Still snow in Greece

[Janis Ruksans]

On attached picture you can see how yesterday look Omalos Plain in Crete where C. sieberi was pictured some years ago at 18th of February (see "Flowers of Crete"). So I this morning baught new ticket to Athens. I hoped to get fly back to home but single options were flight by Russian Aeroflot (I'm afraid to use this company and I haven't Russian visa for change in Moscow) or extremely expensive offer by Lufthansa. So I decided to visit Attica. Rented from Avis small car and in first afternoon on road to Itea (where I know good hotel with internet) on roadside pictured few Crocus atticus. To morrow will continue trip but my entries on forum will be only after returning to home as I'm not very friendly with my laptop - its picture program works in different way. May be I will learn during evening with glass of good Greek housewine.
Janis

[Maggi Young]

Yes, I see your problem there, Janis.... the scene is very pretty, but not much growing yet.

[Anthony Darby]

Need to get yourself a pair of those wonderful boots that they wear up there Janis. http://www.lonelyplanetimages.com/search/13228?keywords=trousers

[Janis Ruksans]

Today again got access to internet. I had phantastic day on Mt. Parnassos district. Pictured a lot of Crocus atticus and chrysanthus. The best was wonderfull pure white atticus, but pictures with detailed report will post starting from Thursday. Up today I thought that only other bulbs and crocus leaves (robertianus) will be under this topic. Weather here (near Delphi) is wonderfull but from Latvia my wife reported hurricane strong winds with heavy snowfall.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

I can’t promise quick report as after three days of driving and full day on plains and airports my hand is very painful and not easy to work at computer. My main target of this trip was just Crete and Crocus sieberi. I wanted to see it’s variation after phantastic entry of Franz in our forum some time ago. He promised to send me some of his beauties but following winter they were killed in his garden. So for me remained only to go there by myself.
I started from home at three o’clock in night and reached Crete after two changes (in Kiev and Athens) at nine o’clock in evening. After an hour I was joined by Kees Jan from Holland and we rented car and drove in direction of Omalos in full dark hoping to find some hotel. But all attempts in smaller cities failed – this time is „out of season” for beach-side hotels. And to find some in night isn’t easy. Fortunately we spotted some lights and open gate near main road to west – and we were very lucky as hotel was opened just that day for group of school children. They offered breakfast not earlier than at nine o’clock in morning so we started earlier hoping to get it on Omalos. First view to mountains was quite shocking – they looked far too white but we flattered ourselves that it is North faced slope, so south side and plain must be clean of snow. Reality turned quite bad – that you can see on first entry - picture was made by Kees Jan (his pictures I will mark with index “KJ”).
When we reached start of pass in Samaria gorge we found that café there works and ordered there breakfast asking to serve it on balcony. The owner opened door – and… you can see view there.
More tomorrow.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Seeing that there is nothing to do we decide to go to South coast and check plants there, but before leaving Omalos I want to show you crocus sieberi grown at present by me and blooming just now in my collection. Plants for which I was going to Crete would be similar to that on picture #6 - but I wanted to find specimen where purple rim is solid and surrounding all petal; as extreme form of this colour type could be solid purple back with narrow white midrib. Such specimens were in Franz collection. As you can note - one of wild sieberi forms looks just as cvs. ‘Hubert Edelsten’ and ‘George’ (#3).
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

We drove out of Omalos by South leading road and soon after crossing of ridge snow level became thinner and thinner and finally at lower altitude we saw nice S faced spot where snow melted. And there of course were crocuses, too but not spring blooming sieberi. It was C. laevigatus, growing near Omalos plain. But there nicely bloomed Romulea bulbocodium, Anemone heldreichii, Ranunculus (Ficaria) sp. Altitude was slightly higher than 900 m. Further down we found more and more Romulea including this one single bluish flowering specimen seen that day. Still lower on middle of gravely road grew this clump of Romulea. Although I promised myself to collect only crocuses - with this one temptation was too hard, and - it grew just in middle of road…
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

At last stop few more of Anemone heldreichii (A. hortensis subsp. heldreichii) were pictured. It is reported as quite variable in colour (especially on Eastern Crete), but we saw only this one - white blooming form, common in West Crete. We are going lower and lower and suddenly I spot Hermodactylus tuberosus flower on roadside. Of course it must be pictured. There are Anemone coronaria in full bloom, too and some Orchids. Anemone coronaria is extremely variable in colour, but in this spot only one colour form is growing. Those are pictured by Kees Jan. Very spectacular looks arisarum in full bloom, but Dracunculus don’t need even flowers - so nice it is. Both are too tender for our conditions.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Our next stop is in Sougia - just on coast of Libian Sea. It is time for coffee. There are plenty of small coffee-bars but most are closed - there plenty of people are working with renewing of painting - preparing for coming season. Just here on sea-side Kees Jan makes last pictures of day. I’m thinking what to do. I wanted to stay on Crete for 4 days, but there is nothing to do for me - all crocus spots are under snow so I decide next morning to buy new ticket and to fly to Athens, hoping that on mainland Greece I will found some crocuses in bloom. So we turn back to Hieraklion. I remember nice hotel in Fodele - village where famous painter of XVI century El Greko lived. It is quite late but still daylight when we reach central square of Fodele, but all hotels seem closed - it is out of season. Fortunately some man questioned recommends bang on some door where hotel owner lives. And it works - we receive excellent room for only 25,- Euro - it is out of season… Not so easy to find where to eat, and impossible to get breakfast as early in morning as we would like. But it is not more important. In morning Kees Jan brings me to Airport - he will stay on Crete for 2 weeks, but he is interested in other plants and nature, too. He will return to Omalos before going home - so I still hope to see some of his pictures of C. sieberi maid there.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

