Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Paddy Tobin on May 17, 2010, 09:07:05 PM
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Great location, fabulous weather, magnificent flowers, good company, great guide, an excellent hotel - it was a brilliant weekend.
The Burren is a limestone area in the west of Ireland. There are great stretches of bare limestone, karst landscape. The area has the most peculiar plant population as it hosts plants more associated with mountain top, arctic areas and Mediterranean area all in the same location. Of special interest last weekend were the Spring Gentians (Gentiana verna), Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala) and Early Purple Orchids (Orchis mascula) though there were many, many other plants of interest also.
We arrived on Friday and pottered about on our own, visiting a garden and walking the coastline as we knew neither were to be included in the following two days of guided walking. The following photographs are posted in the order in which they were taken and show both scenery and flowers as they occurred.
There are a LOT of photographs but I think this is a very special area and one which would be of great interest to forum members.
Paddy
1 Starting out on the walk
2 Orchis mascula Early Purple Orchid
3 Dryas octopetala Mountain Avens
4 Geranium sanguineum Bloody Cranesbill
5 Dryas octopetala Mountain Avens
6 View near Ballyvaughan
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Continuing.
7 Gentiana verna Spring Gentian
8 Gentiana verna Spring Gentian
9 Polygala vulgaris Common Milkwort
10 Polygala vulgaris Common Milkwort
11 Orchis mascula Early Purple Orchid - a pale flower
12 The way ahead
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Continuing
13 Limestone formation
14 Limestone layers
15 Alchemilla vulgaris Lady's Mantle
16 Lathyrus linifolius Bitter Vetch
17 Nature's trough
18 Orchis mascula Early Purple Orchid
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Continuing
19 Remains of prehistoric homestead
20 Lathyrus linifolius Bitter Vetch
21 Gentiana verna and Dryas octapetela
22 Anemone nemerosa and Viola riviniana
23 Burren view to Galway Bay
24 Geranium robertianum in a scailp
Presently, The Burren is a sparsely populated area but apparently this was not always the case as the density of remnants of previous occupations is quite amazing. There are innumerable examples of remains of homesteads and several very significant burial sites. Flowers are only one aspect of The Burren.
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The Burren is surely one of the most important plant areas in Europe, Paddy, so don't hesitate to post as many photos as you like! 8)
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25 Gentiana verna
26 Scailps in the limestone
27 Gentiana verna group
28 Taraxacum officinale, Dandelion in a sheltered spot
30 Medicago lupulina Black Medick
29 Orchis mascula group
You might wonder why I should post a photograph of a dandelion, a most resented weed for most of us in our gardens with its deep taproot making it very difficult to eradicate. However, it does indicate the richness of soil which is present in the scailps between the limestone pavements. How else could dandelion not only survive but thrive? It also indicates the amount of shelter which these scailps provide as this dandelion is growing on an exposed hilltop position, not where it would normally be found.
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Continuing
31 Fragraria vesca Wild Strawberry
32 Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn stunted in growth
33 Oxalis acetosella Wood sorrel
34 Geum Rivale Water Avens
35 Geum Rivale Water Avens
36 View to Ballyvaughan Bay
The view to Ballyvaughan Bay shows the amazing difference in soil conditions within a very short space. I was standing on a rocky hillside when taking the photograph and between the hillside and the shore there is rich pasture land. Also, it is amazing that gentians and avens are growing this close to the shoreline.
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Continuing
37 Lathyrus linifolius Bitter Vetch
38 Time for lunch and to enjoy the view
39 Pinguicula sp. Butterwort
40 Pinguicula sp. Butterwort
41 Allium ursinum Wild garlic
42 Heading to the sea
The Butterwort is most likely Pinguicula vulgaris. Although P. grandiflora and P. lusitanica both occur in The Burren they are uncommon and it is better to presume the common than assume the rare.
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Continuing...
43 View to hillside
44 View to shore
45 Limestone layers and stone wall
46 Gentiana verna
47 Gentiana verna with Dryas octapetela in background
48 Dryas octopetala on ledge
In this area, above the coast and approaching Fanore, the gentians and the mountain avens were simply in sheets along the side of the green road, as common and as widespread as daisies in a weedy lawn.
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Rushing on...
49 Dryas octopetala
50 Limestone rock formation
51 View of Green Road
52 Wall with ivy
53 Typical Burren wall construction
54 Limestone boulder
I think this limestone boulder is like one of the Easter Island heads. Can you see a face in it?
