Hibiscus Gardens Around the World
Cochabamba, Bolivia
This is Walter. He and his family live in Cochabamba, Bolivia, the "City of Eternal Spring." It is one of the largest cities in Bolivia, nestled into a sheltered valley that is 8400 feet (2560m) high in the Andes Mountains. The weather is very similar to Los Angeles, moderate and dry with an average yearly rainfall of only 14 inches (36cm) per year. But the average temperatures are about 10°F (5°C) cooler than Los Angeles all year round, making it a very desirable place to live.
The history of Walter's city is a colorful as the hibiscus flowers he grows there! Cochabamba is an ancient city, first inhabited by the Tiahuanacos around 1500 BC, then shared with several arriving tribes. After 3000 years of peaceful sharing of the land, an Incan Emperor conquered the extremely fertile area and enslaved the people so he could grow maize there. An equally despotic Spanish explorer arrived in 1542 and bought the whole Cochabamba area from the Incans for 130 pesos! The Cochabambans finally got their independence from the Spanish in 1812 due to the spectacular courage of their women. On May 27, while many of the men ran away from the city, almost every woman grabbed whatever she had to shoot, throw, or swing, stood arm-to-arm, and fought 5000 fully armed Spanish soldiers until the Spaniards finally gave up and left. ¡Vivan las mujeres! (Go girls!)
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Nights can get cold in winter high in the Andes Mountains, so Walter grows his young hibiscus in pots and then plants them in the ground when they are more mature with harder wood, much as we do in Southern California.
It's a lot of work watering so many hibiscus plants, but Walter has great helpers. His granddaughters, Melina and Sofía, have become his assistant gardeners. It's a tough job taking care of hibiscus bushes that are bigger than they are, but these little girls are up to the job!
It's a struggle to get new hibiscus varieties in Bolivia. Importation laws are completely prohibitive when it comes to plants, so hibiscus lovers have had to grow from wood and seeds they collect from around the world. But now there is an increasingly dedicated group of hibiscus aficionados in Cochabamba who are hybridizing their own new, gorgeous, Bolivian cultivars, and a new booming market may slowly be starting. Walter has been collecting hibiscus for many years, slowly increasing his own collection, and is one of the original lovers of exotic hibiscus in his city. We hope you enjoy seeing his beauties!
Thank you, Walter, for showing us all your lovely hibiscus! Gracias por enseñarnos todos sus hibiscus hermosos!
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