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- Fokuserar på att utforska ätbara växtern och deras miljöer.

- Planera resa

- Hitta platser med ätbara växter där de växer naturligt.

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- Fokuserar på odling

- Hitta platser där det säljs sticklingar och fröer.

- Event: T.ex. tillfälliga marknader

(- Guider och tips för att odla eller blir det för spretigt?)

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Frukter/grönsaker/kryddor? Hemmaodling.

Läkande växter? Regnskog?

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Our top picks for veggies and fruits to grow at home, from tomatoes to greens

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Enjoy home-grown edible garden plants from your raised bed garden or fresh from your yard. No worries. If they don't last a year, we'll replace them free.

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Målgrupp: Med en applikation som är öppen för allmänhet är det inte möjligt att ”stänga ut” personer som inte tillhör den tänkta målgruppen, men det går att anpassa applikationen för en. Efter research inom området är det tydligt att målgruppen för applikationen bör vara personer som tillhör millenniegenerationen då dessa är dem som har ett intresse för växter och att resa, men som även borde ha intresse av att använda denna typen av appliktation.

Syfte: För växtintresserade användare att hitta platser med växter när de är ute och reser. Med möjlighet att kommentera och tipsa andra användare om platser främjar även applikationen interaktion mellan användarna. Millenniegenerationen har ett stort intresse för att resa och upptäcka nya resmål, syftet är att växtnördarna i generationen ska kunna upptäcka nya platser med växter som vägledning.

Mål: Att hjälpa användaren att på nya platser snabbt kunna få en översikt över vilka ”växtplatser” som finns i närheten, det ska alltså vara möjligt för applikationen att genom platsinformation från användaren kunna visa en karta med platser markerade. På kartan visas kända platser som parker, botaniska trädgårdar och florister tillsammans med mindre kända platser, s.k. smultronställen, som användarna själva kan lägga till. För att användarna ska kunna anpassa platserna på kartan ska det finnas en filtreringsfunktion där det går att ställa in vilken typ av platser man vill se. Det ska gå att enkelt få information om platserna genom att klicka på dem, vad som finns där och kommentarer från andra användare till exempel. Det ska gå att använda applikationen med en hand eftersom man på resande fot ofta bär eller drar en väska. För att applikationen ska fungera även på platser där användarna inte har tillgång till internet ska det vara möjligt att ladda ned kart- och platsinformation som sedan kan visas när användaren är offline.

Det ska gå att se event i närheten, exempelvis utställningar och sticklingbytning. För att i förväg kunna planera sin resa ska användarna kunna planera rutter genom att välja platser de vill se och spara dem bland ”Mina rutter” (namn inte bestämt).

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Växter är stort på sociala medier och det finns många konton som lägger upp bilder på växter. Både de som bara lägger upp egna bilder men även de som lägger upp och delar andras bilder och på så sätt skapar ett community där växtmördar kan samlas.

Faktumet att ”Plant parents” är ett begrepp idag (https://www.thestar.com/life/2017/02/18/why-millennials-are-becoming-proud-plant-parents.html).

Det finns tjänster inriktade på växter som visar att intresset finns, exempelvis Garden Answers som identifierar växter för användaren.

Millenniegenerationen har ett ökat intresse för växter än övriga generationer (https://gardencollage.com/inspire/art-design/social-commentary-2017-explores-millennials-love-houseplants/).

Millenniegenerationen prioriterar resor över mycket annat, och vill utforska sina resmål (https://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/05/millennials-are-prioritizing-experiences-over-stuff.html).

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"Discover your inner herb nerd" https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/plant-personality-quiz/

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https://davesgarden.com/
Artikel växtnörd: https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2983

Byta sticklingar:
http://smartakartan.se/byta-tjanster-och-varor-i-goteborg/

Byta frön:
http://smartakartan.se/frobytarna/

Vad säger nördarna/konnässörerna själva?
http://www.alltomtradgard.se/topic/nord-eller-konnassor-59791/

Se blomman:
https://www.faltbiologerna.se/faltbiologen/recension-se-blomman

Att vara en nörd:
http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/451312?programid=3117

Plant nerd night:
http://www.diggermagazine.com/plant-nerds/

Varför växter?
https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/3bw5pb/people-with-plants-vice-weekends

https://www.plantdelights.com/blogs/articles/bizarre-plants-only-a-mother-could-love-amorphophallus-dasylirion-dionaea-sarracenia

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Att växter är populärt visar sig inte minst på instagram. Det finns allt från konton där privatpersoner endast lägger upp bilder på sina växter till konton som delar andras bilder och som på så sätt skapar ett litet community. Ett exempel på ett sådanr konto är @houseplantclub på instagram med 277.000 följare.

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House Plant Club (@houseplantclub) • Instagram photos and videos

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977K Followers, 2,412 Following, 4,318 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from House Plant Club (@houseplantclub)

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We find inspiration all over the place, from the homes of our friends and co-workers, to print publications and books, to shops and galleries around Portland and around the world. Recently, though, Instagram has become one of our favorite and most fulfilling places to search for indoor plant photography.
We're consistently finding new and beautiful ideas on Instagram for ways to style our homes with plants. We even started a hashtag, #InteriorRewilding, to showcase some of our favorite photos. When we're searching for new ideas and inspiration, there are a few accounts (and hashtags) that are our go-to places to start. Some of these are large, round-up accounts that repost the best contributions from followers. Others are independent artists and photographers creating their own content. All showcase gorgeous indoor plant photography. Here they are, in no particular order. We hope you enjoy!

