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Index > Garden Blog

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We ship year around!

Cat in winter hat

Watch the weather and use a heat pack!

Q: Do you ship plants in Winter or should I wait to place an order until Spring?

A: We offer year-round shipping to all 50 states, with weather conditions at the destination in mind: when temperatures are above 35F in winter and below 100F in summer to ensure your plants arrive in the best condition.

If the weather in your area isn't suitable for shipping, we can hold your order until conditions improve. For extra protection during colder months, we recommend using heat packs.

To minimize stress on your plants, consider using FedEx Hold locations - these temperature-controlled spots ensure a safe, convenient pickup, and prevent your box from being left outside in extreme temperatures. You can find these pickup locations at FedEx stores, Walgreens, many Dollar General stores, and other retailers.

Shipping plants in boxes

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NEW VIDEO:
How to get variegated vanilla bananas.
Discovering natural banana with seeds

Variegated Banana video

with Fermin Garcia

We got a variegated banana from Thailand, planted it at our farm and started fertilizing with our famous Sunshine Rubusta (featured in our earlier blog: Sunshine Boosters Winter Use - The magic fertilizer in action.

In just a few months, it grew into a massive banana tree - one of the largest we've ever seen! Soon, a flower spike appeared, followed by variegated bananas. As they ripened, they turned yellow and developed a sweet vanilla flavor, with seeds! These are natural bananas, not modified. In today's video, we’re showing how we harvested the fruit, tasted it, and discovered the seeds...

We’ve named this banana Fermin's Vanilla Delight Banana (Musa x paradisiaca). Fermin planted the seeds and we hope to have these plants soon. Add item 6379 to your wishlist and be the first to know when they're ready!

Variegated Banana video

Use Sunshine Robusta magic fertilizer to have your bananas (and everything else) grow like crazy! It is safe to use all Sunshine Boosters year around with every watering.

Sunshine Rubusta and C-Cibus with bananas

Check out different banana varieties we have at TopTropicals - delivered to your door!

Subscribe to our Channel:

Subscribe to Top Tropicals YouTube Channel and get our latest video news of what is fruiting and blooming!

Cat with Papaya fruit

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New Year with New Plants: how to choose from 17 Tropical Paradise Resolutions

New Year with New Plants: how to choose from 17 Tropical Paradise Resolutions
📌 New Year with New Plants: how to choose from 17 Tropical Paradise Resolutions

✍️ "A garden is never so good as it will be next year..." - Thomas Cooper.

⚡️ As we step into a fresh new year, it's the perfect time to think about what exciting, special, and life-changing plants we can add to our gardens. The days are getting longer, and spring is just around the corner, so now's the time to make a plan and prepare for the season ahead. Let's take small steps each year to create the garden of our dreams. This winter, consider these fun resolutions:
  • 🚩🚩🚩🚩 Happy gardening in 2025!


#How_to #Quotes

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Date:

Cat Horoscope - Capricorn Cats 12/22-1/19

Cat Horoscope - Capricorn Cats 12/22-1/19 Cat Horoscope - Capricorn Cats 12/22-1/19
♑️ 😵 What is your cat's Zodiac sign?
Cat Horoscope - Capricorn Cats 12/22-1/19

How to know the astrological sign of your cat? It can be determined by either their date of birth or adoption, as adoption is often considered a second birth for cats.
  • ✨ You can discover the astrological traits that describe the cat, such as their independence, diva-like tendencies, sense of humor, intelligence, and more.
  • ✨ It's also important to consider the astrological relationship between cats and plants...


️ Capricorn Zodiac Cats are:
  • ▪️busy, adventurous climbers
  • ▪️mature into wise and practical felines
  • ▪️serious about grooming and etiquette
  • ▪️skilled hunters, protectors, and helpers
  • ▪️loves garden trees and woody vines for scratching and napping
  • ▪️prefers large-leafed, mild-scented plants
  • ▪️proud, regal presence with thoughtful insights


🌟 Learn more about Capricorn Zodiac Cats and their lucky plants

#PeopleCats #Horoscope

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Date:

Seven most popular low-growing plants
for small gardens

Alpinia purpurata - Dwarf Red Cone Ginger

Photo above: Alpinia purpurata - Dwarf Red Cone Ginger - is a medium-growing, compact option for your garden, offering vibrant red flowers with minimal space needed. Its tropical appeal and tolerance for partial shade make it perfect for adding color without overwhelming your garden. Grows up to 4-5 ft.

Easy plants that can stay compact and short!

Q: I am looking for a few compact plants that I don't need to trim all the time. Can you recommend some low-growing pretty shrub to plant along my driveway (sun) and under an oak tree (shade)?

A: Here are a few most popular showy shrubs for you that can stay compact and require minimal if any pruning or maintenance!

Osmoxylon lineare (variegated) - Miagos bush, Golden Feather

Osmoxylon lineare - variegated Miagos bush, Golden Feather - is a compact and striking shrub perfect for adding an exotic touch to a small garden or indoor space. Its hardiness and low-maintenance nature, combined with its tolerance for various light conditions, make it an ideal choice for a small, visually appealing addition to your garden. Full sun or light shade.

Capsicum annuum x chinense - Biquinho Pepper

Capsicum annuum x chinense - Biquinho Pepper - amazing showy pepper, both ornamental and useful! Vibrant, compact plant that combines ornamental beauty with culinary use. Its small, bright fruits offer a burst of fruity, habanero-like flavor, making it a unique addition to any garden or kitchen, with little to no heat. Full sun: the more sun - the more peppers!

