On my last morning in Wicklow, Orlaith took me on a spectacular wild drive over the Wicklow mountains through the Sally Gap pass stopping off to look down on lough Tay, locally called the Guinness lake!
During my stay in Mertola, we did two short walks along the river. The first pictures are from near the town centre, the second group from Canais do Guadiana where we were joined by a local producer of essential oils, who showed us some of the plants they use. There’s a great little video of the area and plants on the producer’s website: http://dalenguadiana.pt
Vitor Menas and Fernando Garcia run the business and Fernando joined us on the walk and showed us around the workshop in the village.
THe River Guadiana near Mertola
Old mill on the river below Mertola
The first plant was a surprise edible, Epazote, Chenopodium ambrosioides, introduced from Mexico! Ambrósia-do-México
Our guide Nuno Roxo introduced us to a local plant man, who produces essential oils in a small village, Corte Sines in the hills near Mertola. He took us to a location near the river (Guadiana) where they harvest herbs for their business. These are the main herbs they use: Cistus ladanifer Lavandula stoechas, pedunculata and viridis, Rosmarinus officinalis Thymus mastichina Fueniculum vulgare Helichrysum stoechas Eucalyptus globulus Mentha pulegium Ruta graveolens
Mentha pulegium, pennycress
Daucus carota, wild carrot
Nuno Roxo told us that he acted as guide for visiting birdwatchers
Pistacia lentiscus, alfostigueiro
Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary / alecrim)
Juniperus turbinata
…and just as we approached the river a Golden Eagle flew right overhead!
Verebascum sinuatus
Rumex pulcher subsp. woodsii?
Apium nodiflorum
Silybum marianum seedlings…excellent greens when the plants are young and thornless
On the morning of my permaveggies course in Mértola, we did a wild walk into the Bombeira do Guadiana Biodiversity Station where information signs have been put up along a 1km trail informing about the rich local flora and fauna. There were many knowledgeable people in the group so that we managed to identify most of the plants we saw. Following recent rains there were many new shoots but few flowers….but we were lucky to see two species of Asparagus in flower!
Marta Cortegano gives an introduction before the walk
We found our first wild asparagus quite quickly
We had visited the evening before with Nuno Roxo and he showed us two species, only one of which he harvested.
We found a few shoots by digging around the base of the plant but at this time they are unpleasantly bitter.
Asparagus albus is Nuno’s preferred species for the edible shoots
Wild artichoke / alcachofra-de-são-joão (Cynara humilis) – has been used traditionally in Mediterranean countries – both peeled basal leaves and “artichokes”
Rumex pulcher subsp woodsii (coenha)
Colchicum?
Phlomis purpurea
Helichrysum stoechas
Wild olives
Discussing how to tell the four local oak species apart
Opuntia
NB!!! It resembles an Angelica, but seems to be Thapsia transtagana…a genus known as Deadly Carrots!!
Filming from all angles
Oxalis
Opuntia
?
?
Asparagus albus
Asphodelus ramosus distalis flowering out of season
The Portuguese water dog!
What was this? Daphne?
?
Cupressus?
Cupressus?
Arum shoots
Mértola
A wild almond
View of the Guadiana River…I was told that tides reached this far upstream
Cormorants on the river…there were also white and grey herons
Asparagus in old worker’s garden
View of Mértola
Puffball
The Guadiana river (we sadly had to turn back before we reached the river, but botanised on other days along the river.
Fennel / fiolho, funcho, erva-doce
There were many shoots of what I assume were Asphodelus
Wild asparagus and Mértola
Wild asparagus and Mértola
Wild almond covered in nuts
Portuguese Water Dog
This looks like Rumex but I’m not sure…
Pistacia lentiscus
There were four species of Lavandula here: stoechas, viridis, pedunculata and multifida
Lavandula multifida, only found in the Serra da Arrábida, just south of Lisbon and in Mértola!
Pyrus bourgaeana
Marrubium vulgare (marroio-branco)
Eucalyptus
Dianthus crassipes?
Cebola-albarrã / sea squill (Drimia maritima)?
Opuntias covered in fruit on the other side of the river
An album of pictures of plants and views at Magoito just north of Lisbon on a short botanising visit with Fernanda Botelho!
First, two videos showing the cliff habitat of Crithmum maritimum!
Crithmum gutteratus?
