Our apartment this year has an internal courtyard that is just begging to be filled with plants and flowers. The owners used to have big palms filling the court - but unfortunately they took them along to their new apartment. So today I walked over to the flower market with my daughters Jane and Alice. Jane has been dying to go to this flower market, but she's usually in school on Thursdays so I promised to take her today - the last Thrusday before school starts again.
I stumbled on this market last year, and now I can't seem to keep away from it. It's just so pretty. Every Thursday the loggia on the south-west corner of Piazza Republica (just outside the big post office) fills up with farmers/merchants selling all types of plants. Usually one or two stalls sell cut flowers, but most offer potted flowers, orchids, herbs, palms, small trees, etc. The prices are really reasonable - always something marked "offerta" (or special offer).
Today I bought some blooming hibiscus (for 3.50 euros each) and the girls got some little cactus plants (1.50 euros each). I also saw a palm plant that I recently bought somewhere else for 14 euros and it was only 7 euros today - oh well. The girls also bought some cut flowers to decorate their lanterns for the Rificolona that is celebrated tonight. I'll have to get some photos of that to post tomorrow...
Ellen