10 Favorite IG Accounts for Gorgeous Indoor Plant Photography

1. @urbanjungleblog // #urbandjunglebloggers
The @urbanjungleblog account collects some of the very most beautiful indoor plant photography from across instagram and the web into a lovely feed. In addition, they broadcast monthly themes, challenging their "urban jungle bloggers" to create beautiful content and share their favorites ( February theme is wild animals!). Perhaps the best part is the hashtag used to submit photos #urbanjunglebloggers: a cornucopia of the very best indoor plant photography.

2. @thejungalow // #jungalowstyle
Started by the talented LA-based designer, @justinablakeney, @thejungalow instagram account represents The Jungalow, a blog focusing on filling interior spaces with houseplants (check out our feature on the Junglalow if you're so inclined!). The result? A beautiful stream of indoor plant photography and inspiring spaces. Definitely check out their hashtag, #jungalowstyle, for further inspiration.

3. We discovered Amsterdam-based photographer Janneke Luursema via her contributions to our own #InteriorRewilding feed, which asks folks to contribute indoor plant photography from their own spaces around the world. Her photos are minimalistic and beautiful, with refined color palettes and subjects. Stunning!

4. @arianatanabe
In our lead buyer Ariana's Instagram feed, the cup runneth over with gorgeous photos of her succulent and cactus-filled home, and her visits to nurseries around the west coast. She's a regular contributor to #InteriorRewilding, and her indoor plant photography often appears in our own Instagram feed as well.

5. @losinredning
Based in Sweden the Picky Sister Vintage account features gorgeous indoor plant photography, plus some really lovely styling ideas.

6. @cactusmagazine // #cactusmagazine
Another round-up account, @cactusmagazine brings together "the most succulent collection of cactus photography" on Instagram. Look for creative definitions of "cactus" here, as this account pushes the boundaries of art and indoor plant photography. Definitely explore their hashtag, #cactusmagazine too!

What are your favorite sources of plant interior inspiration? Who do you follow on Instagram? Let us know what we're missing! Share with us in the comments.

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10 Must-Follow Instagrams for Indoor Plant Photography

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We find inspiration all over the place, from the homes of our friends and co-workers, to print publications and books, to shops and galleries around Portland and around the world. Recently, though, Instagram has become one of our favorite and most fulfilling places to search for indoor plant photography.

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"According to a recent survey by Realty Mogul, 47 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 34 would rather spend their money on traveling than buying a house, compared to only 26 percent of those ages 45 and older who said the same."

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Millennials aren't buying homes at the same rate as previous generations, and homeownership rates for those under 35 have steadily declined since the early 2000s.

One reason for this shift: Young people today have different priorities.

According to a recent survey by Realty Mogul, 47 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 34 would rather spend their money on traveling than buying a house, compared to only 26 percent of those ages 45 and older who said the same.

This holds true to an opinion millennial consumers have expressed for years: Experiences matter more than things.

William Perugini | Getty Images

A 2014 Eventbrite poll found that 78 percent of millennials would choose to spend money on a desirable event over a desirable purchase and 55 percent said that they're spending more on experiences than they ever have, CNBC reports.

Millennials "aren't spending our money on cars, TVs and watches," Taylor Smith, CEO and co-founder of Blueboard, tells CNBC. "We're renting scooters and touring Vietnam, rocking out at music festivals, or hiking Machu Picchu."

Young people also prioritize small luxuries, such as restaurant meals, daily Starbucks runs and, of course, avocado toast. Forty-seven percent of respondents ages 18 to 34 told Realty Mogul they'd prefer to rent over buy if it meant they could still afford such indulgences.

But although finances alone aren't the only thing holding young people back from home ownership, cost remains a major factor in whether or not they choose to buy.

Home prices keep rising while wages have remained largely flat. So, recent data from Apartment List shows, although 80 percent of millennials would like to purchase real estate, very few young people are in a good position to buy.

According to the report, "68 percent of millennials said they have saved less than $1,000 for a down payment. Almost half, or 44 percent, of millennials said they have not saved anything for a down payment."

While an indulgent vacation may set a millennial back a few thousand dollars, the cost of owning a house is vastly higher. A 20 percent down payment on a $200,000 home would cost $40,000 alone, before closing costs, maintenance and other the other expensive elements of home ownership even come into play.

Additionally, many millennials, it seems, don't fully grasp how expensive real estate has become, especially in desirable cities. If they push saving for a house to the back-burner in favor of spending money on travel, many might be in for a rude awakening when it comes time to start working toward a down payment.

As Apartment List reports: "In Los Angeles, the market with the widest gap in expectation and reality, the actual median price of a condo is $420,400, meaning that a 20 percent down payment comes out to $84,080. Respondents in that region estimated that they will need $36,340, which is less than half of the actual amount."

There's no rule that young people can't travel and purchase real estate, but those who do want to make home ownership a reality should start saving. After all, you can never put away too much.

Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook
Don't miss:

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Young people aren't buying homes because they'd rather travel the world

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Millennials aren't buying homes at the same rate as previous generations, and homeownership rates for those under 35 have steadily declined since the early 2000s. One reason for this shift: Young people today have different priorities.

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"72 percent of Millennials choosing to spend more money on experiences than material items"

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Millennials are prioritizing their cars and homes less and less, and assigning greater importance to personal experiences - and showing off pictures of them. It's a trend that's ultimately helping fuel growth of billion-dollar-plus start-ups like Uber, WeWork and Airbnb.

The shift among members of America's now-largest generation is forcing many clothing retailers, particularly those with a young customer base, to quickly adapt, or in the case of Aeropostale, to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Millennials "aren't spending our money on cars, TVs and watches," Taylor Smith, CEO and co-founder of Blueboard, told CNBC. "We're renting scooters and touring Vietnam, rocking out at music festivals, or hiking Machu Picchu."

Blueboard, which sells "experiential" packages to companies, has customers including Astex Pharmaceuticals and GoPro and designs perks such as skydiving, cooking classes and couples massages.

Scott Legato | Getty Images

A study by Harris Group found that 72 percent of millennials prefer to spend more money on experiences than on material things.

The trend is creating opportunities for start-ups, such as DayBreaker, an early morning weekday rave that hands out protein bars and energy drinks; Night Nation Run, a 5K late-night race; and Diner en Blanc, a dressy pop-up picnic where guests often spend hundreds of dollars.

The trend is also forcing established companies to adapt. Macy's, for instance, is using miniconcerts, yoga classes and cafes to draw consumers through its doors.

Macy's monitors and forecasts trends, from Fashion Week and music festivals like Coachella - highly attended by millennials - analyzing things like the average spending a millennial may put toward their Coachella outfits. The retailer hopes to tap into the money being spent on the outfits.

Macy's is rolling out such initiatives at a time when many brick-and-mortar retailers are struggling. Earlier this year, Macy's announced the closing 40 stores and more than 4,000 layoffs. Its shares are down more than 41 percent over the last year.

Social media and a 'fear of missing out'

Millennials view ownership differently than previous generations did. While young adults have traditionally placed high value in a car and home, many are now seeing them as major commitments. The trend predates millennials but is accelerating: Since 1987, Harris group found that the share of consumer spending on live experiences and events relative to total U.S. consumer spending increased 70 percent.

A lot of millennials' motivation has to do with distributing photos of themselves on social media. The Harris Poll found that factors such as a craving for recognition (for example, how many likes someone gets on their Instagram post), and a "fear of missing out" help drive millennials' cravings for experiences.

Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are all visual mediums designed less around what people are wearing or driving and more about what they're doing. At a recent Diner en Blanc event in Philadelphia, the majority of the 4,500 young adults present had a phone in one hand as they set up for an picnic.

"There's very few surprises in everyday life now," Michelle Homsher told CNBC on what inspired her to spend $35 to bring her own picnic basket and dinner and sit among thousands of strangers.

Jenna Caroccia, a professional fundraiser, posted four photos to her Instagram account before the event was even finished. "I love using the event's hashtag on Instagram because you get to meet other people and you want to see how everyone else's experience was."

And for some, it comes down to simply saying, here I am.

"I'm posting a photo on Instagram (even though) everyone knows I'm here," Shavyra Chambers, a communications associate, admitted to CNBC. "I don't post things to make people jealous, but just to let them know what's going on."
Correction: This story was revised to correct the spelling of Michelle Homsher's last name.

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Millennials: Forget material things, help us take selfies

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Millennials are prioritizing their cars and homes less and less, and assigning greater importance to personal experiences - and showing off pictures of them. It's a trend that's ultimately helping fuel growth of billion-dollar-plus start-ups like Uber, WeWork and Airbnb.

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In today's digital age, travel is not viewed as a luxury but instead a necessity. With pictures of exotic destinations and adventurous excursions flooding the social feeds of Millennials, it's no surprise that travel has become a top priority for this generation. In fact, Millennials are 23 percent more likely to travel abroad than their older counterparts. They are also willing to budget more for trips, with Millennials on track to spend $1.4 trillion on travel each year by 2020. Given these figures, it's evident this generation has become essential to the travel industry. So, let's take a look at the various ways Millennials are continuing to change the face of travel.

Cultural experiences reign over partying
The "experience economy", a term deemed by businesses to create memorable events for their customers, is consuming the travel industry with 72 percent of Millennials choosing to spend more money on experiences than material items. According to internal research from our company, Topdeck Travel, more than three quarters (86%) of Millennials would rather experience a new culture compared to 44 percent who prefer to party or 28 percent who prefer to shop. While baby boomers tend to seek the safety and convenience of an overcrowded touristy restaurant near a major attraction, Millennials are taking a step outside their comfort zone to experience that sought after authentic meal. In fact, just under half of Millennials said they would pick a destination because they want to experience a particular culture, and 78 percent want to learn something new while they travel.

