Home Gardens

When we first came to Italy, I was shocked by how many houses I saw with flowers on the balconies. I love walking through the towns here in Italy and seeing all of the different flowers on the balconies. The buildings with the balconies full of flowers pop with color. You can also smell the perfumed aromas of the flowers. The flowers grow so much better here because of the climate. The climate is influenced by the coast and the Apennines mountain range. This greatly affects the temperature during the winter months when the temperature ranges from 8 to 10 ºC, and in the summer the temperature averages between 23-25 ºC. This past spring it was cooler and wetter and now it is warmer than normal. This has a big effect on the colors, when the flowers will bloom. Their colors are so much deeper and are just so beautiful because of the climate. I love being here and experiencing everything in a different way than I have in the United States. I have really learned a lot about myself in the process as well. I can’t believe how much I have learned on this trip.

Kimberly Oyler