The best alpine flower walk in the Dolomites?

[jonathan trustram]

beautiful photos, made e want to go there - glad you didn't actually get blown away. Interesting to see Potentilla nitida in flower when it wasn't only a week earlier in Slovenia, even at a much lower altitude. And no campanulas?

[David Sellars]

Jonathan:
We did see Campanula rotundifolia up on the ridge and lots of Phyteuma sieberi which are in the Campanulaceae. Nevertheless, most Campanula species in the Dolomites are at lower elevations except C. morettiana which flowers much later. C. morettiana might have been up there but I could not be sure and we had so many other plants in flower to look at. .  Potentilla nitida typically starts flowering in mid July so maybe you were just a week too early. 
Hope you get a chance to get up there one day.  You won't be disappointed.

[astragalus]

David, another great walk (which has Androsace hausmannii) is from Paso Falzarego to Averau and then to Nuvolau.  You can reverse to get back or walk down to take the lift from Cinque Torre down and a bus back up the pass to your car.  Wonderful plants including Ranunculus seguieri.
     Another way of doing it is from Paso Giau.   Walk up to Averau (Rifugio is an excellent lunch stop), and then up to Nuvolau for dessert and fabulous views in all directions.  I seem to recall Petrocallis there?  Have you done any of these?
     An obvious one is from Paso Falsarego up to the Rifugio, great plants along the way and wonderful views from the Rifugio.  If you then head left from the top you can hook up with the trails to Fanes (very long, but Fanes has probably the finest gentians I've ever seen).  Fanes is a wonderful natural area and if you take the whole trail you end up in a very fine Physoplexis comosa area of cliffs.  We've done all of these but not necessarily every year we go.  You need a good weather forecast for Fanes because it's a long day but it's worth it for the gentians alone. 

[David Sellars]

Anne:  The hike up to Nuvolau is not well known to wildflower enthusiasts but is one of our favourites.  We were up there on July 9 this year and although there was cloud and snow we had a great time.  The Ranunculus seguieri were buried in the snow but the Primula auricula were magnificent on the cliffs of Averau. The Rhodothamnus chamaecistus were as good as on a previous visit but we could not find Androsace hausmannii this time - maybe too early?  But the Pinguicula alpina were amazing in the open turf among the limestone rocks.
We have not been north of Passo Falzarego so have not visited the Fanes area.  Maybe next time?

[astragalus]

David, there's a trail to Fanes on the road between Corvara and Paso Falsarego.  I think it says "Campana".  It's a long "up" and then you finally go over a ridge, sort of bear goes over the mountain hiking, and you come out on this fabulous high plateau with little lakes and streams and all sorts of wonderful plants.  I know the Bindelweg as an area of gentian color breaks (turquoise, all forms of blue and white), but the gentians at Fanes are really superb.  There just aren't any shortcuts  for the hike.  If you take the marked trail to the right you'll get up to Lagazuoi, but then you'd miss the real glory of Fanes.  Eventually the Fanes trail goes back down and you end up in a small town where we took a bus back to Corvara.  Great day but exhausting!
     Sorry you missed the Androsace hausmannii.  Some of it is embedded in the final cliffs on the final approach to Averau.  I took that trail a number of times before ever seeing it.  Once you spot one you see quite a few although it's not too plentiful.  I think you just have to be lucky with your timing.  You can go frequently to the same place and then one year find something totally different.

[astragalus]

A few pictures taken last year at Fanes with the old (and obsolete) camera.

[astragalus]

More from Fanes.  Also a great place for daphnes but can't find a picture yet.

[Susann]

Wow, I am a little late reading this thread, but wow is all I can say! I have written down the most important information. I think this would be a nice place to visit next year. I can almost feel the wind blowing in my hair right now, and that is much nicer than being outside in the garden-as I should be-feeling the rain pouring down at me.

[ranunculus]

From our long experience of this beautiful area, Susann, it's rarely very windy … warm and sunny or cool and misty, but rarely windy. 

[Susann]

OK, I think I can stand visiting such a beautiful place without wind. I am very happy I red this as I have not really decided where to go yet. This special part will certainly be in the itinerary. And by the way, Cliff, I have bought your little book about the Dolomites. It is on the bedside table.

[ranunculus]

Many thanks, Susann, I really hope you enjoy it.

[ranunculus]

For any other members who may be interested in our book:-

http://www.colletts.co.uk/dolomites/mountain-flowers-the-dolomites/

[Maggi Young]

Have a look at Kenton Seth's Blog to learn a little of David and Wendy Sellars' own garden :
http://kentonjseth.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/mr-sellars-and-great-distinction.html

 (Yes, I know the text is white on black - make the text larger - makes it easier to read -and stick with it!)

[David Sellars]

Kenton has a refreshing take on rock gardening and was an entertaining visitor. Here's a couple more photos of our garden in spring.  There are more images at:

https://www.nargs.org/private-gallery/david-and-wendy-sellars-millstream-rock-and-alpine-garden

[Maggi Young]

Having seen how beautiful your own  award winning garden is, David, there will be some of us who wonder how you and Wendy can pull yourselves away from it to visit the mountains! I've thought the same about Anne and Joe Spiegel's  garden!  It must be that your travels are the very best inspiration for the fine stony gardens you have created.