A surge in "bleisure" travel
For past generations, business travel was merely an added benefit of the job, but today, we're seeing Millennials base their entire career decisions around the ability to travel generating a completely new concept- bleisure travel. Mixing business with leisure,"Bleisure" travel is more popular than ever amongst Millennials. According to Expedia, employees under 30 are traveling 4.7 times per year on business compared to 3.6 times for those above 30 years old. Millennials are taking advantage of having fewer responsibilities at home, such as children or families, and therefore have the opportunity to extend business trips more often than previous generations. In fact, 62 percent are more likely to extend their business vacations to gain cultural experience and see more of the world, all while on their company's dime.

Group travel is on the rise
Despite the idea that solo travel can be "dangerous," 37 percent of Millennials reported their intention to take at least one overnight trip unaccompanied in the next six months. But, going solo doesn't have to mean going alone. In fact, solo travel is becoming increasingly attractive, safe and easy when planned with a group tour operator. Traveling solo but with a group gives Millennials the freedom to explore alone while also having the safety net of a larger group should something go awry.

Hostels are becoming more appealing
Millennials are currently the fastest-growing age segment in terms of money spent on travel, so it's no surprise that they also make up a whopping 70 percent of hostel guests. This high concentration of young travelers looking for affordable options is making hostels a more appealing choice when searching for accommodations. Hostels are typically low in cost, placed in convenient locations and provide more social opportunities for travelers to meet likeminded individuals. Due to the uptick in bookings, hostels around the world are reinventing themselves with private rooms (which 9 out of 10 hostels now offer) and private bathrooms, movie theaters, bars, pools and even spas. We're even seeing big name hotel brands hop on board, like Hilton, by exploring new lines of hostel-like accommodations in order meet demands of the young Millennial traveler.

From a surge in bleisure travel to an increase in hostel like hotels, it's clear Millennials are having a huge impact on the travel industry. Whether it's taking a foreign bus out of the city center to taste homemade pasta, or taking a pay cut to travel more often for work, Millennials are a truly different breed of travelers.

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4 Ways Millennials Are Changing The Face Of Travel

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In today's digital age, travel is not viewed as a luxury but instead a necessity. With pictures of exotic destinations and adventurous excursions flooding the social feeds of Millennials, it's no surprise that travel has become a top priority for this generation. In fact, Millennials are 23 percent more likely to travel abroad than their older counterparts.

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Garden lovers can plan their Pacific Northwest travels with a new guide, "The Pacific Northwest Garden Tour.''

As a writer of hiking trails and campgrounds, even I love gardens. I have visited enough recently, of the gardens featured in the book, to put together the accompanying photo gallery (except for the lead photo by Stephanie Yao Long of The Oregonian photo staff).

With a subtitle of "The 60 best gardens to visit in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia,'' the new book by Donald Olson covers the best of an area rich in ornamental gardens.

From the world-famous Butchart Gardens of Victoria, British Columbia, to the indoor conservatory gardens at Seattle's Volunteer Park and to the Ladd's Addition Gardens that I bicycle through on the way to workin Portland, the best of the Northwest gardens are all featured.

I recently came upon a surprise delight, the Manito Park gardens in Spokane, which I wrote about separately (a half hour ago on this blog) as part of my current reporting project on Spokane and eastern Washington.

Olson begins the book with Oregon's gardens, perhaps because he lives part time in Portland (and the rest of the time in Manhattan). He writes about the region's well known gardens (the Oregon Garden, International Rose Test Garden, Portland Japanese Garden, Pittock Mansion), but also features some under-the-radar gems (Cistus Nursery and Joy Creek Nursery).

Just across the Columbia River from Portland, he writes about the Fort Vancouver Heritage Garden, which had its beginning not long after the fort was built in 1825 and is likely the oldest surviving garden cultivated by white settlers in the region.

In addition to the coverage that the 60 named gardens receive, sidebars point the way to other types of gardens or lesser-known gems, among them the University of Washington Medicinal Herb Garden in Seattle and the Bybee House pioneer orchard on Sauvie Island.

The book is one that any garden lover should own, and that includes just about anyone with the senses of sight and smell.

The 300 page, full-color paper bound book has a cover price of $24.95 and was published by Timber Press of Portland.

-- Terry Richard

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'Pacific Northwest Garden Tour' guides plant lovers to see 60 best ornamental gardens (photos)

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Just across the Columbia River from Portland, Donald Olson writes about the Fort Vancouver Heritage Garden, which had its beginning not long after the fort was built in 1825 and is likely the oldest surviving garden cultivated by white settlers in the region.

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Knowing where and when to go in Costa Rica can make all the difference to your vacation there. Wet, or as they call it green and dry seasons are an obvious consideration for a traveller to this Central American country. However, if you think that this is all you need to know, you might find your hotel situated in an arid area with leafless succulents, instead of lush rain forest vegetation you were expecting.

Highest density of species on our planet, a blend of flora and fauna of South and North Americas; about 1/4 of the territory having status of national park or some other nature preserving area; highest economical, wealth development and most stable democracy in Latin America; army abolished 1948 and corresponding budget spending instead on security, education and culture - all this make Costa Rica a dream destination for ecotourism.

If your traveling is driven by passion to tropical plants, this guide to Costa Rica is for you.

Climate and sub-climates of Costa Rica

Area-wise Costa Rica is smaller than the state of West Virginia or, if you are more familiar with European geographical references, about the size of Slovakia or 1/6 of Italy. It's easy to think that there should be no big differences in climate, but the nature would prove you wrong.

