Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => Alpines => Topic started by: Viola on May 31, 2009, 04:27:14 PM

Title: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Viola on May 31, 2009, 04:27:14 PM

North Greek country was with my wife and a friend in the mountains 10 days.
Here some pictures of the Mt.Pangeo.
Karl

Title: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Maggi Young on May 31, 2009, 04:33:57 PM

This looks like a super trip, Karl.
I have moved it to a new  page.  :)

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Maggi Young on May 31, 2009, 04:39:44 PM

So many paeonies !  8)   

I think Fritillaria drenovskyi is one of my favourite Frits.... along with meleagris and recurva.
The Saxifraga look really well in these bright rocks, do they not?

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Ragged Robin on May 31, 2009, 06:38:26 PM

Looks like wonderful weather on your trip to Mt.Pangeo, Karl, the Paeonia saueri is the most fabulous red with a golden boss and it must have been incredible to see so many together in the field - are they concentrated in one area?  The F. drenovskyi is very dusky and elegant and I just love the way Saxifraga flow over and in between the grey rocks....you can feel the heat  :)

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Lesley Cox on May 31, 2009, 11:10:32 PM

Are all those magnificent paeonies growing in the wild? They look like a nursery bed!

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Viola on June 01, 2009, 06:36:53 AM

The Mt.Falakro shows his beautiful side.
Karl

 Vom Falakro zu den Rodopen Bulgarien
 Pulsatilla halleri ssp.rhodopaea, 18.-28.05.09 278
 Viola spec., 18.-28.05.09 303
 Saxifraga stribrnyi Falakro (9)
 Eritronium dens canis, 18.-28.05.09 332
 Frit.drenovskyi 18.-28.05.09 306
 Fritillaria pontica Falakron
 Haberlea rhodopensis Falkro (6)
 Gent.verna, 18.-28.05.09 364

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Viola on June 01, 2009, 07:14:20 AM

On the day after that we go to the Mt.Kajmaktcalan.
Karl

 Viola eximia Kajmaktcalan (4)
 Violea doerfleri 1
 Geum coccineum Kajmaktcalan (2)
 Christine+ Dact.sambucina, 18.-28.05.09 453
 Pinguicula balcanica, 18.-28.05.09 500
 Frit.thessala, 18.-28.05.09 444
 Cr.pelestericus, 18.-28.05.09 568
 Crocus veluchensis, Crocus pelestericus

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Gerdk on June 01, 2009, 07:50:45 AM

What a beautiful region and a wealth of plants!
I didn't imagine that the Rhodopes are so close to Northern Greece.

Gerd

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Lvandelft on June 01, 2009, 08:13:04 AM

Excellent pictures Karl. Really didn't know that there are such beautiful Viola in that area.
And then this rather newly found Paeonia saueri, what a color. Bin sprachlos.. ;D

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Gerry Webster on June 01, 2009, 10:03:19 AM

Very nice pictures Karl. I wonder  about your identification of the frit as  F. thessala - it looks rather like F. gussichiae.

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: ian mcenery on June 01, 2009, 10:13:06 AM

Fantastic pictures Karl and those Paeonies. It seems they are being grown for the cut flower trade. Love the pelistericus too. Thanks

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Tony Willis on June 01, 2009, 01:59:06 PM

Great pictures Karl.They bring back good memories. I think you had better weather than I had on my last trip,it looks wonderful.

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Viola on June 01, 2009, 06:40:20 PM

Thank you all.
Gerry, Jon Richards writes that in his book "The Greek Mainland" he has found a very big population of Fritillaria thessala ssp. thessala here.

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Eric Locke on June 01, 2009, 11:00:07 PM

Lovely photos Karl from a super location.
I do love those viola species :P

Eric

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Paddy Tobin on June 01, 2009, 11:07:34 PM

Karl,

You certainly visited a most beautiful location with magnificent plants. Great report and great photographs.

Many thanks, Paddy

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Viola on June 02, 2009, 05:47:39 AM

The Katara pass consists of Serpentingestein and offers some very beautiful plants.
Karl
Daphne blagayana
Tulipa australis
Pinguicula hirtiflora
Ophrys helenae
Fritillaria thessala ssp.thessala
Fritillaria epirotica
Myosotis alpestris
Beetle ?

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Viola on June 02, 2009, 06:29:43 AM

One reaches a 1200 - 1300 m deep ravine (Vicos gorge) above Monodendron
The landscape is characterized by plattigen stone towers.
We found Ramondia serbica mixedly in the north faces with gigantic cushions of Saxifraga marginata.
One reaches the ravine from Monasteri on a way to the cloister Agios Monastery.

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on June 02, 2009, 09:26:32 AM

Wow Karl !  :o :o
A great report of a wonderful  area full of gorgeous plants !
Thanks very much for sharing !!

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Ragged Robin on June 02, 2009, 09:51:15 AM

Karl, the landscape is magnificent and it's always wonderful to end up at a Monastery with a sense of peace and timelessness.  Your photos are so full of the rich flora in the area and the colours and variety are just amazing, thanks so much for sharing your experience.

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Viola on June 02, 2009, 07:48:16 PM

The last aim was the Mount Olympus. We still went to the mead ossa cloisters on the journey there. At the degree a common picture from my wife and me to the rock of the meteor cloisters.
Jankea heldreichi has flourished in 900 m to 1000 m height and was this highlight.
It was with magnificent impressions travels a lovely for us.
Karl

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: David Nicholson on June 02, 2009, 07:53:51 PM

A lovely set of pictures Karl, I enjoyed them very much.

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Maggi Young on June 02, 2009, 08:11:27 PM

Excellent pictures of really superb plants of the  Jankea, Karl. No wonder you look to be having such a good time in the picture: lovely weather and fine flowers.... a perfect trip! Thank you for sharing it with us. 8)

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: ruweiss on June 02, 2009, 09:14:14 PM

Thank you Karl for showing us these fantastic pictures!
The Jankaea is the absolute highlight for me.

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Lesley Cox on June 03, 2009, 01:25:15 AM

For me too though I love the little Pinguicula. I saw P. balcana in Greece years ago, a real thrill at that time.

Title: Re: Trip in Northern Greece
Post by: Paul T on June 03, 2009, 04:22:43 AM

Karl,

Wow!  What wonderful pictures.  The large originals must be even more amazing with the extra details.  So many nice ones.... too many to really comment on.  Love the Violas, orchids and those fantastic Paeonias.  Stunning!