charliedoggett.net
Both my gardens and ones I visit
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| From my kitchen looking across the DR/LR and terrace at another rain. Our rainiest rainy season in years has everything growing. |
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| Step out my back door and the flower garden is 6-7 feet tall! |
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| And the screen of little palms outside my office/guest room is growing too! |
Usually by December the “Dry Season” or our summer has begun, but it is raining again today and forecasts are for more. Its a good thing that I love the jungle! 🙂
Not the expensive one, just a simple Canon 100mm zoom, 1:28, Image Stabilizer (for hand-held) and auto focus. Here’s a few flowers with it and MY VERY FIRST HIBISCUS in my garden! I only recently got the plant which is slow-growing, but here’s the first bloom!
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| Hibiscus My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Once de Abril (haven’t found an English name yet) My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Heliconia My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Plumbago My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Red Ginger My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Porter Weed My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
I think I did okay on close-ups of flowers before with a telephoto lens from a distance, but this is suppose to be better! It has the capability of a 1:1 ratio if I get close enough. Insects will be more difficult because they scare off, so I’ll probably continue with my 300 mm for them. Though, note the little tiny ant on the Porter Weed above. 🙂 And it is so nice having flowers blooming year around!
My Flora & Forests photo gallery
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| Gartered Trogon in the Cecropia Tree beside my terrace during Spanish Class Tuesday morning at my house. Quick cell phone shot & he flew away. I’ve traveled many miles to get a photo of this guy and he finally comes to me when I’m without good camera. 🙂 |
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| Rufous-naped Wren Seen at breakfast from my terrace, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| White-ringed Flycatcher Seen at breakfast from my terrace, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica Similar to the very common Social Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee & Boat-billed Flycatcher. But white on head makes a complete ring around his head and Kiskadee & Boat-billed are noticeably larger with larger bills. |
See also my BIRDS Photo Gallery
Each morning I walk through my garden and then eat breakfast on my terrace. Today I liked:
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| Hoffman’s Woodpecker Female In my garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica A little better photo than one posted the other day. |
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| White-Ringed Flycatcher In My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| White-Ringed Flycatcher In My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
And my BIRDS GALLERY online
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| Blue-crowned Motmot In My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Blue-crowned Motmot In My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
The other day I told about missing a photo of a motmot, well at breakfast today I got one. Not my best shot with the cool tail partially hidden, but okay to be behind some leaves.
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| On the hill behind my neighbor’s house he has this very full, lush garden that is more than camera shows! Anthony has spent a lot of time and money making this full hillside garden next door. |
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| And by his front door this nice garden in front of my house. |
Anthony is a good neighbor for many reasons and his gardens are certainly one of those! Together we keep our landlord’s property looking good and we both use the same gardener to keep our yards up. If you live in Atenas, it is J&C Gardens or contact me to get the phone number or email address. We think they are very good.
Yes, this is the Anthony who made the garden-art clay bird in my garden though he does not have anything similar in his garden yet. He will eventually.
And there is my under construction FLORA & FORESTS photo gallery if interested.
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| What I see when standing at the kitchen sink looking out the window. My home, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Rain Makes the Garden Grow! Thicker & More Lush! Note that I replaced my Lantanas flowering border with red caladiums which will get fuller soon. The other taller plants shaded the Lantanas and they require sun to thrive and bloom. New color in the shade! |
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| The Maraca or Shampoo Ginger plant has multiplied and grown very tall with several blooms. |
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| Heliconia Across from the door I added a row of 20 of the small Heliconias with little bright red & orange flowers that will bloom constantly year-around when they mature. They help the “tropical look.” |
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| One of the little Helconia up close, like adding little jewels to my garden! |
I’m always trying to improve my garden and during the rainy season is the time for new plants as the rain helps them to take root and thrive. Life in the tropics just keeps getting better! 🙂