"Green Roads" were used move cattle along The Burren. They were simply two walls which prevented the cattle from rambling in all directions, unsurfaced. I suppose the original "bóthairín", boreen.
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The Burren has been on my "must see" list for many years. Thanks for introducing me to its flora.
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Maggi and Carlo, Many thanks for your comments.
Posting interrupted to collect son from school.
Continuing...
55 Primula vulgaris Primrose
56 Primula vulgaris
57 Primula veris Cowslip
58 Primula x polyantha False Oxlip
59 Limestone boulder with rooftop garden
60 Ajuga reptans Common Bugle
I would have liked to have seen the Pyramidal bugle but was not lucky to do so. The Primula X polyantha was one I was delighted to find.
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Fantastic pictures Paddy, thank you for posting. I definitely need a trip to Ireland!
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The end of Day 1.
The walk covered about 15 Km but was at a pleasant pace and there was always something of interest whether the view of the many flowers which abounded. Photography and being part of a walking group are not incompatible but are not entirely easy bedfellows. I covered most of the 14 Km in short sprints as a stop for a photograph meant I needed to walk very quickly to catch up with the group once again and I have several photographs of the walker in front of me disappearing over a hill.
It is a walk I would heartily recommend. The numbers of spring gentians, mountain avens and early purple orchids were simple amazing.
61 Lotus corniculatus Bird's Foot Trefoil
62 Veronica chamaedrys Germander Speedwell
63 Veronica chamaedrys Germander Speedwell
64 Vicia cracca Tufted Vetch
This final photograph was of a special flower, one which occurs nowhere else in Ireland.
65 Helianthemum oelandicum Hoary Rockrose
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I've pretty much decided that it is folly to take these walks in a group--especially one that is not similarly engaged to what I am doing. It's not fair to them and downright criminal to me!
You seem to have managed quite nicely....
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Glad you liked them, Gail. And, certainly, this area is very worth a visit. I was talking to a friend in Northern Ireland some weeks back and he told me the local branch of the Alpine Garden Society had hoped to visit the Burren but were put off by the cost and I found this such a terrible pity though the way our economy has developed and prices had become outlandish. We booked a special offer from a hotel in the south of County Clare, a four star hotel, two nights B&B, one evening meal at a reasonable price and the guided walking outings were, in effect, free on top of this. We had an introductory talk on Friday evening and were bussed from the hotel to the walking location and back to the hotel afterwards on Saturday and Sunday with packed lunch provided by the hotel. It was very well organised and very enjoyable and we certainly will be returning.
Carlo, this was not specifically a "walking" group as such, more a strolling group and so it was relatively easy to keep up with them. The age profile also meant the the pace was not too fast, quite slow in fact. Mary, who likes to walk quickly found it irritatingly slow at first but came to take her ease and enjoy her surroundings along the way.
Paddy
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Great location. Very interesting series of pictures,Paddy. Hard to believe all these plants are growing just near the see shore.
This is already longer on our "want to see" list. Hopefully we ever can visit this beautyful place once?Just 15 km. would be a bit to long walking for me :(, but maybe there are some shorter routes too?
Thanks very much for taking us on your walk!!
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Luit,
There are many shorter walks which would still give you an excellent insight into the area and allow you access an excellent range of flowers.
Our guide for the weekend has written a guidebook which seemed to me to be very good. Have a look at this website: http://heartofburrenwalks.com/
This is "The Burren & The Aran Islands - A Walking Guide" by Tony Kirby and is published The Collins Press in Cork, Ireland. See www.collinspress.ie
You can get it, to the best of my knowledge, through www.heartofburrenwalks.com website and certainly from The Collins Press, where I got mine.
It describes 15 walks, 11 on The Burren and 4 on the Aran Islands. Having read it and road tested it on The Burren I can recommend it highly. Short, succinct, clear directions, good maps. Fits in the pocket and easy to manage in the field.
Likewise, "Wild Plants of The Burren and the Aran Islands" by Charles Nelson is worth having. Same publishers.
Paddy
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Did you visit Carl Wright? His garden is supposed to be brilliant
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Thanks Paddy I really enjoyed the pictures. I really want to come back to Ireland but this time I really would like to spend more time in the country side instead of the cities. I love how friendly you Irish are. When we were over we tried to find Helen Dillon's garden and when we stopped and asked a passerby if they new the way it was amazing the time and effort they took to help us out it was unbelievable. Not like here ::)
Angie :)
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Thanks so much Paddy for this wonderful journey to the Burren and an intimate look at not only the plants but the roads, walls and rock formations which give it it special character. Like Carlo, it is somewhere I've always wanted to visit.
