In this Daily: The Tiny Ways That the Plant Life in Costa Rica Changes Town
There is always something interesting to discover when you pay attention to the details in Las Catalinas. On a walk around town, many things just feel right, a chorus of things working in tandem that’s very subconsciously pleasing, but can be hard to pick up on at a first glance. Take for example the streets of town. Rather than cutting across the landscape in a grid pattern, the roads follow the natural topography, creating a winding road that feels more adventurous and explorational. Hidden corners and bends in the street add to this feeling, as your brain is subconsciously excited to discover what lays ahead.
The flowers and plant life in town are another detail that always offer something new to discover, and help town itself feel alive. Thanks to the tropical climate, these diverse flowers and plants grow and bloom in waves throughout the year, lending fullness and color to different spaces around town at different times.
Plaza Calle La Ronda is a space that manages to be private and connected to town at the same time, all thanks to the chest high azulina and yellow allamanda bushes around the edge of the plaza. Walking past, you can see over the bushes to the street and the homes beyond, and you’re firmly connected to the Calle La Ronda neighborhood. But settle down against one of the handmade reclaimed wood benches and you find yourself secreted away, surrounded only by the flower bushes and the breeze.
With the flowers in bloom, this hidden place in the heart of Beach Town is rich in life and color. Around you, the soft blues of azulinas draw the occasional butterflies, hummingbirds, and peaceful honeybees as they shift slightly in the breeze. At the center of the garden, yellow allamandas are bright and full of life, complementing the gentler shades of the azulinas.
It’s a transient atmosphere, one that might last this way for a few weeks or just for today, before the blooms fade as other parts of town begins to fill with color. The Malinchillos just nearby are already coming to life, as waves continue on.