The central regions of country are elevated by a few mountain ranges with the highest pick of 3,820m (12,533 ft).

The steep elevations themselves make the temperatures and humidity change very fast and so does the vegetation. From dense tropical rain forests in lowland changing to alpine tundra with no trees on the highest tops.

Mountains creates also obstacles on the way of humid air masses carried by trade winds blowing over this narrow land patch between Pacific Ocean and Caribbean. This cause a lot of rain pouring down on south-east and north-east coasts, while most parts of Guanacaste province, shielded by the mountains, get extensive dry periods.

Hope these month by month maps of rain and dry periods in Costa Rica provinces can help you to time plan your vacation:

Costa Rica Biological environments

The differences in temperatures (mainly depending on the altitude above the see level) and amount of rain have created four distinctive climate conditions. Naturally, there are transitions between them, but mainly we can talk about following four environments: tropical rain forests, tropical dry forests, tropical cloud forests and paramo.

Tropical rain forests

Coastal areas on Caribbean side (Limón province) and south-east part of Pacific side (Puntarenas) are receiving the most rainfalls with even temperatures rarely going below +21˚C (70˚F) or above +34˚C (93˚F). This is a botanical heaven, the most species dense and diverse biomes on our planet! Only 3% of Earth are covered by tropical rain forests, but about 50% of species are to be found here.

The richness of Central American rain forests is extremely high even comparing to other similar regions of our planet. There are some theories explaining this by melting of North and South American flora as well as that when other our days' tropical regions had much cooler climate during the last ice age, there still were warm and humid conditions where Costa Rica is situated now.

You will be stunned by the abundance of plants in so many sizes, shapes and colors, growing on five different layers:

Ground - the vegetation down here is adopted to plenty of humidity, while getting just 2% of the sun light available to the trees in the canopy layer above. Many of our tropical room plants are from here. So they can cope with the low light inside of our homes. Providing some extra humidity and right potting soil will open a possibility to grow a range of really exiting plants, like and .

Shrub - smaller trees, shrubs and taller grasses are taking up this human hight's level. About the same amount of light as on the ground means that even here you will find some good candidates for indoors growing. Endless species of Heliconia (an article is in making), related Etlingera (photo above), Hedycium, Alpinia. Please note, however, that you should never collect any plant material in the wild without a proper permission!

Understorey or undercanopy - this is the place where young trees are waiting for their chance to take their place under the Sun as an older tree falls down and clears a vacant spot. But, not all plants here are so well behaving. Lianas are in harry to climb to the Sun, using others' trees trunks as a stairway.

The real bad guys here are the strangler figs though. They have an opposite tactic to lianas'. These different species of Ficus are sprouting their seeds high up in debris between branches of a host tree. As the shoot is growing up, the roots are reaching down around the host trunk. When finally in the soil they start depraving the host of its nourishment, while getting themselves wood hard and strangling the host to death. The dead tree inside the strangler fig will decay with time, living a hollow but hard structure of strangler fig's now woody roots.

Canopy - the roof of forest supported by 30-45m (98-148ft) high pillars of tree trunks. It's a crowded sundeck, where, by some estimates, up to 50% of all plant species are found. Not only sun light is yelled here, but also most of the rain water. The water is partly used by many epiphytes growing here on the trunks and branches, but mostly it is evaporated back to the athmosphere, creating new rain clouds.

The canopy biomes are still poorly studied and in most places are out of reach for visitors, but here in Costa Rica there are abundance of canopy tours, which can be bridge walks, zip lines or even aerial trams.

Emergent layer - just like some people are standing out among the masses so even some trees can grow considerably higher than others above the canopy.

Me and my partner are going to spend the most part of our trip in rain forests zones of Puntarenas province. Our first stop there will be at Finca Exotica Ecolodge situated right at the entrance to Corcovado National Park (see the map at the end of this article). Finca Exotica has en extensive garden with both decorative and edible tropical plants. So I will do a hotel and garden review for them in a separate blog post under my coming "Best Tropical Hotel Gardens" section.

While on Osa Peninsula, I will also try to make it to Casa Orquideas, which, unfortunately, I don't have much information about yet, except this Youtube video. I'm afraid I won't have enough time to visit situated more further in-land Las Cruses Biological Station, also known as Wilson Botanical Gardens. Described as most famous botanical garden in Central America, it hosts the second largest collection of palms in the world (after Nong Nooch in Thailand).

Next stop for us will be a bit North outside of city of Quepos, right next to Manuel Antonio National Park. This is the country's smallest national park, but also described as most beautiful. When deciding where to go, I couldn't resist the combination of white beaches, blue lagoons, mangroves and rain forests. A dedicated post will surely follow.

Other places to emerge your body and your soul into tropical rain forests in Costa Rica you can find on the Caribbean side: Veragua Rainforest Research and Adventure Park in Limon, with plenty of tourists activities and Tortuguero National Park, which is best experienced from a boat.

In Heredia province you will find La Selva Biological Station owned by Organization for Tropical Studies.

Tropical dry forests

Having the same all-year-round high temperatures as the rest of coastal zones, Guanacaste province is receiving the least amount of rainwater or having the most sunny days and a prolonged dry season. Guanacaste, however, is not covered by dry forests because of extensive human activities. To see the last patches of such forests you will need to go to Palo Verde Biological Station.