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Angie,
I hope you managed to get to Helen Dillon's garden. It has been a favourite garden of mine for many, many years and I have been a regular visitor over the years. Helen is a wonderful person, generous with her time and her plants. My garden grows many plants whose labels have a rider, "ex H.D." It is certainly a garden worth seeking out if you visit again.
Lesley,
Glad you enjoyed my visit to the Burren. I have always loved the mountain walks reported from New Zealand and find it satisfying that I have returned the compliment, at least in a small way, to you in N.Z.
Re the Burren: I am going to paraphrase some comments from Dr. E. Charles Nelson little handbook on the "Wild Plants of The Burren and the Aran Islands" which I found very helpful in identifying most of the plants seen last weekend.
Charles states: More than 700 different species of flowering plants, conifers and ferns have been recorded here, i.e. about three quarters of Ireland's native flora grow here. None of the species are unique to The Burren but many grow here in greater abundance than elsewhere in Ireland or Britain. The natural mix of wild plants in The Burren is astonishing and it is the principal reason for the area's botanical fame. Here one will find plants from the Arctic tundra, the Pyrennes, the Alps and the Mediterranean and these growing cheek by jowl and in big numbers. Also, rather contradictorily, you will find plants which acidic soil conditions growing robustly in a limestone landscape.
From personal observation, it was also surprising to find woodland plants growing in on open hilltops; amazingly lush growth in plants apparently growing on bare rock and simply amazing numbers of spring gentians, mountain avens and orchids. Unfortunately, as my visit was early in the season, I only saw one of the eighteen orchids recorded in the area. Obviously, I need to visit again and again.
An odd farming practice in The Burren is that, in contrast with other hill and mountain areas, cattle are put on the hills to graze for the winter and not the summer as is the common practice elsewhere. The hills on The Burren are actually warmer than the lowlands in the winter and the grazing is amazingly rich and nutritious for the cattle. Lately, some Scottish cattle are being trialled on the hills as they are deemed most suitable for this practice. Their breed name escapes me at present but they are very distinct: black and while, like a panda bear or an American police car, a small tough animal.
Many thanks to Maggi who posted the lists of names on all the postings above. I was going to come back and do this myself but she was doing it as fast as I posted. Obviously, a slow night in the Young household!
Paddy
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Did you visit Carl Wright? His garden is supposed to be brilliant
Mark, there is an excellent article in the May issue of "The Irish Garden" which you might enjoy, good text, lots of photographs.
It is a three hectare garden being carved out of the hazel brush and on top of limestone paving; a challenging site with great natural aspects.
Also, Carl has a strong interest in snowdrops!
Paddy
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I've searched everywhere up here for that issue and can't find it. Maybe one day it will be on their web site
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It's the latest issue, Mark. Surprising that it is not available.
Paddy
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Rain is forecast for mid-afternoon here so I will make a start on posting photographs from Day 2 of our walk and will come back with more this evening.
On Day 1, Saturday we started in Rathborney valley, just south west of Ballyvaughan before climbing pretty quick along the eastern flank of Cappanawalla. We headed west and then got a view of Galway Bay Connemara etc. We then crossed a saddle to get onto Gleninagh mountain before eventually getting onto the Green Road which brought us around Black Head and on towards Fanore where we were met by the bus. This is a part of the walk known as the Black Head Loop which is described at http://www.shannonregiontrails.ie/FindaTrail/Walking/LoopWalks/TrailName,8611,en.html
Discovery Series OSI 51
On Sunday we walked in the Burren National Park at Kilnaboy. We passed the turlough Lough Gealáin on our way up Mullaghmore. We headed up by the way marked trail in a north east direction and descended it by walking around its western flank.
Discovery Series OSI 51 and 52.
Note: A "turlough" is a seasonal lake, filling when rainfall is heavy and draining away in spring/summer. It was amusing to see a completely dry stream bed on the Saturday walk. At this time of year it is not yet very dry here in Ireland. The turlough we visited on Sunday, Lough Gealáin, does not dry out completely. From later photographs, taken from the vantage point of the hill, you will see from the varying water colour that there are varying depths to the lake and the deeper parts remain in summer. By the way, there is only one completely above-ground river in The Burren. All others disappear underground at some stage, perhaps reappearing elsewhere. The Burren also has some very interesting cave systems - not my area of interest.
1. 2. 3. View to turlough
4. Fraxinus excelsior, common ash growing in a scailp - strong trunk but parts above ground regularly cut back, by goats, I think.
