garden tour in Honduras

The weather around here has finally warmed up (at least for now) and I am just itching to get into my garden.  I haven't really started any seeds or anything though, because I was starting to feel hopeless that spring would ever really come.

To hold me (and all of us) over until we get to experience the thrill of those seeds sprouting (seriously...such a rush) I'll take you on the garden tour in Honduras.

This tour was on a Sunday afternoon.  I didn't know the Spanish word for garden, so I had to try a few kids before one (Lisbeth) understood what I was asking and excitedly began the tour. 

Glenda and Carlos joined in, then Lisbeth had to go practice music for church, so the tour ended with Glenda and Dania.

Got all that?  Good ;)

This is the flower garden between Dago & Dilia's house and the guest house where we stayed.

Zinnias and cosmos in December?  Yes please!

 

I don't know what this fruit was.  I couldn't understand what they were saying, and I don't think we have it in the US, so there's not an English word for it.  It didn't seem like it was something they ate, though.

Poinsettias!  It didn't really feel like Christmas, though.  I think it had something to do with the fact that I was wearing flip-flops.

This is the oven outside the kitchen.  They do have a "conventional" oven and stove in the kitchen, but they don't use it very often.  The wood fire is much more practical for them.  Mariana's kitchen garden is behind it.

Tomatoes!  In December!  I am struggling with contentment :)  I told the kids that we can only have gardens in the summer because it isn't warm enough the rest of the year.  They thought that was so funny.

These are the trees that line the compound wall along the road. Aren't they gorgeous? 

 

 Coleus

Doesn't this look like a pepper plant?  I think that's what it is...

Mangoes!  I think this tree is too young to eat the fruit from, but I'm not sure.

Lisbeth and Carlos providing scale for the size of this baby tree.

This mango tree is a little more full-grown.

I think this was going to be cilantro.

 These are some kind of squash that I don't think we have around here.

So beautiful...

This is in another part of the compound, under some trees.  I think it gets so hot down there they utilize the shade a little more. What a problem to have!! I am looking for every sunny spot available in my shaded yard during gardening season!

We could not establish what this plant is.  They said that it had a red fruit, but they didn't seem to think it was beets or radishes.  The Spanish word they were using was not in my dictionary.

Peppers

They really, really wanted me to take a picture of the corn.  If there is one plant we have in abundance around here, it is corn...but I obliged.

 They also wanted me to take a picture of the ants...

This is another kind of squash that isn't very common around here.  It has a green flesh, but I think it tastes like a kind of winter squash.  Also worth mentioning: its huge (as Lisbeth is showing you).

This is a bloom from the squash plant.

 They also keep chickens.

I can't remember what kind of tree this is...

This is in a field behind the compound.  It is sugar cane.  Most of the fields down there seemed to be either corn or sugar cane.

 And here is Glenda with this tree.  Again, we could not figure out the English word for this fruit.

And that's it.  Having the kids take me on this tour was definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip.  I loved talking with them and trying to figure out the English/ Spanish words, and it was so much fun having them show me around their home.  It was a good way to see what we have in common and what is different.  Also, I love gardens.

How is your garden coming this year?