Green Thumb Made Easy

Having a green thumb has never been so easy if you live in Costa Rica.  Basically during the rainy season just cut and plant or buy your favorite flower from the nursery and plant it anywhere.  I recently wrote a blog about planting fruit trees, in this entry we will discuss exotic flowers and plants that are available and great for landscaping in our area of Costa Rica.

We have recently been planting at a couple of homes we manage and after numerous trips to the nursery we have become fond of a number of species.  We have been there so much they recommended we go to the mother farm where they actually raise the seedlings and supply the various nurseries, which was a great experience and even better prices too!!

The Vivero la Bonita Mother Farm Nursery

Going to the main farm of Vivero la Bonita was a lot of fun and they have basically everything you can imagine from palms, to flowers, to shrubs, to fruit trees, to even cactuses.

Tons of Options at the Main Nursery

Some of my favorites are the Heliconias and you can find them wild in the jungle, dig them up, and plant them at your house or property.

This Heliconia is Commonly Called the “Lobster Claw” (Can’t Imagine Why)

There are tons of different kinds of Heliconias; which are the same family of Birds of Paradise and there are tons of varieties.

This One is Called the “Sexy Pink”, an Easy Name to Remember

Some of the not so common or rare species you will have to buy from the nursery or trade cuttings or seeds with friends.

This Rare Heliconia has What Appears to be Fur (No Idea What this one is Called)

Another favorite are the Plumerias from Hawaii, which are beautiful flowers and fragrant as well.

Plumerias at the Nursery

The flower comes in pink, yellow, or white and here is an example of a pink flower below.

Plumeria Flower in Pink

Another local favorite are “Veraneros”, translated literally as “Summers” are Bugambilia flowers and they bloom vibrant colors all summer (dry season) long, and sometimes even a good amount into the rainy season.

Bugambilias or “Veraneros” as They are Called Here

The Bugambilias come in pinks, reddish-pink, and purples.

These are just a few of our personal favorites and there are countless more species of flowering plants and shrubs with bright leaf colors.  And if I got into the all the species of amazing palm trees available…

…well, we will leave that for a later blog on just palms.  Come pick your favorite flowers and start landscaping your Costa Rica property today!!