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Anchusa azurea
on the central terrace, looking north.
10 Jun 19:40

                         a   S T A M M E R  project              

2011 June 11 to 21

The first day of the summer was the first day when the maximum temperature passed 30ºC. The vegetation is still quite green with thousands of flowering plants.

Hypericum perforatum, Echium vulgare, Sideritis hirsuta, Santolina chamaecyparissus, Galium fruticescens.
Central terrace.
Looking north-west
14 Jun 18:40

Central path with Phleum phleoides, Galium fruticescens, Plantago lanceolata, Santolina chamaecyparissus, Cornus sanguinea.
14 Jun 18:46

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Purple-stem catstail (Phleum phleoides) is stealing the show on several areas of the zone. It is a highly decorative grass, from the start in April to almost the moment of mowing at the end of the winter. Sun light and wind play continuously with the gracious flowerheads and stems which are gradually turning purple-red.

Lightshow of Phleum phleoides.
Higher terrace.
14 Jun 18:18

Close-up of Dorycnium hirsutum.
21 Jun 9:04

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The total number of species in the zone is slowly but continuously rising. At this moment I count a total number of 282 botanical species of which 53 have been introduced by us. There are 5 plants on a waiting list to be identified and entire (difficult) plant groups like mosses, lichens and Carex haven been omitted so far, so the number of plant species is likely to increase considerably.

I have recently enlarged the floristic species catalogue with more than 70 new photographs, taken from my own archive of the last 5 years. While taking photographs, I try to highlight not only the characteristic features of the species for their identification but also the surroundings and accompanying species as well as the different visual aspects of the plant during its lifecycle, combining aesthetic qualities with useful information as much as possible. Almost needless to say that the operation is far from complete and is more a question of an ongoing process.
As an illustration, here a small collection out of the floristic catalogue:

One plant of Dorycnium hirsutum on the lower terrace. Spotted last year but now identified and catalogued.
Looking north.
21 Jun 9:02
 

A complete surprise in the half shade  on the central terrace: about a dozen plants of the annual Blackstonia perfoliata.
12 Jun 10:32

Close-up of Teucrium capitatum which I mistook last year for  a white-flowering Thymus vulgaris.
21 Jun 10:19

Dry plants of Carthamus lanatus on the central terrace.
18 Sep 2010 8:36

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Two months ago I started the yearly cycle of cutting the vegetation with the scythe. The selection of the area and the moment of cutting depends on several factors: the height of the vegetation, the presence of important flowering species (which must be able to produce seed before being cut) and the need of hay as mulch in the vegetable garden. In general the areas near the house and vegetable garden are cut the earliest and most frequent (at least once per year) while areas further away will be cut later or not at all.

In the vegetable garden the hay is gradually substituting the straw as a mulch layer. Hay is quite different from straw: it  decomposes faster and contains more nutrients and moist but also more weed seeds.
In one way or the other I try to combine the rows of vegetable plants with the hay layer and the green fertilizers (Trifolium repens and Lotus corniculatus) and the results look promising.

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The vegetation on the roof of the house has turned from yellow (Sedum acre) to white (Sedum anglicum and Sedum album flowers). They seem to thrive better than the more robust Sedum reflexum and Sedum sediforme, but these also bloom a bit later.

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The cat family is doing well, perhaps a bit too well. We sometimes envision a near future with a tribe of dozens of cats in the zone, eating daily more meat in their cat food  than I eat in a month. But we are irregularly away and then they seem to fend quite well for themselves. The mother can often be seen bringing a dead mouse or lizard to her youngs.

A good meal is an effective way to make friends.
12 Jun 12:45

'Stipje' and 'Snorretje' are the tamest of the gang.
 14 Jun 17:51

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Other families are approaching the house. This nest is from a Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) and was built in the Mulberry tree, 5 metres from the house.

 

introduction
floristic catalogue
faunistic catalogue
contact
index
gallery 1: 2006-2012
gallery 2: 2012-
map
>> 2011 Jul 30
<< 2011 May 22