Jenes Tropicals

Ready to turn your yard into a laid-back tropical paradise—without breaking a sweat? 🌞🌺 In this fun-filled episode, Jene dives into her love of growing fruit trees and spotlights some easy, breezy favorites that thrive with minimal fuss. Whether you’re brand-new to gardening or already growing like a pro, there’s something juicy here for you! You’ll discover the stunning...

Wondering what to plant when the weather cools its heels? Don’t chill —herbs are here to save the season! 🌿 In this episode, Jene dishes the dirt on growing herbs successfully, from picking the thyme -right varieties to keeping them happy, healthy, and not acting all sage -y on you. Expect practical tips that’ll help your herb garden stay in mint condition. We’re also spil...

Did winter sneak up on your garden like a Florida man at a Christmas parade? 🌬️🥶 It’s been unusually cold in our usually toasty neck of the woods, and your poor plants might be wondering if they accidentally moved to Michigan. But don’t panic—Jene from Jene’s Tropicals is here to save the day (and your greenery)! In this episode, Jene dishes out hot tips for cold snaps&mda...

Get ready to mango crazy in Florida's paradise with Jene's Tropicals – the show that's totally un-be-leaf-able! Whether you're pruning bougainvilleas (don't be a prickly pear about it), nursing your heirloom Christmas cactus back from overwatering woes, or dreaming of homegrown mangoes that are ripe for the picking (way better than store-bought – no fibrous business here!), host Jene i...

Florida paradise is filled with palm trees, poinsettias—and the occasional plant heartbreak caused by watering just one more time . In this fun and informative episode of Jene’s Tropicals , Jene helps rescue holiday plants everywhere. Find out why your poinsettia might be giving you side-eye, why Christmas cactus prefer shade over sunshine, and how the wrong fertilizer can send your bu...

Welcome to the only show where paradise found meets paradise pruned! Whether you’re nurturing palms, pampering plumerias, or just trying to keep your poinsettias from “leaf-ing” you for dead, Jene’s Tropicals is here to help your garden flourish instead of flounder. Join your host, Jene —Florida’s unofficial Queen of Green—as she sprinkles sunshine, plant...

🌴 It’s December in Florida, which means the rest of the country is defrosting cars while we’re defrosting piña coladas. Join Jene from Jene’s Tropicals as she digs into your landscaping dreams and helps turn those “maybes” into “mallow wow!” 🌺 In this episode, Jene gets bougain-filled with joy as she spotlights the vibrant, vining, color-splashing...

🍇🌴 Grab your sunscreen and your snack bowl, because this week on Jene’s Tropicals , we’re getting blue … in the best way possible! It’s the first week of December in Florida—where the cold never bothered us anyway—and Jene is taking us on a juicy journey into the world of blueberries . These tiny morsels of happiness are packed with vitamins C & K1, manga...

It’s November in Florida—which means while the rest of the country is defrosting turkeys, we’re defrosting… nothing. But we are heating things up with a riot of holiday color! In this pun-packed, palm-slappingly funny episode, we dig (literally) into why annuals are the real MVPs of your festive landscape. Join us as we unwrap the gift that keeps on giving—vibrant bl...

It’s the third weekend in November , and things are heating back up here in sunny Florida (because of course they are 🌞). While the rest of the country’s raking leaves, we’re raking in the blooms! This week, Jene is orchid-strating a love letter to one of her fall favorites — the Hong Kong Orchid Tree . With varieties that bloom from fall through spring, they’re fast...

It’s  November , but things are still looking green and serene here in sunny Florida! This week, Jene digs into the root of all good décor — interior plants . Did you know the interior plant capital of the world is right here in Florida? That’s right — Apopka! Talk about growing local pride ! Jene shares how to pick the leaf of your life — the perfect plan...

Sunshine, soil, and a little sass — welcome to J ene's Tropicals , the tropical talk show that proves Florida paradise can fit right in your backyard. Host Jene , owner of Jene’s Tropicals in sunny St. Pete, dishes out plant wisdom with a side of humor and a sprinkle of fertilizer (the good kind, promise). From “ugly” mandarins that are secretly delicious to the mysterious...

🍂 It’s the  end of October in Florida — the air’s kinda crisp , the leaves are kinda turning , and your garden’s definitely judging you. Have you finished your fall pruning yet? Better leaf no branch untrimmed, because time is running out faster than a squirrel in a pecan grove! This week, Jene digs deep (pun absolutely intended) into all things shrub-tacular —...

