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View from our finca in Mexico Tropical World de las Flores
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After college I purchased property in Boynton Beach, Florida, and started Tropical World Nursery with the goal of supplying the nursery in Oklahoma. Quickly we saw that there was a bigger market for nursery offerings in Florida than in northern Oklahoma. We went wild with all the plants that could be grown here and made numerous collecting trips to South America, Central America, Mexico, Southeast Asia, South Africa, India and other tropical areas. We are so glad we were able to collect numerous orchid species, Heliconias, Gingers, Bananas (We are major supplier of the variegated ae ae banana) Bromeliads, Begonias, Cactus and Succulents( including Rhipsalis and epiphylliums), Aroids (including Philodendron, Anthuriums,and Amorphophallus) Hoyas, Crotons, and numerous other sundry and tropical plants. Not only did the CITES Regulations put an end to most of this, but now these areas that contained such biodiversity are now converted to towns and cities or agricultural farm lands, or worse, simply charcoal.
I feel so lucky to be living in the "time slot of life" that I am enjoying. I have been able to see many plants in the wild, have enjoyed the transportation and technology available necessary to get them into cultivation , and to enter the new phase of saving species and the resultant gene pool. Now the hybridzation of these saved species will result in many new plants in the future. The best is yet to come!
I just hope we can leave some real Nature on this planet and man does not dominate every square inch.
I enjoy my personal collection of Japanese Maples for a good portion of the year. Being a true horticulturist, I always want to push the limits and grow things not particularly suitable to the area. (Verzal Farms that is close to us provides us with 90 days of cold storage to mimic their dormancy period.) Except for this, they seem to do fine, even if we miss the fall coloring.
We are working on heat tollerance for Camellias and Azaleas and have various varieties that perform well in South Florida, however it will be several years before we have these available in any quantity. We also are trying our hand at Caladium hybridization. To this day, we are known for always having new plant introductions.
In 1990, we purchased property in the state of Veracruz, Mexico ,to supplement our production in Florida. We still find it difficult to believe we own such a beautiful spot at the base of permanently snow-covered Mt. Orizaba, the third highest peak in North and Central America. Temperatures at our finca (farm) are between 60 and 85 degrees year round, with temperatures rarely above or below this. Originally a coffee plantation and caged egg chicken farm, we have converted it into a bed and breakfast/ horticulture nursery from which we also conduct eco-tours (see www.TropicalWorld.com). We have been accepted so well down there, I only wish the United States would treat our Latino neighbors half as well, but that is a different story.
Although we are considering semi-retirement, it is difficult to slow down. So, we have decided to offer, through Ebay, the many unique items that we collected or have had specifically designed. We also continue to find new plants and items for our garden center located now off busy Hagen Ranch Road.
At our new property in Loxahatchee Groves, Florida, we have plenty of space for our nine Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Bengal and Persian cat, fancy guppies and Altum angelfish, bantams, geese, an occassional otter or two, ahingas, Mandarin ducks and too many wood ducks and migratory birds to count. Driving into our place you never know what you will see as llamas, peacocks, burros, horses, African bongos, iguanas and an occasional loose tiger can be in residence. So far we have had no problems with Alligators, Pythons, and Komodo Dragons that are reported to be establishing themselves in South Florida. This mengerie, coupled with cypress trees and Spanish Moss, have earned the property the nickname of "Jurassic Bark". You would think we were in the middle of nowhere and not just a mile from the busy lifestyle of the rest of Palm Beach. We love it!
Additional note: Shipping costs for small individual items can be quite costly. We are glad to hold and combine your purchases especially as we are adding items to ebay. For larger and heavier items you should consider picking them up at your airport which costs significantly less than USPS and UPS ground (by the hundred pounds) and is almost invariably delivered the next day. Palm Beach International (PBI) is our airport and we use Delta Air Cargo freight collect. We charge $10.00 per box for packaging and delivery to the airport. We can make up various plant assortments to economically ship this method. About 15 4" plants, 10 6" plants, and 3 3 gallon (10") plants fit per carton. When shipping air freight the cost of shipping one box is about the same as shipping two. In most cases, the minimum freight charge is about $40.00 C.O.D. Questions gladly answered as well as credit card payments may be made by calling toll free 866-949-6753 Monday -Satuday 9:00-4:00 EST.
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