A visit to the Ark
Nestled in the folded hills of Alajuela on the side of the Barva Volcano* is the enchanting world of the Ark Herb Farm and botanical garden. The Ark is the creation of Tommy Thomas a 25 year resident of Costa Rica, and a man with a vision.I visited the Ark and chatted with Tom on a grey and drizzly day last week. Yes, it’s the rainy season so grey and drizzly comes with the territory. Still, just when did a Costa Rican gardener worry about a little drizzle (or even a lot of drizzle – let’s face it, if I can see to work, you will find me outside and soaking wet).Back to the Ark. First, what is a ‘botanical garden’ – always a good question. Wiki, as always, has a satisfactory answer: “A botanical garden or botanic garden is a garden dedicated to the collection, cultivation, preservation and display of a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names. It may contain specialist plant collections such as cacti and other succulent plants, herb gardens, plants from particular parts of the world, and so on; there may be greenhouses, shade houses, again with special collections such as tropical plants, alpine plants, or other exotic plants.”If that definition is correct, Tom Thomas has nailed it. His plants are certainly well labeled and the variety? Huge is the word.For years, the Ark has specialized in herbs and Tom has herbs for sale in his greenhouses. They are also Huge. Then there is the recreational agriculture, leisure time agriculture. Most of use who garden are engaged in recreational agriculture. We give plants away. We just like digging in the dirt.But Tom is a specialist. He has run several businesses that sold herbs to local and international markets now he specializes in…….everything. Thematic terraces with herbs for medicine, plants for oils, and culinary herbs. He has hosted a French artist who made all of his paints from the plants at the Ark.And the gardens? Paths that wind through color and fragrance. Delicate plants, small trees, great trees. The gardens are a wonderland and a full tour takes at least an hour and a half, longer if you have pertinent questions. Now Tom is headed for full licensing at a botanical garden and will open as such sometime in February of 2020. I plan to be there but I also plan on being back at the gardens before that.It really did rain too much for me to go on the tour. It was far too difficult to pick a plant this week so here is a picture of the entrance to the tour at The Ark Botanical Garden. When I go back, I want some of those plants in the foreground – little orange flowers that I think come from bulbs. If you haven’t been to the Ark, it’s worth the drive. -----------------Editor's note: For more information on this article of request for information about gardening, Ms Victoria Torley, gardener columnist, can be reached at victoriatorley1@gmail.com |
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