In Athens I’m at first looking for ticket to home but on Sunday there is only flight through Moscow. I haven’t Russian visa so as alternative remains Lufthansa but this ticket is so expensive, that staying in Greece for 3 days + car rent + fuel and meals will be cheaper. So I’m renting car from AVIS and as permanent client I’m receiving 30% discount. Not bad. It is quite early and I’m going in direction to Delphi. I want revisit place where month ago I twice searched for leaves of Crocus speciosus. Then it was too early, now I hope for well developed leaves. My navigator works perfectly but there are no problems to find road - it is wide perfect pay-road up to Thiva and then perfect road in direction of Parnassos. Of course as started native, uncultivated mountain slopes my eyes at any moment looks to sides for spring flowers. There are bright red, blue, white, lilac dots there and where on slopes. Of course they are Anemone coronaria in full bloom. Road goes higher and higher and then at altitude of 650 meters I suddenly spotted something different on very small, may be only 2 square meters large minor clearing between dense shrubs just near roadside, with something different shade of blue on it and some 10 meters further another such spot. They look very suspicious and as some km further is parking spot where I can turn my car back, I’m doing this and slowly driving back. Oh, on first spot it turns that this is only white and blue Anemone blanda blooming in full. I decide to look on another spot because not easy there to turn back. And there it is. Crocus atticus and Anemone blanda in mixed population. Not large spot and another one small but unreachable from road spot with few crocuses just on edge of too steep slope. So first crocus flowers seen and photographed there. Not very variable - all looks almost as clone only slightly varie yellow base in throat - some has paler, some slightly more yellow.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Passing Delphi I’m taking the first turn to Chriso where last October I and my wife got good meal and passed night in “Taberna & Rooms” just before village starts. Pub is something kitschy but imposing with old music box, guns, old farming equipment in yard and on walls, but most important is grilled meat on fireplace and nice country wine. This case I will drive further up to Itea for sleeping but I want to get my lunch and will take a bottle of their house wine with me to hotel in Itea. On roadside I’m stopped by deep blue blotch of  Muscari. Really it is fantastic view + some other bulbs - Arisarum, Ornithogalum. Unfortunately meal was not as good as in October, but “it is out of season”… what excuses (may be). At least tzatziki was fantastic, but such it is almost everywhere in Greece.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

It is late afternoon when I’m in Itea and easy find hotel where I lived month ago with my son in law. Evening I’m passing watching sea from hotel room’s balcony and enjoying Greek house wine.
After breakfast in morning I took road to Crocus speciosus locality. Sorry, I’m not indicating where it is - it is too rare in Greece, may be single one or one of two known localities in Greece. Here it is growing together with Crocus robertianus. I never saw C. robertianus in wild - all my plants I got from other growers and travellers, so for me quite strange sounded given “legend” - it is growing on moss covered slope. So for me it is very interesting part. I so well remember road there that there is no need to use navigator. After a pair of hours by windy mountain road I’m just on spot. And first crocus leaves after few meters walk, just as on my previous information - coming out of moss. By superficial look on leaves isn’t possible to separate speciosus from robertianus so I’m digging it out and… it is “only” robertianus. I’m searching there for few hours. Crocuses are there - on clearings between dense shrubs, on old dirty road, on moss covered slopes, but everywhere where I check corm it is only Crocus robertianus. I don’t need this species and after taking 5 corms all others I’m replanting back. Pity, but no one speciosus I found. May be still too early for speciosus, may be I simply was not so lucky, may be its small population didn’t exist more? Now watching pictures I saw that some had narrower white stripe. May be they were speciosus? Of course I collected no one. Still found last Galanthus flower and few Scilla bifolia as well as almost everywhere growing Ranunculus sp.
I’m taking another side road and stoping at any possible spot but everywhere I saw only C. robertianus.
Further road is not easy - it is well covered by asphalt but it is narrow and winds by mountain slopes from village to village. Danger is from stones falling dawn on road from slopes by spring waters and thawing of ground. You never know will be road after sharp turn closed by some stone or not. Twice I’m stepping out to take off some stones for cleaning road for my car.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

When I’m out of steep and very windy mountain roads start forest fire zone. It is not as bad as I saw some years ago in Pelloponnese when for hours I was driving through black trunks. But in any case view is not pleasant. Only some bulbs flourished getting fertilizer from fire ashes.

[Janis Ruksans]

Few plants from 400-500 m altitude
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Now I’m sleeping in Chriso. Again was not satisfied with lunch. I was single one visitor at Pub and Hiotel that evening - it is working day and “Taberna” owners works somewhere else in this time of year due lacking of guests. But breakfast was good as well as evenings wine. In morning started my first and single “real crocus day” during this trip. At first I’m making large circle through Itea-Desfina-Antikira to Arachova-Delfi (no crocuses there, only Anemone coronaria, Muscari, Ornithogaluim etc.) and then to North through Amfissa to Gravia and then on Mount Parnassos through Polidrosos. The first Crocus atticus start when I’m reaching 700 m altitude and further by road - as higher altitude as more Crocus atticus I’m seeing, but still quite uniform. On attached pictures you can see some of them, usually in company with blue or white Anemone blanda.

Janis