It’s that magical time of year when Florida stops sweating (just a little) and starts shedding —humidity, pests, and overgrown chaos. 🍂 In this episode of Dryer Days & Dirtier Deeds , Jene from Jene’s Tropicals digs deep into how to prep your garden for the cooler, dryer October weather. From battling spidermites (the original web developers 🕷️) to fertilizing smarter, not h...

At some point in your botanical journey, you're gonna get bugged—literally. In this spook-tacular October episode, Jene dives antenna-first into the frightful world of the Pink Hibiscus Mealybug , Florida’s fluffiest little plant vampire. These cotton candy-colored creepers may look sweet, but don’t be fooled—they’re on a sticky mission to sap the life out of your tro...

🌸 Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow? No, we're not talking time travel—we're talking Brunfelsia americana! This week, Jene’s going full bloom as we dig into this fragrant favorite that keeps the flowers coming, even when the temps drop. It’s cold-hardy, low-maintenance, and blooming with personality—just like Jene! 🍑 Plus, we loquat some pollinators you need in your life. Je...

One of the most rootine questions Jene hears all year is: “When’s the best time to plant a tree in Florida?” And the answer is simple: Yesterday. Today. Or Tree-morrow. In this tree-mendous episode, Jene branches out into all things arboreal—covering the best tree varieties for Florida, which ones smell the best, which grow with tree-mendous ease, and how to keep them pinin...

From 300 BC to your morning smoothie, bananas have been the top banana for birds, monkeys, and humans alike. In this a-peeling episode, Jene climbs the banana tree of history to uncover how over 500 species of this fruity superstar have swung their way across continents, cultures, and compost piles. Whether you're a backyard grower in Florida or just really into potassium, you’ll go bananas...

They say beauty is pain—but in the case of bougainvillea, it's mostly just beauty (with a tiny prickly side). In this blooming episode, we're getting thorny... but in the most fabulous, floral way. 🌸🌵 Discover why the bougainvillea is vine and dandy for your landscape, how it thrives on tough love , and why it might just be the budding star of your spring garden. From ground cover to wall-...

Do you leaf a little extra room in your plant collection for some serious root awakening? 🪴 Well, it's time to branch out and grow your knowledge about the wonderful world of aroids ! From the show-stopping Alocasia (aka elephant ears 🐘) to the ever-charming Chinese Evergreen 🌿, Jene’s got all the dirt on these leafy legends. Join us on this leafy adventure as Jene unravels the quirks, th...

Are you ready to squamosa-ly fall in love with one of nature’s sweetest treats? In this episode, we’re dishing out the inside scoop on the Annona squamosa—better known as the sugar apple. From its cousin, the atemoya, to a whole bunch of fruitful facts, you’ll learn why this tropical delight is the apple of everyone’s eye (and taste buds). 🍎💚 Whether you’re lo...

🌱 We’re talking soil structure: the underground hero that holds your garden together. Sure, it might look like “just dirt,” but when it comes to growing happy, healthy plants, soil is the root of all success. We’ll dig into the gritty challenges (compaction, drainage, nutrients—oh my!) and unearth some simple ways to make working with your soil a whole lot easier. Fr...

Lettuce turnip the beet, Florida—fall gardening season is almost here, and it’s kind of a big dill . For the next 9 months, you can squash your gardening doubts and kale it in the veggie patch. Whether you’re corny for corn, pumped for pumpkins, or just want to pepper your garden with flavor, Jene’s got the root of all veggie wisdom. She’ll spill the beans on warm-sea...

It’s August in Florida—which means it’s hot enough to melt your flip-flops and steam your glasses just by stepping outside. But guess what? That’s prime time to level up your landscape and grow some seriously sassy tropical plants! 🌴🔥 In this episode of Jene’s Tropicals, we’re spilling the (potting) soil on how to turn your yard from “meh” to &ldqu...

When you think of Florida gardening, you probably picture palms, oranges, and maybe that one neighbor who tries to grow pineapples in a kiddie pool. But surprise! Florida is also a hotspot for growing some of the world’s tastiest culinary spices. On today’s zesty episode of Jene’s Tropicals , Jene spills the (bay) leaves on flavor-packed plants like allspice (spoiler: it’s...