Today we are sharing one of the most wonderful surprises Barcelona has given us lately. Yesterday we featured a sneak peek through our Instax Challenge so you already know what this place called Mossèn Costa i Llobera garden (a.k.a cactus garden in Barcelona) is about, but what we found totally exceeded the expected landscape and became one of my favorite spots in the city right away. Now it’s when you should think, ok she is always quite the enthusiast, so of course please take my excited cries with the calmness it requires which I won’t be able to keep during my rant.
This is the view you have just by descending a few steps; on the top of the stairs you can stare at the sea and the city in almost 360º while on the bottom this goodness, not bad, right?
Mossèn Costa i Llobera is a botanical garden devoted to cactus and succulents, with plants coming from all around the world from South Africa to Mexico. It was interesting to learn that this garden has a special location in Barcelona that makes it to be between 2 and 3 Celcious degree above the rest of the city, making it the perfect home for them. No wonder some of the adult ones are up to 10 feet high.
I love cactus and succulents for their aesthetics, I’m far from knowing any names or specificities of each of them, but the garden is making me itch to come back with some sort of encyclopedia so I can learn more about each species and start learning names and how identify them. Do you have any book or web source recommendation for me?
In addition the visit to this cacti wonderland also triggered my nostalgia from the Arizona and Utah landscapes making more real in my head the dozens of plans of what I would love to experience when I am able to come back. In fact when I bought the t-shirt I’m wearing in these pictures Dani was hesitant about me getting it and while I always have to take time to decide buying a piece (even more if Dani does not love it) I was completely resoluted this time telling him: “This is my next US road trip t-shirt” Maybe I was too naive, but I hope I can take it to the desert at least before I wore it out, ha!
My succulent & cactus mania does not stop here because I am also planning on buying some for our home; we do have super short-term plans for changing two bookshelves (I even already have the wallpaper I want for them!) in our living room and I would like to add little plants all around. I do have the worst green thumb ever (for real, try to beat me!) but I hope I can manage not killing what is supposedly the most resistant plant around.
Which plants are your favorite? Do you have a green thumb? Do you know that cactus and succulents in a cute white & red stripey container were our wedding favors? Love to read your cactus relationship!
My thumb is not green. I’m planning to add a succulent to my dorm room next year! Loving your shirt :) -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
Thanks Audrey! The t-shirt is from H&M :) Looking forward to see your new succulent, I’ll share when we have ours too :)
I love cacti and succulents! They’re the first plants that have managed to survive at least a year in my plant-destroying care. And last week I suddenly saw a flower sprout from one of my succulents ＼（＾▽＾）／
Love your shirt by the way :)
Hahaha, great to read Kristien, thanks! This is making me more confident that they may survive my horrible care :)
Oh, m’agrada molt la faldilla, d’on és?
I també el jardí! L’Edu i jo no hi hem estat mai però estic segura que li encantaria. Potser hi podríem tornar junts al maig!
Merci guapa! La faldilla és de UO :) I fet que podem anar-hi plegats quan vingueu!
Wowie this cactus place is HUGE! I love cactus c:
Especially the ones with flowers growing on.
And I’m like you as I don’t know much about
the species and names or the proper care for
cactus.. Xx http://icepandora.blogspot.com
It was looot bigger than I was expecting! I also have a soft spot for the ones with little flowers :)
Your shirt is super cute! Cute whether worn on a road trip or not :) I love cacti too! (well maybe everyone does!) I have one cactus and one succulent growing in my room, my lovey African violet which I managed to keep alive for at least 3 years randomly died on my the other day and I whilst I was feeling sad about that I also realised my cute little flower seeds from you also died – so now that’s 2 attempts down with 8 more to try, I’m so scared to try again. I’m sure with plants knowing the soil and temp and water requirement is half the battle but I always take it so personally and feel like I didn’t give them enough love :P
eep, so much rambling, I should just finish and say, this garden is awesome and I love how huge some of them are, perfect photo shoot background :)
I love your rambling dear Fee! 3 years! wow, that’s a huge milestone, I’m not able to keep my plants survive more than a month :S Hope the new attempts with the flower seed will work (8 to go it’s still a lot! I would have been out of tries already, hahaha) and a new stronger flower will grow :) The location is quite perfect, right? Can you picture here cute couples? :)
yes, I have a very green thumb. and I love this so much. will definitely have to visit one day!!!
How lucky! Which plants are your favorite? Hope we will release the Barcelona guide including this beauty place in time for you to come visit! :)
wow I can’t imagine myself in there probably I would loose my mind among these beauties!!
Cacti and succulents are my favorite of course. we have 15 pots at home but I want to buy more :))
(also I have the same skirt, and wait for a good weather to wear it)
The skirt is perfect! I love how it fits! I am already planning on buying the denim version that I just saw this last weekend on the store. 15 pots! Amazing! They sure look lovely. I am sorry we couldn’t recommend you this place when you came here (how can we possibly not know about this before???ohmy) but maybe this will make for another Barcelona visit? ;)
i love your style and your photos, so inspiring
anyway, would you like to follow each other on gfc/bloglovin and instagram? Let me know :)
NEW POST / CAMPUS LOOK : HOW TO RULE YOURSELF
Thanks Ollyvia for the nice words!
What a beautiful place! I used to have a terrible black and thumb and I even killed cactus! Poor things… but I think I have become much better and I have them again on my shelves and I think they make such a good addition to the home :) happy little spikey guys :)
You must tell me the secret! :) I really wish this time I can make them survive a little longer.
Wow! What an amazing place to visit!!! Your shirt is perfect by the way :)
Thanks Mindi! I am looking forward to wear it more often now with the good weather, but I was too tempted not to wear it underneath the warm cardi to the cactus garden.
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