Costa Rica national tree Enterolobium cyclocarpum has its common name the same as this dry province - Guanacaste.

To withstand the dry seasons in these forests many plants evergreen in rain forests had to adapt here by turning deciduous. Trees are much shorter here and less dense. The undergrowth in its turn is denser here than in rain forests as it's getting much more light without the tight sun-shield of canopy.

Succulents are thriving here. My absolute favorite plant I grow home, is having its habitat in dry tropical forests of Central America.

There are still many epiphytes even in these forests, like bromeliads or orchids, but they are of more drought resistant species and varieties.

Tropical cloud forests

Opposite to the dry forests, cloud forests are almost constantly exposed to humidity close to 100%. Higher up in mountains, the night temperatures can drop here to 55 °F (13 ° C). These conditions require the flora here to come with adaptations different both to dry forests' plants and also to warmer rain forests down the hills.

Mosses are covering ground as well as many tree stems and branches. About 1/3 of all plants here are epiphytes (mostly bromeliads and orchids) representing almost 900 different species. Other plants you will see here in abundance are ferns.

Most popular site to experience cloud forests in Costa Rica is Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve visited by roughly 70.000 tourists per year. Eight hiking trails will comfortably take you close to the amazing diversity of flora and fauna here. It says to be the site with the largest amount of orchids species (over 500) in the world. Many of them, collected with a special permission, are now available to enjoy at Monteverde Orchid Garden in the nearby city of Santa Elena.

Just half the distance from the capital San José to Monteverde you can visit Nectandra Cloud Forest Gardens. It doesn't have the tourist infrastructure of Monteverde, but you still can enjoy 341 acres (138 hectares) of cloud forest with wild orchids, ferns, mosses and heliconias.

Paramo

Paramo is the forth distinct biological environment in Costa Rica. It is an alpine tundra found on elevations above 9800 - 10100ft (3000-3100m), where because of low temperatures and harsh winds trees are substituted by short shrubs and grasses.

Hiking opportunities in Paramo bioms are available in Cerro Chirripó National Park or as easy as driving all the way up to Cerro de la Muerte. The spine-chilling name of the last one (Summit of Death) is just a reminder of less easy travelling past times. Our days the Pan-American Highway will comfortably bring you here just 61mi (98km) from San José. In fact you will have to pass here if you decide to drive from the capital down to Osa Peninsula and the Pacific coast.

Other botanical and private gardens (open to public)

Take a moment to think about the feelings, which a person with keen botanical interest can experience facing the wilderness of flora in national parks and other protected areas in Costa Rica. Speaking for myself I would name: excitement, admiration, curiosity, exploration urge. Those are fantastic feelings, awakening our inner child. Tropical gardens, however, created and arranged by humans, appeals to me on another level. To me, this is a display, a living museum of the things of flora intended to please our sense of beauty and harmony.

This ornamental purpose is most obvious in private gardens, created often by one or a couple of enthusiasts according to their own interests and perceptions. Public botanical gardens, often maintained by universities, have more rational educational and economical, as well as scientific determination. Costa Rica boasts a plentiful garland of both.

Private botanical gardens of Costa Rica

Ileana de Terán, founder of SACRO (Save Costa Rica's Orchids), has an extensive collection of orchids, available to public visits at her Hacienda La Laguna in south-eastern suburbs of San José (Curridabat). She has transformed one of the oldest coffee plantations in Costa Rica into magnificent displays of flowering and foliage plants.

Else Kientzler Botanic Garden is one of the newest gardens in Costa Rica (opened 2006), but already probably most recognized and popular in the country. It consist of 11 gardens situated in the town of Sarchí. Some of the gardens are: flowering signature of Costa Rica - orchids; palms garden; bromeliads; endengered trees; suculents garden; tropical fruit trees, a hibiscus maze, shaped like... right, a hibiscus flower.

600m (2000ft) up to the hills overlooking the Pacific coast, Pura Vida Gardens are augmenting already magnificent tropical nature with myriads of flowering and foliage plants along the walking paths.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens are located on the slopes of the Poas volcano. It is a popular tourist destination, a complex of spa, lodge, restaurants and shops, but also 5 waterfalls, hummingbird and bromeliad gardens, the largest butterfly observatory in the world, a serpentarium and a frog pond.

In San José's northern suburb of Santa Bárbara you will find Arc Herb Farm, specializing in culinary and medicinal plants. Guided tours as well as strolling on your own is possible in their nursery and garden.

Just 13km (8mi) from San José International Airport, on the route to the Central Pacific beaches, there is a much recommended stop for the orchids lovers: La Garita Orchid Garden. It consist of trails, varied gardens, exhibition spots, learning nurseries, greenhouses and a laboratory. On the property you will see even other ornamental plants such as heliconias, gingers and palms.

Orchimex is a commercial orchids producer offering a tour through the greenhouses, where you will have the opportunity to see different types of orchid hybrids. You will view the stages of production, harvesting and packing the orchids for export.

If you spend your vacation on south part of the Caribbean coast, you can visit Finca la Isla's Botanical Garden with an extensive collection of mature tropical fruit trees, spices and flowers. Finca la Isla is a working farm producing black pepper, fruits, nutmeg and ornamental plants. You can taste seasonal fruits and homemade chocolate.