5. Fraxinus excelsior, common ash growing in a scailp
6. Teucrium scorodonia, Wood Sage. Odd to find a woodland plant growing in limestone pavement but there is great shelter and excellent soil in the scailps.
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7. 8. Rhamnus cathartica. Purging Buckthorn
9. Polygala vulgaris. Common Milkwort
10. Potentilla fruticosa. Shrubby Cinquefoil
11. Rubus saxatalis. Stone Bramble
12. Potentilla fruticosa. Shrubby Cinquefoil
You will see from the second photograph of the Rhamnus cathartica that it is quite an old plant. However, I imagine, it has been nibbled by the feral goats which live in this area.
The Polygala is a beautiful colour, good enough to rival gentian but it is a very small plant and does not catch the eye to the same degree.
Potentilla fruticosa is a commonly grown garden shrub. Here is inhabits that area which is flooded in winter, when the turlough is at its biggest, and dry in spring/summer when the waters of the turlough retreats. We found only one flowers on these potentillas.
Rubus saxatalis is probably more interesting in autumn when it has its lovely red berries but the foliage is good and its growth habit in the scailp interesting.
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13. 14. Juniperus communis. Juniper
15. Viola persicifolia. Turlough Violet - known as Fen Violet in England
16. Limestone landscape with boulder - some of these boulders were quite big.
17. Geranium sanguineum. Bloody Cranesbill. One of the special flowers of The Burren, just beginning to flower when we visited.
18. Orchis mascula. Early Purple Orchid. This group seems to have made its home on the little hummock.
The junipers generally form dense prostrate mats on The Burren and it is only in a few places that upright plants occur. Apologies that the plant is not very clear in the photograph. It was growing in quite tall grass and difficult to distinguish in the photograph. Perhaps, photograph 14 will show it a little more clearly. This was quite a large shrub spreading to over two metres.
In this area we moved quickly from limestone pavement, to seasonally flooded land, to hazel shrub and onto the hills quite quickly, an interesting walk.
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Luit,
There are many shorter walks which would still give you an excellent insight into the area and allow you access an excellent range of flowers.
Our guide for the weekend has written a guidebook which seemed to me to be very good. Have a look at this website: http://heartofburrenwalks.com/
This is "The Burren & The Aran Islands - A Walking Guide" by Tony Kirby and is published The Collins Press in Cork, Ireland. See www.collinspress.ie
You can get it, to the best of my knowledge, through www.heartofburrenwalks.com website and certainly from The Collins Press, where I got mine.
It describes 15 walks, 11 on The Burren and 4 on the Aran Islands. Having read it and road tested it on The Burren I can recommend it highly. Short, succinct, clear directions, good maps. Fits in the pocket and easy to manage in the field.
Likewise, "Wild Plants of The Burren and the Aran Islands" by Charles Nelson is worth having. Same publishers.
Paddy
Thanks Paddy, whenever we visit Ireland, I will ask you as a guide ;)
For a start will study the given links first!
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19. Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Bluebell
20. Orchis mascula. Early Purple Orchid
21. Mycelis muralis. Wall Lettuce
22. View of turlough
23. Heading uphill
24. A famous house - the Parochial house in "Father Ted"
Bluebells are not quite what you expect on limestone pavement but The Burren has various growing environments literally side-by-side. The bluebells were growing at the side of the Hazel scrub.
Early Purple Orchid - yes, they were everywhere but still beautiful!
The Wall Lettuce was hardly a thing of great beauty but was interesting nonetheless. It was first recorded in The Burren in the 1930s but is commonplace throughout Ireland as a garden weed, frequently growing on wall, hence the name.
Good view of the turlough here, nice colour range on the water showing the varying depths.
Heading uphill - my regular view of the group as they walked ahead and I stopped for a photograph and then had to sprint to catch up. The guide was very patient and catered for all levels of fitness and interest.
Some may not have seen the television programme, "Father Ted". For those who have, this is the "Parochial House" where much of the filming took place.
Paddy
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Quote:
"Thanks Paddy, whenever we visit Ireland, I will ask you as a guide
For a start will study the given links first!"
Ha! Ha! Luit. Does this mean there is a business opportunity for me here? I don't think Tony (our guide on the day and who is dropping in to read this) would be pleased if I cut across his business. I can recommend Tony to any individual or group who want an informed and pleasant guide - and, no, I am not on a retained as his advertiser.
