Morning walk

John J · « **Reply #465 on:** January 20, 2021, 02:06:39 PM »

This morning was brighter, with a very chill breeze blowing, but no sign of impending rain so we decided to carry on from where we left off yesterday.
In fact we began at the ruins of the Temple of Apollo Hylates (Apollo of the Woodland). From there we walked to what is left of the Ancient Stadium, where the area is still showing signs of last year's fire in places.
A further 200 m, on in an area known as At Maydan, are the ruins of a Basilica built in the 5th/6th C AD.
By now it was approaching lunchtime and we felt in need of a warming beverage and so turned back to the car, once more not having made it as far as the mandrakes.
The last 3 photos are of looking down over the beach at Kourion, across the sweep of the bay towards the western edge of the Akrotiri Peninsular and in the direction of the Ancient city of Kourion.

John J · « **Reply #466 on:** January 20, 2021, 02:15:27 PM »

Oops! the last 2 photos got transposed somehow but I'm sure you have worked that out.
Anyway, not too much in flower as yet. As well as the Romulea and Bellis we saw yesterday, we found Asphodels, Anemones, Clematis cirrhosa, Fagaria cretica and a small, not yet fully open Himantoglossum robertianum.

John J · « **Reply #467 on:** January 26, 2021, 12:47:32 PM »

Cold, rather dull morning today, but some of our plants are bravely attempting to put on a show. Buddleja madagascariensis is just beginning to colour up. Much to our surprise the Montanoa grandiflora has burst into flower overnight. David, you posted on a different thread that you were having problems with your Pseudogynoxys. Ours has been flowering intermittently all winter. Same with Thunbergia grandiflora and T. alata. On dull days the Euryops pectinatus provides a welcome bright splash. The Correa backhouseana comes from Australia so maybe it gets confused about the seasons! Cestrum elegans and C. roseum may not have the scent associated with their night-flowering cousin but they are much more colourful.

John J · « **Reply #468 on:** January 31, 2021, 09:14:31 AM »

Heavy rainstorm with high winds last night. Our Bauhinia forficata and Pistacia lentiscus seem to have borne the brunt of it.

John J · « **Reply #469 on:** February 14, 2021, 02:54:18 PM »

Today's morning walk saw us back up in the area around the Ancient Stadium above Kourion.
Anemone coronaria
Phagnalon rupestre
Fagonia cretica
Asphodelus ramosus
What I believe to be Ophrys flavomarginata but I'm prepared to be corrected.
Cistus creticus
One of the harbingers of spring on Cyprus hillsides Calycotome villosa
Mandragora officinarum
Lithodora hispidula

Umbrian · « **Reply #470 on:** February 15, 2021, 12:16:52 PM »

Beautiful orchid John - how lovely to find it.

John J · « **Reply #471 on:** February 27, 2021, 08:52:44 AM »

Salvia eigii taken this morning.

John J · « **Reply #472 on:** April 02, 2021, 10:13:29 AM »

I haven't posted any photos taken on my morning strolls around the garden lately but today for some reason I took my camera with me, even though it was cold and wet. As I walked around I passed by several plants that we had acquired over the years from Sally at Sparoza, either as gifts or purchased from the nursery. Like the one in the photo, Gladiolus tristis which was opening its first flowers so I took the shot. I may be getting sentimental in my old age but when I transferred it to my computer I couldn't help feeling that it was bowing its head and shedding a tear in her memory. I guess there's no fool like an old fool!

Umbrian · « **Reply #473 on:** April 03, 2021, 06:59:12 AM »

Beautiful plant and beautiful post John❤️

John J · « **Reply #474 on:** April 10, 2021, 07:41:25 AM »

Very changeable weather today. Was woken in the night by heavy rain. Went out this morning to have a look around but had to abandon and get back under cover to escape a sudden hailstorm. However, I did manage to get a photo of the first flower of the year on our Starfish lily. This member of the iris family from South Africa may not be to everyone's taste but I love it, partly because the bulbs came from our good friend Fleur in Greece. Proper name Ferraria crispa I usually refer to it as 'Fleur's Ferrari'.

John J · « **Reply #475 on:** May 08, 2021, 09:25:51 AM »

I've posted these on this thread as we spotted them as we walked around before starting work yesterday.
The first is a Cyprus endemic that we've nurtured for a couple of years and has eventually flowered. It's a Scutellaria cypria but there are 2 variants, S. cypria var cypria and S. cypria var elatior. I'm not sure which this is but I lean towards the latter.
The other is an orchid that has appeared completely out of the blue. In all the years we have lived here we have never seen one of these growing. We think, due to the scent of the flowers, that it is Anacamptis fragrans.
Gardens can be a constant source of amazement.

Umbrian · « **Reply #476 on:** May 09, 2021, 07:06:45 AM »

Beautiful Orchid John and if it is scented even better😊In our former garden we would occasionally be surprised by the appearance of various Orchids - the land around the house had been farmed previously and it was only towards the end of our tenure that some of these beautiful flowers began to make a comeback and they were always so welcome.

John J · « **Reply #477 on:** May 16, 2021, 11:59:09 AM »

With restrictions being eased a little, no longer necessary to ask permission to leave the house, we decided to take a stroll in the Akrotiri marshes. Took photos of a couple of plants and one or two of migrating birds that have not yet gone on their way. My camera is not really built for long distance work.

John J · « **Reply #478 on:** May 22, 2021, 04:56:34 PM »

Not a morning walk today but something more adventurous, a long morning drive. Restrictions having been eased, permission to leave the house no longer required, we decided to set off to see where we ended up. This turned out to be the village of Lympia in the Nicosia District.
We came across this Staircase of Love that led up to a view over the surrounding countryside. Random messages of love in a variety of languages had been written on the adjacent building. However, the one to the left of the hearts and crosses highlighted the danger of attempting to write a message in one language using the alphabet of a different language. Pronunciation is everything!
As we strolled around the village we stumbled upon a house with the most fantastic collection of cactus and succulents. The photographs only show a fraction. How could anyone resist calling to ask if the owner minded us looking and taking photos. In the age-old tradition of dedicated gardeners they were only too pleased to show us around, and we eventually left with a bag full of cuttings and small plants. What more can you say?

John J · « **Reply #479 on:** May 29, 2021, 02:21:34 PM »

Again not a morning walk but a morning drive. This time to the village of Galata, situated 60 km west of Nicosia at height of 620 m asl. Our long-time friend and fellow MGS member Yiannos Orphanos is a garden designer who has been working on a client's garden here for several years. We have been unable to visit to see the progress for over 2 years due to the pandemic. Yiannos was not there today but he said his workers would allow us in as they knew us.
This is a very large, very complex project situated on the side of a steep hill. It has natural springs that are directed into a large reservoir, the water being utilised to irrigate the property. Beehives in abundance are situated around the garden and their produce, along with a variety of fruits grown are processed in 2 specially constructed buildings towards the top of the property.
Photos 1 & 2 are of one of the natural springs.
3 & 4 are of the reservoir.
5 is a line of beehives along an access road.
6 & 7 are the 2 processing buildings.
8 is a bee motif in the yard outside these buildings.
9 is an imaginative lamp in that yard.