Public botanical gardens of Costa Rica

As you probably already figured out, there is a number of orchid gardens in this country. The Lankester Botanical Garden boast the largest collection of orchids in the world! This botanical garden is part of the University of Costa Rica and is located in the city of Paraiso, Cartago about 24km (15mi) from the capital San Jose, Costa Rica.

If you continue 44km (27mi) further east by road 10 from the Lankester Garden, you will arrive to CATIE Botanical Garden outside the city of Turrialba. CATIE is a Spanish abbreviation for "The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center". Besides its primary purpose as a laboratory for students and scientist, the gardens are also an interesting and relaxing place for amateur botanists. You can find here some rare as well as ornamental plants.

Another research center, The National Biodiversity Institute (INBio) of Costa Rica has its botanical garden right in San José (see the map below).

EARTH University (Spanish short for Agricultural School of Tropical Humid Region) has it grounds in Guácimo, Limón, where you also will find their botanical garden. Their La Flor campus is sutuated in Guanacaste.

Garden Hotels

During our trip to Costa Rica I will review two hotels well-known for their gardens. We will start with a few days in the Hotel Bougainvillea near the International Airport. Their garden is recognized as Costa Rica´s finest by a local gardening association.

The second one will be Finca Exotica Eco Lodge in the entrance of Corcovado National Park on Osa Peninsula.

The map

Books about flora of Costa Rica

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Costa Rica botanical guide for tropical plants lovers

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Knowing where and when to go in Costa Rica can make all the difference to your vacation there. Wet, or as they call it green and dry seasons are an obvious consideration for a traveller to this Central American country.

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As the world's green patches grow smaller and smaller, garden vacations grow in popularity. Here are some of the world's most flower-powerful destinations.

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The Wildlife Trusts : Nature Finder on the App Store

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Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots and learn more about The Wildlife Trusts : Nature Finder. Download The Wildlife Trusts : Nature Finder and enjoy it on your Apple TV.

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Colour company Pantone has collaborated with Airbnb to fill a London home with planting and projects that match its verdant 2017 colour of the year.

A dining room greenhouse, a bedroom with mown lawn flooring and a bathroom filled with tropical plants all contribute to realising the theme of Greenery.

Pantone had announced the tone, which it describes as a "tangy yellow-green", as its pick for colour of the year in December 2016. The annual selection is a predictor of which colour will be most visible in the year to come.

For the Airbnb project, titled Outside In, Pantone took over a ground-level space in a building in London's Clerkenwell. The company filled it with Greenery-tinged products, pale wood furniture and clusters of real plants.

It has an entrance hall styled like a woodland, with tree-stump stepping stones and dense shrubbery that appears to grow from the ground.

In the dining table, a long communal table is surrounded by shelves of pot plants and gardening tools, all framed by a pitched greenhouse roof.

The kitchen shelves feature Greenery-coloured homeware ordered into neat lines, while the main bedroom has lawn flooring and a trellis covered with creepers as its bedhead.

Lawn also covers the floor of a second bedroom, intended for children, where beds sit under a teepee-style tent.

The front door, meanwhile, is painted to resemble a big swatch of Greenery - also known as Pantone 15-0343.

Greenery was chosen as colour of the year in response to the current wellness trend and the "stressful" world we live in.

"We know what kind of world we are living in - one that is very stressful and very tense," Pantone's Leatrice Eiseman said when announcing the colour of the year in December. "This is the colour of hopefulness, and of our connection to nature."

"It speaks to what we call the 're-words' - regenerate, refresh, revitalise, renew. Every spring we enter a new cycle and new shoots come from the ground. It is something life-affirming to look forward to," she added.

The Outside In house is at 4 Dingley Place, Clerkenwell. Overnight stays can be booked via the Airbnb listing page, with all proceeds going to the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

Eight products that come in Pantone colour of the year Greenery

More images

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Pantone creates Greenery-themed home that can be booked on Airbnb

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Colour company Pantone has collaborated with Airbnb to fill a London home with planting and projects that match its verdant 2017 colour of the year. A dining room greenhouse, a bedroom with mown lawn flooring and a bathroom filled with tropical plants all contribute to realising the theme of Greenery.

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Are you a plant nerd? Don't be ashamed, you're not alone, and there's a place for us: Kaua'i, The Garden Island. Here, a few highlights from my recent trip there.

We first visited the Na 'Aina Kai ("lands by the sea") Botanical Garden on the north shore. This 240-acre garden contains over 90 bronze sculptures throughout the property. Visit only by guided tour ($35-85). We walked through manicured gardens, a forestry plantation, "wild" (maintained) forest and the beach.

Go to Na'Aina Kai for the beauty, not the science. There were hardly any signs identifying plants. Our entertaining docent knew no Latin names and only some common names. Perhaps botanical science is not over-emphasized in docent training. Or maybe most visitors are unconcerned - when one lady in our group asked what kind of tree we were looking at, he answered, "I don't think anyone has ever asked me that before." Bring your non-plant nerd companions here, if you have any, and just relax - feast the eyes.

The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) has a large property on the south shore containing two gardens, the Allerton and the McBryde. On Mondays, you can volunteer there for 2 hours in the morning, be part of a potluck lunch, and go on a hike in the Garden. Highly recommended for plant nerds!

