Within These Walls

Much of Moroccan life is very private and takes place behind closed doors, especially if you are a woman.  Therefore, every house in our city is surrounded by walls with a locking gate.  These days the walls serve a dual purpose in hiding the women and providing security.  Some are higher than others, and most have foliage that grows even taller than the wall.  If there is a window in the wall or an opening it is usually covered by a tree or bush.  Obviously, this is very foreign to Americans who are used to walking right up to a house's front door and spending time playing in the yard while enjoying their neighbors up and down the street.  Sadly, this means we have never actually laid eyes on our neighbors.  (However, their gardeners are quite nice!)  

This is a great example of the street view of a house in Rabat.  (And all you ever see unless you know the people inside)  This is not my house.  I repeat, this is not my house.  

                        

All this to say that we have a pretty sweet yard.  We can't take credit for it in any form or fashion.  It was like this when we showed up and is lovingly maintained by M'Barek.  (More on Barek in another post)  It is such a blessing to have a huge yard after not having one for 6 years.  The boys absolutely love it and we spend lots of time racing, digging and throwing balls. (And telling J "no"!)  I don't feel comfortable broadcasting all the specs of our yard on the internet, but I did go around and take pics of all the flora.  I think I know the names of approximately 2 plants.  

This is our tangerine tree.  The word "tangerine" got it's origin from growing in the Tangier (Morocco) region.  However, according to Wikipedia, it also is native to China, so who knows where it is really from.  This is only our second tangerine.  We ate the first one.  Still a baby...tree that is.

No clue what this is but it's the only plant that "turned" color in the fall/winter.

This is a rare plant, indigenous to Morocco whose leaves are speckled white.  Just kidding.  When the painters were repainting after the large HOLE was repaired on our house they didn't bother to use any drop cloths on the plants or tiles.  

Cute boy, orange flowers

I guess this is some kind of daisy.  I just love that blue!!

?

The picture on this doesn't do it justice.  This is a tree in our yard that has upside down white flowers once in a while.  And oh dear me, they put off a fragrance that will make you slap your mama.  (Sorry, Mom)  Does anyone have a clue what this is?  

A flowering viney- thing that crawls up a column of our pergola. 

Other pergola column

These line our front walkway.

My mom says this is a succulent, which means nothing to me, but apparently is in the aloe vera /cactus family.  

OK, I think this is a hibiscus.  This covers the entire perimeter of the yard and grows  a good 6 feet higher than our wall in some places.  Ridiculously pretty.

The great thing is that when Joe's Mom and Aunt come this summer we will learn all the names of the plants.  Yay for people that know these things!  And yay for a climate that lets us enjoy our yard year round.