Morning walk

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #405 on: January 08, 2020, 12:41:59 PM »
We took advantage of a break in the weather to drive down to the Salt Lake at Akrotiri. We found anemones in abundance but little else. I did spot one solitary rocket in flower, much earlier than usual. This weather seems to have turned a lot of things on their head. The water pouring across the road is heading for the salt lake that is on the right of the picture. My camera is not good enough to capture the thousands of flamingo that are way over the other side of the lake.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #406 on: January 09, 2020, 01:29:47 PM »
I didn't get to take any photos of the dam at Germasogia overflowing, but this morning being fine and clear we drove to the island's largest dam the Kouris to see what the situation was there. We were amazed to see just how much water was pouring down the slipway and recreating a river that hadn't been in flow for years. We then drove to the far end of the reservoir, stopping on the way to grab a quick shot of the snow on the Troodos Range.
When the dam was constructed in the 1980s the village of Alassa was relocated from the valley floor to higher ground. The village church was on fairly high ground at the edge of the village but still suffered some flooding from time to time. The last time the dam overflowed I got a photo of the top of the dome with the cross, all that was left above water. Much of the church has collapsed over the intervening years but the tower with the cross atop has survived so far and today I got a similar shot. A small, largely symbolic, church has been built above the high water level and overlooking the old one.
On our way home we stopped in the next village to ours, Erimi, to watch the river passing beneath the road bridge there, a sight we have not seen for many years, certainly not since the pre-Dam years of the 1960s and 70s. In my first winter in Cyprus, 1967, the next bridge along, Queen's Bridge on the M1 in the Sovereign Base Area, was washed away by a flash flood. The Royal Engineers had to construct a Bailey Bridge to carry the traffic until the river subsided enough in the spring/summer for a replacement to be built.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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Alisdair

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #407 on: January 10, 2020, 09:27:28 AM »
Fascinating!
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #408 on: January 10, 2020, 10:30:46 AM »
It wasn't until later that an interesting fact struck me. The dam was completed in 1988, since when it has overflowed 3 times, in 2004, 2012 and 2020, intervals of 16, 8 and 8 years. Maybe the first period took twice as long because it had to fill up from scratch.  :D
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #409 on: January 11, 2020, 09:27:51 AM »
Another bright, sunny day and we were surprised to find this Iris unguicularis fully open with a second one on the verge.
Across the top of our property we have an irrigation line that carries untreated water direct from the dam via a valve and meter in the top corner of the field. From this we have smaller lines to feed the fruit trees, with taps to control which are on and which off. I numbered these for ease of reference and my wife decided they would be more prominent if she painted them purple! 
This morning I spotted a small fungus growing next to one of them, it was purple.  ??? The question is; is this its normal colour or is it responding in some way to the purple stone?
Of course I couldn't have taken any of these photos without the help of one of my assistants. Needless to say its our one and only female as the 4 males are all fast asleep in various locations around the place.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #410 on: January 12, 2020, 11:26:13 AM »
A cold, damp, overcast day today but I had to collect my wife from our daughter's house where she had spent the night. As this entailed driving across the Germasogia Dam I took the opportunity to get some photos of it. I have mentioned this dam previously and on those occasions I grossly overestimated its cubic capacity and declared it to be the second largest on the island. In actual fact it rates in ninth place.
The slipway was in full flow.
Looking down on the dam and 2 ice-cream sellers rather optimistically awaitng customers despite the less than summery weather.
Looking across at the car park and recreation area. A few people were setting up barbecues, at least that would be a source of warmth.
The reservoir is used for a variety of water related activities.
Canoeing.
Rowing.
Dragon boat training?
Fishing.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #411 on: January 12, 2020, 11:30:53 AM »
Before leaving for home we took a short walk around part of the reservoir looking for flowers. We found a few.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #412 on: January 18, 2020, 04:00:39 PM »
The day was overcast and cold but we needed some fresh air so headed up to one of our favourite local spots, the Ancient Stadium on the cliffs at Kourion.
We found a few flowers braving the weather, including our first mandrake of the season. It was also an opportunity for my assistant to try out her new camera.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Umbrian

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #413 on: January 19, 2020, 08:11:55 AM »
What is flowere number 3 John?
Hope your assistant's efforts were pleasing.....
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #414 on: January 19, 2020, 10:18:57 AM »
It's Fagonia cretica, Carole, a rambling perennial that scrambles through bushes as well as along the ground. It grows at low altitudes, especially close to the sea and clifftops. It's native to the North African coast from Morocco to Egypt, the Alicante area of Spain and the Mediterranean islands of Crete, Malta, Cyprus and the Balearics.
She takes some good photos. I'll have to get my technical adviser (her 13 year old brother) to see if he can download some of them from her camera to my computer for possible posting on the Forum.  ;)
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Umbrian

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #415 on: January 20, 2020, 08:33:51 AM »
Thanks for the information John - very interesting plant I had never seen or heard of - pretty colour.
You are so lucky having technical help so at hand - my grandchildren are wizards too but.....in the UK.......the generation gap in that area gets ever wider with each year and I have rather given up hope of ever mastering more than the very basics. :)
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #416 on: January 22, 2020, 09:27:33 AM »
The weather has become dry but cold and we can venture out again without needing wellies. This morning I concentrated on the various salvias that have flowered for most of the year as I have tended to neglect them.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Umbrian

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #417 on: January 22, 2020, 10:34:22 AM »
Salvias are really most rewarding plants in the Mediterranean garden I think, giving form and colour throughout the year in their many varieties. My Costa Rican Blue is still opening new flowers on its lower branches having been spectacular in early autumn having reached a height of 5ft after being planted in May as a small cutting from David🙏. Shall be interested to see what happens next year.......
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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Alisdair

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #418 on: January 22, 2020, 12:53:55 PM »
Precious few seem able to survive the long hot summers of low-level southern Greece without any water at all, though.... I'm full of admiration for John's wonderful display.
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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John J

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Re: Morning walk
« Reply #419 on: January 22, 2020, 01:21:50 PM »
I can't really take the credit, Alisdair, as they are all Thea's babies, many of them acquired from David in Rome, as Carole says. We have a lot of mature trees that provide areas of shade, from dappled to quite heavy, and some benefit from that. Most do need, as you point out, varying amounts of supplementary water during the hottest months.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)