I got lucky with light duty weeding and cleanup in the nursery greenhouse with a bunch of nice folks. A highlight was bringing some dead plants to the manager for disposal and learning that one of them (Brighamia insignis) was actually still alive, and how to look for live buds. Illogically, this made me as happy as if I'd personally brought it back to life.

I'm pretty sure that I ate my first breadfruit ( Artocarpus altilis)at the potluck.

The hike in the McBryde Garden included a path closed off to visitors, featuring a picturesque waterfall.

Also part of the NTBG, Limahuli Garden is near where the road ends on the north side. This small demonstration garden is well organized with excellent interpretive signs - plant names and more. For $15, take a self-guided tour and get a very nice illustrated booklet. The path is a 3/4-mile loop you can do in flip-flops, although there are a lot of steps. Each section represents a different part of Hawaii's horticultural history.

Start at a 700-year-old terraced garden, once used by native Hawaiians to grow food, including taro, sweet potato and other "canoe plants" brought by Polynesians to Hawaii. As you climb up, the next section features plants, such as pineapple, introduced during the "plantation era." After moving through a native forest (and archaeological site) and an invasive forest, view the ocean from the Whale Walk, and descend back to the beginning.

There wasn't near enough time to see everything, but I hope to return and nerd out some more! For more pictures and more fave plants and places, visit the Arborism blog.

All photos by Ellyn Shea except where noted
Ellyn Shea is a consulting arborist and garden educator in San Francisco. Photos are from her personal collection.

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Are you a plant nerd? Don't be ashamed, you're not alone, and there's a place for us: Kaua'i, The Garden Island. Here, a few highlights from my recent trip there. We first visited the Na 'Aina Kai ("lands by the sea") Botanical Garden on the north shore.

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Trädgårdsutsällning

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Floriaden lockar turister från hela Europa. Den som vill hitta nya trädgårdstrender bör söka sig till området runt sjön där olika planstskolor visar upp sig. Sjön innehåller en stor samling olika näckrosor, riktiga och konstgjorda. Foto: Lars Ring Just nu pågår Floriaden - årtiondets stora trädgårdsutställning i Holland.

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Läs recensioner, jämför kundbetyg, se skärmavbilder och läs mer om Garden Answers Plant Id. Hämta Garden Answers Plant Id för att använda på din Apple TV.

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Nörd: "Person som har ett stort specialintresse för något och som därför kan verka enkelspårig"
Konnässör: "Person som har viss, djupare kännedom inom något område"

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Vad? En applikation där användare, baserat på område, får förslag på platser att besöka. Antingen kända platser eller "smultronställen" tillagda av andra användare.

Varför? För att användare ska kunna upptäcka och besöka nya platser med växter.

Hur? Användaren söker på stad/område och får förslag från appen.

Var? Överallt i världen.

När? Hemma och när användaren är ute och reser.

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An Environmental Approach to Positive Emotion: Flowers

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/147470490500300109

Parks and Other Green Environments: Essential Components of a Healthy Human Habitat
http://www.nrpa.org/uploadedFiles/nrpa.org/Publications_and_Research/Research/Papers/MingKuo-Research-Paper.pdf

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Världen kan ibland upplevas som grå och trist, både vädermässigt men även omgivningen när gröna områden ersätts med betong.  Men trots detta finns det ett stort intresse för att fotografera, odla och sköta om växter. Överraskande för vissa är att intresset för växter och mat-/miljömedvetenhet är större bland millenniegenerationen, generation Y, än hos äldre och yngre generationer.
"In the same year that Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of The Paris Accord, millennials bought more houseplants (and locally-grow food!) than any other age demographic." (https://gardencollage.com/inspire/art-design/social-commentary-2017-explores-millennials-love-houseplants/)

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"Part of this emerging trend has to do with the fact that houseplants are easier to care for than pets, and many millennials are just now starting to have enough disposable income to buy them. Plus, plants make young people feel needed when they aren’t buying homes or having kids."
(https://gardencollage.com/inspire/art-design/social-commentary-2017-explores-millennials-love-houseplants/)

"The millennial bunch and their relationship with plants is a budding one. According to the 2016 National Gardening Report, six million new Americans took up gardening in 2015, and five million of them were in the 18 to 34 age bracket. They’re even out-greening their parents in some departments, with 37 percent of millennials growing plants and herbs indoors compared to 28 percent of Boomers."

Judith de Graaff: "More and more people live in cities, they live in very small spaces. And they might have a few parks, but they’re not in touch with nature anymore. So, the easiest way to get back in touch with our roots is, well, going outside but also to have houseplants in your home. You see them grow and you learn how to be patient because they don’t bloom tomorrow or immediately.”
https://nylon.com/articles/millennial-house-plants-obsession

Why millennials are becoming proud plant parents:

https://www.thestar.com/life/2017/02/18/why-millennials-are-becoming-proud-plant-parents.html

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Upptäcka växter på resan?
- I appen kan användarna exempelvis se var det finns kända botaniska trädgårdar och parker.

- Användarna kan sätta pins på ställen som har sevärda växter som andra användare sedan kan se på en karta.

- Visar växtevent i närheten (plant sales, stickling-event etc)