Jordan trip

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John J

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Jordan trip
« on: March 17, 2020, 10:24:33 AM »
This year's MGS Excursion was to Jordan. Despite the threat of the dreaded virus hanging over the world at large it was decided to go ahead and in the end 26 members met up in the first hotel in Madaba on 10th March. The first part of the trip went well and we moved on to Jerash. Unfortunately the weather began to deteriorate and travel plans had to be revised due to roads being flooded, not something one would expect in the desert! The historical site at Petra was also closed because of the danger posed by the heavy rain, but we did visit Little Petra, where the water on the rock formations possibly enhanced their beauty. The 5 star Old Village Hotel and its facilities did much to soften the disappointment. The worldwide situation had by now become so bad that Jordan decided to suspend all flights from the country and we had just 48 hours to return to Amman and arrange whatever flights out we could find. So we missed seeing Petra and our stay in the camp in Wadi Rum, but our guide Oron had found some amazing flowers for us while we had been travelling around. The historical sites that we had visited had also been well worth the journey. I have found over the years that MGS members are a resilient bunch who will take whatever is thrown at them in their stride and still be able to enjoy themselves. My thanks go out to all who were on the tour for their support and to our encyclopaedic guide, Oron Peri, for all he did to make this trip as memorable as possible.
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: Jordan trip
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2020, 08:19:53 AM »
Sorry to hear of the problems that hindered your trip but have to agree that MGS members do seem to have a way of overcoming most situations - I remember well the situation in Turkey at the end of a wonderful visit there when many homeward flights were cancelled due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland. Look forward to some more photos - the Iris you posted today is charming.
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: Jordan trip
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2020, 12:30:29 PM »
Helena and I were in John's Jordan tour. All told, it was a wonderful experience: many thanks to John, who had worked for months on the arrangements, dealing patiently with innumerable oddities, and staying unflappable when we faced the unexpected - and thanks too to Sally Beale, who equally deftly handled all the financial arrangements across multiple borders and tangled transfer regulations. Oron Peri took us through glorious landscapes to many unforgettable plants, like the very rare near-black Iris nigricans, I. haynei, and - for Oron, the most beautiful plant in the world - the intricately marked I. bismarckiana. The cultural sites are unforgettable, and the Jordanians couldn't be more welcoming. What a trip! The abrupt ending was a shame, but the scramble to get home actually made it even more of an adventure with some great extra memories.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2020, 12:39:20 PM by Alisdair »
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

Umbrian

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Re: Jordan trip
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2020, 07:43:29 AM »
Lovely photos Alisdair and for sharing your memories of the trip - more please!
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: Jordan trip
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2020, 08:11:50 AM »
Just to prove that we were there, Oron passing on his amazing knowledge to some members of the group.
Thanks to Demetrios for the photo.
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: Jordan trip
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2020, 09:02:54 AM »
What Oron was telling us was that that very dark patch on the lip of the Iris bismarckiana he's holding looks to flying insects like a little warm hole for them to spend the (relatively cold) Jordan spring nights in. So they home in on it, and find that actually the interior of the flower really is a few degrees warmer than the outside world. So they crawl in and shelter there - moving around enough to fertilise the flower overnight.
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: Jordan trip
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2020, 07:22:49 AM »
Not brilliant photos but a pretty little tulip, Tulipa aganensis.
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: Jordan trip
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2020, 07:35:31 AM »
Thanks for sharing Alisdair and John- keep them coming 😊
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: Jordan trip
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2020, 02:45:48 PM »
Oron found us this pretty little plant that is related to the Colchicums, it's Androcymbium palaestinum.
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: Jordan trip
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2020, 06:46:58 AM »
We also found this nice little Adonis dentata.
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: Jordan trip
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2020, 09:45:55 AM »
What about the fly? Is that something special?😊
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.

TROPICBIRD

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Re: Jordan trip
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2020, 09:51:11 AM »
Just to prove that we were there, Oron passing on his amazing knowledge to some members of the group.
Thanks to Demetrios for the photo.
Thanks Demetris for the photo, and to all organisers. And to Oron for his all-consuming passion for bulbs, especially this one!      Lilian in the photo - I'm in the brown cap, back to you, sitting on the grassy bank. Wonderful trip !

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John J

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Re: Jordan trip
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2020, 12:32:45 PM »
I don't think so Carole, but I do believe that the plant is pollinated by flies as well as bees so maybe it was just doing its job.  :)
To be honest when I took the photo I was wet and so cold that I didn't even notice the fly.  :o
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: Jordan trip
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2020, 07:52:01 AM »
Today's photo is of a group of Alium aschersonianum.
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)

Hilary

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Re: Jordan trip
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2020, 09:34:22 AM »
I have just discovered that the photo for each letter of the alphabet in the  index of the journal THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN, which can be found on the website, shows a photo of a flower beginning with that letter.
What an awful sentence!
Anyway for some reason I was looking in A and thought the flower looked familiar , it is of Adonis dentata , a specimen  of which was posted on this thread a few days ago.
I do get excited about some things
Later I will look at all the photos for all the alphabet !
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care