Paddy
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25 Antennaria dioica. Cat's Foot. Mountain Everlasting
26. 27. Carex flacca. Glaucous Sedge
28. Potentilla erecta. Tormentil
29. Geranium robertianum. Herb Robert
30. Helianthemum oelandicum. Hoary Rockrose
A nice selection of plants in this section. The Antennaria was not plentiful and not fully open either but interesting to come across it.
This sedge caught my eye on several occasions during the walk. I was unable to name it - a general disinterest in grasses - but our guide, Tony, was able to help out by e-mail during the week after the walk. That's service!
I like Tormentil, Potentilla erecta. It's a nice plant, in my opinion, bright and cheery.
Geranium robertianum is a very common plant all around the country, nothing new there but interesting to see its growth position in the limestone.
The helianthemum was a special one for me, one I had been on the look-out for and was delighted to find it. Then, of course, after finding it once I saw it repeatedly. Still nice, though.
Paddy
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31 View back to turlough
32 Looking ahead
33 Sanicula europaea. Sanicle
34 They keep wandering off
35 Group shot
36 Gentiana verna. Spring gentian
The view back to the turlough gives an idea of the ground we covered and the type of vegetation we encountered, giving a setting for the plants shown.
Looking ahead - a view in the opposite direction, showing where we are heading.
Sanicula europaea, Sanicle, an interesting plant as it is one of those woodland plants which thrives in the scailps in the limestone pavement. These scailps in the limestone give moisture, shade and shelter - just what these plants receive in a woodland setting.
Group shot: Mary is on the far left, white top and sunglasses. Our guide, Tony, is standing at the front right.
At the top of the hill shown in photograph 32 above there were many patches of Gentiana verna in the grass. Hard to tire of such beauties.
Paddy
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A series of views from the top of Mullaghmore. They need no words from me.
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43, 44, 45 Hilltop views showing the limestone pavement with scailps
46 Carex flacca. Glaucous Sedge
47 Orchis mascula. Early Purple Orchid, a white form
48 Antennaria dioica. Cat's Foot. Mountain Everlasting.
Note the ash tree in the foreground on photograph 45, rooted in the scailp and running horizontally along the surface of the limestone.
Time for a break and a coffee!
More photographs to come but later.
Paddy
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a fascinating place--would be wonderful to spend a few days wandering there..thanks for sharing this :)
i'll have to revisit this thread when i have more time for more enlarged views..off to work now...
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Really fascinating landscape and plants Paddy, quite foreign to me and yet quite familiar - the highlands of Lesotho? Of coure the Lesotho highlands consist entirely of basalt, not limestone. I imagine the limestone of the Burren is derived from an ancient sea bed?
Thanks for taking the time and trouble introducing that beautiful part of the world and its plants to us who are confined to the city most of the time. Do the Polyanthus hybrids we grow in our gardens originate from a cross between P. vulgaris and P. veris?
Lesotho is usually much greener than this photograph implies - this was spring (October) during a punishing drought, so things were looking very dry and desolate - altitude approximately 10,000 ft.
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Cohan,
After following your "Alberta Wanderings" I am delighted to have something of interest to you. Hope you enjoy the remainder of the photographs which I will post later today.
Rogan,
Again, glad you liked the report as I have enjoyed your South African ramblings. There is certainly a superficial similarity between The Burren and Lesotho. The Burren, as you say, is limestone and an ancient sea bed - in some areas fossil remains were plain to see.
Re the primulas: I think "polyanthus" are derived from P. elatior. The most obvious difference between the primrose (P. vulgaris) and the Cowslip (P. veris) is that on the primrose each flower is carried on its own stalk while on the cowslip a whorl of flowers emanate from one stem.
Glad you liked the photographs. Paddy
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Just a few more... Paddy
49 Geranium sanguineum
50 Taraxacum officinale - amazing to find dandelion doing so well in what appears to be harsh conditions but that is the contradiction of The Burren; it's appearance is very deceptive; it may appear barren but is in fact very fertile ground.
51 Hieracium sp - hawkweeds will provide the next big flush of colour in The Burren as the basal foliage was everywhere. However, identifying hawkweeds is beyond me. I am happy if they stay out of my garden. There will be a hawkweed later with spotted foliage which I hope someone may be able to identify. I know I grew it in the garden for a few years before I became fed up of its rampant habit.
52 Limestone landscape - a particularly good stretch of limestone in this view.
53. 54. Helianthemum oelandicum. Hoary Rockrose. A little beauty!