Crithmum
Helichrysum stoechas
Plantago coronopus
Full of sunbathers in summer, we were alone with the gulls
Sea daffodil (narciso-das-areias): Pancratium maritimum with Hottentot Fig (Carpobrotus edulis)
Sea daffodil (narciso-das-areias): Pancratium maritimum with Hottentot Fig (Carpobrotus edulis)
On my recent quick visit to my parents in Hampshire, UK, we did a walk from St Cross to Winchester along the River Itchen with Mum (89) and Dad (93) followed by a walk up St Catharine’s Hill on my own to do the mizmaze ;)
Video of Winchester from St. Catharine’s Hill:
Gingko tree at St Cross
Hayricks (scythed meadows)
Hayricks are good habitat for Kestrels (tårnfalk)
Kestrel tree and St Catharine’s Hill
Kestrel (tårnfalk)
Hogweed
Water forgetmenot
Watercress
Bulrushes (cattails)
Water mint and watercress
Gunnera in a Winchester park
Walnut tree
Walnuts (I already have Sorbus aria from Winchester in my garden and it’s proved hardy, so I’ll try Winchester walnut too)
Walnut
The mizmaze (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizmaze)
Pictures from Saturday’s 5 km (almost 4 hours with all the stops) walk along the Homla river canyon from Storfossen (this area’s second highest waterfall) to the sea at Hommelvik! As usual, a memorable trip!
We were joined for the weekend by Amandine Faury from France, a new student of Agroecology at Ås, on her way to a hiking holiday in Lofoten!
Kidney vetch (fjellsyre) is found along the river
Another mountain plant, not previously registered this low down in Malvik was found by the waterfall: Thalictrum alpinum
Very little water in the river!
Ostrich fern
Ostrich fern
Ostrich fern
Cicerbita alpina
Mountain queen (fjelldronning)
Campanula latifolia (eaten for lunch!)
Eirik Lillebøe Wiken and the giant ostrich fern!
Kidney vetch (fjellsyre)
Taraxacum eirikii (Eirik proclaimed this one to be a new species) ;)
Eirik Lillebøe Wiken poses at the famous permaveggies course ostrich fern patch!
A demonstration wood for growing quality alder wood for furniture!
On 2nd April 2018, Matthias Brück who had invited me to Switzerland to take part in the Perennials for Resilience seminar in Stans asked me along on a trip through the Alps to the Piedmont area of NW Italy! This is the first of three blog posts about this trip to an area that I think one day Matthias and his good lady Katharina will have a big impact in this area! This is also written as a thank you to Centro d’Ompio’s founder Pius Leutenegger who invited us to stay at the centre, wined, cheesed and dined us and took us on a wonderful tour of gardens and nature in the Lago d’Orta / Lago Maggiore area! I hope to come back one day and repay your kindness in helping developing the Centre’s gardens and maybe holding a course to start the process!
Pictures from this week’s 5 hour (botanist pace) walk along the spectacular Homla canyon, the start about 14 km from home!
Storfossen
Storfossen
Ostrich fern (strutseving) had already come too far in most places, but in the cooler air next to the river and in places where the snow lies late, they were perfect for harvestingth the warm weather, the ostrich fern (strutseving) had already come too far to harvest, but other places on the banks of the river and where snow lies longer
Wood anemones (hvitveis)
Ostrich fern (strutseving) emerging from river spring flood silt deposits
Ostrich fern (strutseving) emerging from river spring flood silt deposits
Ostrich fern (strutseving) emerging from river spring flood silt deposits
A particularly luxuriant patch of ostrich fern
A particularly luxuriant patch of ostrich fern
Wild salad gathered for lunch on the Homla walk this week, including giant bellflower (storklokke), alpine bistort (harerug), Viola spp., red and green leaved sorrel (engsyre), Rumex longifolius, raspberry (bringebær) shoots, wood sorrel (gjøksyre), lady’s mantle (marikåpe), stinging nettle (brennesle), young leaves of Cirsium palustre, coltsfoot (hestehov, don’t use much as it contains alkaloids) and dandelion (løvetann)
Wild salad gathered for lunch on the Homla walk this week, including giant bellflower (storklokke), alpine bistort (harerug), Viola spp., red and green leaved sorrel (engsyre), Rumex longifolius, raspberry (bringebær) shoots, wood sorrel (gjøksyre), lady’s mantle (marikåpe), stinging nettle (brennesle), young leaves of Cirsium palustre, coltsfoot (hestehov, don’t use much as it contains alkaloids) and dandelion (løvetann)
