Flowers & Greenery

Another post to brighten the day of my northern friends who are dealing with cold and snow. 🥶 Winter can't last forever, my friends!

Went for a walk today to take pictures of flowers for my Mom. She was the one who got me interested in gardening when I was a little kid and I used to love going to the greenhouses with her in the spring and summer. I remember especially loving marigolds and lilacs.

Here in Guatemala, it's basically summer year-round so there are always flowers in bloom. It's dry season right now, so things are a bit dusty but still warm and lovely weather for a walk around town. I visited the three viveros (plant stores) that I know of here in Panajachel. I wish I could have bought some plants for my garden, but I just don't have the energy right now to nurture them -- and to fight off the dogs from digging them up. Whenever I dig in the soil, they think it's an open invitation to tear up all the dirt they can get their grubby paws on. 😣

Vivero #1 on the road up that goes to Godinez

Vivero #2 on Arboles across from Deli Pan

The flower lady inside the market building. (#3 on the map)

Of course, there are lots more ladies selling flowers at the market but this is one of the places that's always there, not just seasonal. 

The Vivero across from Despensa Familiar (#4 on the map)

Map of Panajachel showing the three plant stores and the market.

Now a few pictures of some lovely flowers around town, on the roadsides and in people's gardens.

A rare pink & yellow butterfly weed. There are lots of orange & yellow ones around but this tiny guy was different and beautiful.

Literally growing between the rocks on the hot river road.

I love these pretty pink flowers. I'd rather have these than bougainvillea.

The hated bougainvillea in brilliant fuchsia.

These are what I consider the "fall" flowers around here. They start blooming in October.
They're at the end of their time now and most have gone to seed. You can see
all the DUST on their leaves!

Tiny little yellow flowers, only about the size of my pinky fingernail.

That's a poinsettia twice as tall as me!

I believe this is a kroton.

These flowers are pale blue though they look white in this picture.

These orange "finger flowers" always remind me of undersea coral.

A local business that sells gravel and sand has brightened up their yard with geraniums.

No pictures from my own garden as it's a dust bowl! My basil is doing well in the heat, plus a nice spider plant and a jade plant and a pink geranium. The bougainvillea is the bane of my existence. I hate that plant! I would cut it all down if it was up to me. But I guess it does cover the ugly fence quite well and the birds love it.

I'm heading to Tapachula, Mexico, next weekend for my first visa run since Covid-19 started so look for that blog post when I get back. 👍