Alpine Gardens of Switzerland

Week 2 was spent mostly in the little village of Zermatt, Switzerland where you will find fantastic views of the Matterhorn.

 For several days we took the ski lift up to the mountains where we enjoyed hiking about on the vast tundra - some grassy, some barren, some covered with patches of snow and pockets of pretty little alpine flowers.

The weather up here was sunny but quite chilly since there are still patches of snow dotting the mountain sides and aqua marine pools of glacier water.

There are pockets and patches of tiny alpine flowers everywhere. Sometimes it's hard to see them until you're up close because of their diminutive size.

All in pretty spring colors

Here's a really tiny pink one

A striking blue.

Look at this wonderful little tinkerbell-like flower that just gives a hint of what's inside. 

Who knew it would be this wild wiry puff of a flower inside.

This one looks like a succulent of some type.

 We also enjoyed hiking the city below . . .

including this boardwalk which took us up high into the trees to see a waterfall gushing with melted snow from the mountains. 

 

Eventually all that melted snow ends up as a river running at a brisk pace through the center of Zermatt.

All along the hiking trails are wild rhododendrons and roses.

Zermatt is a car-less town with lots of things to see and do in both summer and winter.

 There are plenty of geranium-filled flowerboxes.

So this is what you do with all those fallen trees. 

There are many pretty flower gardens,

as well as, interesting gutter decorations.

We even found a small nursery.

 And small but might vegetable gardens growing in their tiny yards.

These super-sized poppies were a favorite of mine. The flowers were almost as large as my hand.

 Lavender is planted everywhere and is alive with the sound of bees getting drunk on the nectar. 

 Hydrangeas are another popular flowering plant.

 These folks opted to keep a postage-stamp sized piece of grass in their orderly little garden.

 We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Zermatt with its Swiss chalet style homes, pretty flowers, fresh air and beautiful vistas.