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Moving towards the end of day 2, walk 2. Paddy
55 A trio of Orchis mascula, one white
56 Potentilla erecta. Tormentil
57. 58. Conopodium majus. Pignut. A woodland plant, found here growing at the edge of hazel scrub.
59. 60. Taxus baccata. Common Yew. Here growing on the side of a limestone cliff above a strip of hazel scrub. It is amazing that this plant has survived the attentions of the local feral goats but, obviously, its position has saved it. It is good to find a mature specimen of yew in the wild.
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Rushing on towards the end... Paddy
61 66 Conopodium majus. Pignut. A woodland plant growing at the edge of hazel scrub.
62 Ajuga reptans. Commonplace in many of our gardens.
63 Galium odoratum. Woodruff. Growing in broken sunlight under the hazel scrub.
64. 65. Sanicula europaea. Sanicle. Another woodland plant under the hazel scrub
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And the very last few. Hope you enjoyed the visit to The Burren. It is worth a visit if you can manage it. Paddy
67 Potentilla erecta. Tormentil.
68 Alchemilla vulgaris. Lady's Mantle
69 Primula veris. Primrose. One of many good stretches of primrose growing under the hazel scrub.
70 Geranium sanguineum. Bloody Cranesbill. What many people regard as the perfect plant to represent The Burren and so a good one to finish on.
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Paddy, your walks in the Burren have opened my eyes to a completely different image of the Emerald Isle - what drama in the landscape with virtually no trees but swirls and whirls of ancient rocks, gouged out and worn in an infinite pattern to lead the walker on. The views are outstanding over sheets of blue water and it is amazing to think that all but one of the rivers are subterranean. The flora is simply beautiful, tough yet glorious against the rock and in niches, showing their colours without any frills. This is a landscape to dream about and hope one day to visit.....thanks to you :)
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Cracking set of pictures Paddy, thanks for posting them.
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That was very enjoyable, Paddy - thanks for posting it! It's very nice to see some wild areas from your country.
There will be a hawkweed later with spotted foliage which I hope someone may be able to identify. I know I grew it in the garden for a few years before I became fed up of its rampant habit.
Did I miss the photo of this one? I was wondering if it might be Hieracium maculatum? I planted one sold as 'Leopard' years ago - attractive foliage, flowers like sow thistle (which I sure everyone assumed it was) - however, I'm pulling it out this year as it causes me far too much weeding.
That looked like a lovely walking trip. Thank you for the treat!
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Paddy, very nice to see. A few years ago we went to the Burren and enjoyed it apart for an argument between our can and German tourist coach on a narrow road. Maureen also had food poisoning from a seafood chowder. Much of the plants that you show were almost over although there were late specimens of many in colder spots. I particularly recall sheets of Gentian right by the sea. We did find an Ophrys near one of the Turlouchs. If you contact me privately I can give you a 10 figure Irish grid reference which may help. There is such a mixture of Southern European and alpine plants that make this a magic place, well worth a visit. Limestone pavements are a rare habitat in Scotland although we have just seen a small patch in Perthshire.
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Robin, David and Lori,
Many thanks for your kind comments, greatly appreciated.
Lori,
Below are two photographs of the hawkweed which I had intended to post earlier. I'd be delighted if you had a look at them and took a stab at an identification.
Brian,
Glad to hear you enjoyed your visit to the area despite the mishaps. Good find to come on the Ophrys. Don't worry about the grid references - I have good guides for the plants and will come on it in due time. Much appreciated.
Paddy
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A great "Tale of the unexpected" Paddy !!
What a delightfully surprising area !
Thank you so much for introducing it to me ! :D :D
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Paddy we did get to Helen Dillon's garden and like you said she is a very nice and generous lady. She gave me a Celmisa longifolia which was doing well until l moved it - sadly l have lost it :'( I would love to go back, there was so many wonderful plants in her garden and maybe l might be lucky and get another Clemisa.
Really enjoying your amazing pictures. It makes me want to see more of Ireland 8)
Angie :)
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Luc, It really is a very different area, certainly different to the usual picture people have of Ireland. It is too often described as "a lunar landscape" and, at first appearance, this seems appropriate but one soon realises what a fertile place this is. All those grykes/scailps are full of the most nutritious soil and the plants thrive in the shelter they provide. This does not explain the wild diversity of plants found there, something which is truly amazing.
Angie, you have experienced Helen's well-known generosity. We have found that if we admire a plant we are given it and it is often necessary to refuse resolutely so as not to feel one is imposing too heavily on her generosity.
Come and visit!
Paddy