charliedoggett.net
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| Roble de Sabana Tree across cow pasture from my house, seen from street. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Roble de Sabana Zooming in through my trees Atenas, Costa Rica |
It is still dry season and trees that lose their leaves immediately burst out in flowers. This week it is the Roble de Sabana, which is a type of oak tree they say, but nothing like a north american oak!
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| Unknown Insect Inside my house, Atenas, Costa Rica |
There are thousands of species of insects in Costa Rica and I came back from Bijagua with bites from half of them! 🙂 But this one waiting on me at home was a new one for me. I swept him out. Don’t know if this is one the geckos like. But the geckos go outside some during the day, so they still may get him!
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| Whack! Whack! and Drop the Machete! All before I can turn on my cellphone & photograph it! 2 limbs of my Guarumo Tree were banging against roof in the wind. My yard, Atenas, Costa Rica |
Photo gallery of My Home Gardens
And for anyone planning to drive a car here in the near future, Ruta 27 will get a little faster next week and the La Patina Bridge repairs & widening is to be finished by April 30 according to this article in Tico Times. And it will speed up the buses to San Jose also!
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| Red Passionflower On a vine covering a neighbor’s wall, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica Note the three stages here, bud, open flower, and spent flower. |
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| Passionflower Monteverde, Costa Rica This one is like the ones I used to photograph in Tennessee. |
See photos of some of the many varieties of Passionflowers in Costa Rica
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| Corteza Tree or Tabebuia ochracea On the hill just opposite by house Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Seen from my Living Room Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| And seen from a walk today over the hill. The big yellow tree on right is same as other photos. Look carefully to see 3 other yellow trees & a light lavender one. My house is left of center, the small orange roof below or to right of the big orange roof with solar panel (landlord’s). Cellphone shot, Atenas, Costa Rica |
This Corteza Tree is not to be confused with what I call “Yellow Bell Tree” or some call Yellow Trumpet Tree that bloomed earlier here and which I have in my yard. Earlier this dry season on the same hill above was a beautiful orange blooming tree, called the Oro Tree and I shared a photo on my blog when at the apartments, follow the link. But can’t find one made on this hill.
In the last month and currently are also some pink blossom trees called Roble de sabana or Pink Trumpet Tree which I also showed a photo of when at the apartments. There will also be a few lavender trees and some with white blooms too.
Why do so many trees bloom in the dry season? They defoliate or lose their leaves and the new growth starts with blooms that turn to leaves that will soon be nourished by the coming rainy season which is also called the green season here! I’m ready for rain! It usually starts in May.
See also my photo gallery Walking in Atenas for more trees and flowers around town.
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| Close-up of an open bloom, Flamevine or TriquiTraque in Costa Rica In my garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica My favorite shot so far. |
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| At first the blooms are “capsules” or little tubes before opening up. My TriquiTraque in Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| TriquiTraque looks best when massed on a wall like I have in my garden. Atenas, Costa Rica |
There is not much online about this flower in the way of information. As “Flamevine” the best I could find was at the University of Florida website. When I Google triquitraque it is my blog that comes up in addition to a lot of photos by different people. So I can’t tell you much about them. I did find this page article in a botanical gardens book which is kind of scientific. And I think I have already noted that in Spanish dictionaries triquitraque means “clattering noise” or a “string of firecrackers.”
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| Heliconia & Blue Plumbago My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Red Ginger among the Maraca Plants My Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| “Parrot Flower” or a type of Heliconia |
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| Fern My Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
See also my photo gallery of Flora & Forests
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| View Out My Kitchen Window Today It changes daily and above this is landlord’s fence covered in morning glories. |
See my photo gallery Flora & Forests
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| Banded Skipper My Home Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica The gardener found it and came got me for the photo. I have other shots of one inside my house. |