And what about that stuff in between? That, friends, is the really boring stuff, and gardening includes a lot of it.

For me, the worst part of gardening is weeding, and we have a lot of weeds. When faced with a weeding, I will do almost anything to disappear. And so it was that I went down to the bottom of the property the other day to pop a few plants in along the fence line, which is ugly barbed wire.

We have a lot of fencing, and I thought I had a lot of plants. But I was wrong. Less than a quarter of the fence was done when I ran out of plants.

For a while, I thought I would have to go back to weeding. Then I remembered the flowers I pulled out because they had invaded the driveway. So I grabbed them and put them down by the fence, too.

Well, that kept me away from weeding for a while, but not long enough.

During the Costa Rica rainy season, weeds grow faster than anything else. I happened to glance at my pebbled path in front of the house and realized that it now resembled a lawn more than a path. Sigh.

Actually, I blame my wonderful greenhouse for the weeds (have to blame something) because it is such a delight to go out there and water my orchids and tomatoes.

Or, maybe I am just getting lazy in my old age?

Plant of the week. Heliconia rostrata, commonly known as Lobster Claw, is a breathtaking tropical perennial celebrated for its unique, pendulous bracts in vibrant shades of red and yellow with green tips.

These long, cascading bracts resemble lobster claws, adding an exotic and dramatic look to garden landscapes throughout the year in Costa Rica. Heliconia thrives in partial shade to full sun, with its best colour displayed in bright, filtered light.

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Find more interesting stories about gardening in Costa Rica on the AM Costa Rica Garden Magazine. Questions on this article, Ms. Torley, gardener columnist, can be reached by emailing victoriatorley1@gmail.com
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