Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: Gerdk on March 12, 2014, 09:37:20 AM

Title: Hepatica at the Jakobsberg/Steinhagen
Post by: Gerdk on March 12, 2014, 09:37:20 AM: Here are some pics from a visit to the Jakobsberg/Steinhagen - near Bielefeld

Besides for the 'Steinhäger' - a spirit flavoured with juniper berries the region is also famous for its
mass occurence of Hepatica nobilis. I luckily visited the site during the right time.
Please enjoy the situation!

Part 1

Gerd
Title: Re: Hepatica at the Jakobsberg/Steinhagen
Post by: Gerdk on March 12, 2014, 09:49:04 AM: Part 2

from the Jakobsberg - last pic was the 'guard cat' near the place

Gerd
Title: Re: Hepatica at the Jakobsberg/Steinhagen
Post by: johnralphcarpenter on March 12, 2014, 11:11:00 AM: Nice cat! Isn't "a spirit flavoured with juniper berries" known as Jenever, or Gin? We have an explosion of new gin producers here in the UK, experimenting with different "botanicals" as the flavourings are called. The choice now is vast. Even bought some "Christmas Pudding Gin" last winter from a man who makes it in his house in London. Very nice too.
Title: Re: Hepatica at the Jakobsberg/Steinhagen
Post by: Maggi Young on March 12, 2014, 11:23:52 AM: I have never seen hepatica in the wild like this - what a great place to walk in sunshine and enjoy the blossom.
Maybe even on such a fine day it would be nice to relax after a walk with a small glass of Steinhäger - or does the handsome black cat guard that as well?
Title: Re: Hepatica at the Jakobsberg/Steinhagen
Post by: Maggi Young on March 12, 2014, 11:30:33 AM: Not that I am an expert on Gin ....... but I believe that Steinhäger is the equivalent of an "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" for a wine - or a an "Arbroath Smokie" - which should only come from Arbroath...... :)
Title: Re: Hepatica at the Jakobsberg/Steinhagen
Post by: Alan_b on March 12, 2014, 12:47:15 PM: I have seen wild Hepatica in Canada and noted that they never seem to form dense mats of flowers but are dotted around the forest floor. I wonder why that is and if there is some mechanism at work that tends to keep individual plants at some distance from each other?
Title: Re: Hepatica at the Jakobsberg/Steinhagen
Post by: johnralphcarpenter on March 12, 2014, 12:59:30 PM: Quote from: Maggi Young on March 12, 2014, 11:30:33 AM
Not that I am an expert on Gin ....... but I believe that Steinhäger is the equivalent of an "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" for a wine - or a an "Arbroath Smokie" - which should only come from Arbroath...... :)
It is indeed, and a very old traditional product (both of them!); I wish we could get Smokies down here! Come to think of it, in the absence of a Single Malt, Steinhäger would be a good accompaniment to them.
Title: Re: Hepatica at the Jakobsberg/Steinhagen
Post by: Gerdk on March 13, 2014, 06:47:17 PM: Thanks for compliments alltogether!

It seems the Steinhäger (indeed a German type of gin) is as insteresting as the plants near Steinhagen.
This makes this Forum so appealing! ;D

Gerd