Protecting the Orchids of Guatemala
“ …deforestation is a major threat to the unique animal and plant life that
inhabit these areas.”
Category: Garden
Roses in Guatemala Part II
Now that you’ve planted those roses, which flourish so vigorously in Guatemala, what do you do with them? I once started an article for a Guatemalan newspaper with the comment that it’s hard to kill a rose here. The editor took that comment out with a rebuke, “That’s not what the readers want!” But roses are hardy, especially in Guatemala’s […]
Read moreGrowing Roses in Guatemala
Guatemala is a major exporter of roses to the United States and Europe. The epicenter of rose production used to be La Antigua Guatemala, but rising real estate prices have pushed it far afield, especially since hothouse construction has never been so easy and inexpensive. Step one is to dig a hole, leaving ample depth and sides. Digging a hole […]
Read moreBotanics Gardens
Discover an oasis of tranquillity at El Jardín Botánico Hidden alongside one of the busiest roads in Guatemala City lies El Jardín Botánico—an oasis of tranquillity on the chaotic Avenida de la Reforma in zone 10. Ever since it opened in 1922, the site has been a protected landmark displaying over 650 species of both native and exotic flora. The […]
Read moreThe Bird-bound, Labyrinthine, “No Name Gardens” of Atitlán
Guatemala’s exquisite botanical colony plays push and shove with weed and water — and sometimes with people Everyone knows that cacti need little water. But in Guatemala’s most spectacular garden, the cacti are more watered than other plants. This is hardly the fault of the gardeners. They are not the ones doing the watering. This botanical garden abuts another Central […]
Read moreOliver Thornwhistle on—Could Weeds Turn Guatemala Green?
Could two common weeds hold the keys to Guatemala’s independence from petroleum imports? Chances are you’ve seen them, just not recognized them as you drive about Guatemala, especially since one flourishes in the coastal lowlands and the other is widespread in the highlands.
Read moreOliver Thornwhistle On—Night & Day
There is beauty and mystery in your garden around the clock written by S.C. Johnson Day Time You have a pretty good idea of what is going on in your daytime garden, since every day you can watch the main attractions. They include hummingbirds and butterflies, lured by the modern trend of planting hummingbird and butterfly “friendly” plants and flowers. […]
Read moreOliver Thornwhistle On Bougainvillea
written by S.C. Johnson Sometime, before my time, I believe it was in the 1930s when minds were preoccupied with the Great Depression, everybody had to have a national or a state flower. Now mostly, nobody even knows what they are. I was at a British pub quiz night recently and our Swedish team member had no idea what the […]
Read more