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf - not only showy, but also scented leaves and useful herb right at your doorstep! This fragrant, compact elegant plant adds both beauty and function to your garden. Its sweet-tasting leaves are perfect for snacking or enhancing fruit salads, while also serving as a natural remedy for colds and coughs.

Justicia carnea Alba - White Brazilian Plume Flower

Justicia carnea Alba - White Brazilian Plume Flower is a compact, tropical beauty that thrives in full to partial sun and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Its stunning white flowers and lush green foliage make it a perfect choice for adding a tropical touch to your garden, and its relatively cold hardy!

Pedilanthus tithymaloides - Devils Backbone

Pedilanthus tithymaloides - Devils Backbone - thrives in toughest spots! Hardy, low-maintenance plant, offering striking pink flowers and showy, unique ziz-zag foliage. Easy care requirements, full sun and minimal watering.

Ground Orchids

Ground orchids are a fantastic choice for exotic flower beds and colorful borders, growing just 2-3 feet tall and blooming year-round. They offer a wide selection of colors and bloom year-round. Sun or shade, they thrive in both! And yes, they grow in regular garden soil, which is why they are also called Terrestrial Orchids.

Date:

New Year with New Plants:
Choose from 17 Tropical Paradise Resolutions!

Indoor garden and 
greenhouse

"A garden is never so good as it will be next year..." - Thomas Cooper.

Happy New Year, dear fellow gardeners! As we step into a fresh new year, it's the perfect time to think about what exciting, special, and life-changing plants we can add to our gardens. The days are getting longer, and spring is just around the corner, so now's the time to make a plan and prepare for the season ahead. Let's take small steps each year to create the garden of our dreams. This winter, consider these fun resolutions:

  1. Hang a bird feeder and install a rain barrel
  2. Order some tropical plant seeds for an early start
  3. Ask your grandparents about their favorite garden plants
  4. Build a raised bed for succulents
  5. Plant a fruit tree or two to have some crop this year
  6. Start a compost pile
  7. Switch to organic fertilizers and plant boosters
  8. Fill empty spaces with flowering trees, shrubs, and vines
  9. Add butterfly attractors to your garden
  10. Provide water for bees and butterflies to help them thrive and pollinate your fruit trees
  11. Get a bonsai starter to try bonsai art
  12. Enjoy meals outside as often as you can
  13. Teach a child how to plant a tree
  14. Plant berry-bearing shrubs like Tropical Cherries to feed the birds
  15. Rake up leaves for winter mulch
  16. Add a few exotic plants to your indoor collection or container garden
  17. Share plants as gifts all year long

Happy gardening in 2025!

Cat with tropical plants

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Why this pepper is different?

Piper longum - Indian Long Pepper, Pippali

🍲 Why this pepper is different?
  • 🍀 Piper longum - Indian Long Pepper, Pippali - is a sweeter, less pungent cousin of black pepper, prized for its unique flavor and healing powers.
  • 🍀 Its leaves start out heart-shaped, then lengthen as the plant matures. Originating from South Asia, Pippali is a fun and exotic choice for any spice lover seeking a fresh twist on classic pepper.
  • 🍀 Its dried fruit makes a tasty seasoning, while traditional medicine loves it for soothing coughs, easing congestion, and calming upset stomachs.
  • 🍀 This vining shrub can climb a trellis or fence, preferring shady spots with regular watering.


📚 Learn more from previous post:
What is Pepper Made From? Black, white, green, and red...
How to grow your own Pepper plants. Five most valuable 'Pipers'
Article about Pipers

🛒 Grow your own Pippali Pepper

#Food_Forest #Shade_Garden #Remedies

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Date:

2025: The Year of the Green Wood Snake

2025: The Year of the Green Wood Snake
👍 2025: The Year of the Green Wood Snake. A Time for Wisdom, Growth, and Renewal

  • 🐍 Are You Ready to Transform?

  • 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:

🚩 Check out your personal lucky plants for Year of Snake

#Horoscope

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Date:

Happy New 2025: The Year of the Green Wood Snake!

Happy New 2025: The Year of the Green Wood Snake!
🎆 Happy New 2025: The Year of the Green Wood Snake!

🙏 Happy New Year to our dear customers and gardening friends! Thank you for staying with us throughout 2024 and for sharing our passion for tropical plants.

  • 🎆 Here's to new plants, rejuvenated gardens, and ever-present beauty.

  • 🎆 Stay happy and healthy, cherish your plants and pets, and continue to journey with us into a flourishing 2025!


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Date:

When is the flowering season of Dwarf Chanel No 5 Tree?

Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang, Chanel No5 Tree

🆒 When is the flowering season of Dwarf Chanel No 5 Tree?
  • ✨ Our Dwarf Ylang-Ylang has been flowering non stop for almost a year by now! Even during cool winter. What a surprise!
  • Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang, or Chanel No5 Tree - is a fragrant favorite, the star of perfume plants and the secret behind Chanel No. 5!
  • ✨ Its elegant, pendant flowers aren't just fragrant - they're works of art.
  • ✨ Easy to grow and naturally compact, this tree keeps a tidy, tree-like shape.
  • ✨ Perfect for containers, it's a stunning houseplant that smells as good as it looks!


📚Learn more from previous posts:
How to grow your own Chanel #5
What is the best perfume tree for container culture
Ylang Ylang Tree

🛒 Order Dwaf Ylang Ylang

#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees

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