orchids

Close-up of Vanilla planifolia flower with yellow throat and green 
vanilla bean pods developing on climbing vine

Vanilla planifolia Flower and Developing Vanilla Pods

Date: 13 Feb 2026

To trim or not to trim? When and how to trim damaged plants after winter