Central Patagonia - November 2017

[Richard Green]

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments.

Ashley, we discussed viola growth rates, and the consensus of opinion is that the violas may grow at around 1cm per year.  The first year the seedling will grow more as it reaches to the light to form the first rosette.  So that plant was probably around 15 years old.  The rock had most likely moved onto the plant gradually over the years with natural settling and climatic action.

[ashley]

Yes I wondered about a recent rockfall or shift.  Presumably the original seed fell onto open ground or a crevice that was later covered.
Thanks Richard.

[Gabriela]

Thanks for all these wonderful pictures Richard, and especially for the rosulate Violas which I longed to see when in Chile few years ago with no success (wrong time).

[Richard Green]

Glad you liked them Gabriela.  It is just a pity that we cannot grow the violas very well here in the UK.  I am looking out on a cold grey Scottish afternoon, which although windy is very misty and it must be close to 100% humidity.  Violas seem to be able to cope with wind, but not with consistent damp, and we noticed that the ground dried out very fast in Argentina after any rain.

[Gabriela]

I also doubt we could grow them in Ontario; hardiness apart, in the winter they would be relatively safe under snow, but there are periods with high humidity in the summer which sometimes prove fatal as well for other alpine species.
We have to be grateful when able to admire them in nature or in beautiful images, like the ones you presented here.

[Maggi Young]

 A message from Harry Jans  about this trip:

Patagonia images online!


Dear all,
 
First of all, my very best wishes for the New Year, with enjoyable time in the garden or on any botanical tour, but above all, stay healthy!

The last  3 weeks I have spend many hours cataloguing all the images from the AGS Central Patagonia trip.
I made about 4000, but kept “just” 1750.
Now they are all (except just a few) named, put location info to all of them and slightly edited.

Thought you would be interested what we saw.

I selected about 1000 to put on my Photo Gallery Website.
You are able to find them here   https://harryjans.smugmug.com/Travel/South-America/2017-Central-Patagonia-Arg/
I am sure there are some mistakes, so if you find one (or more), do let me know!

If you go to the main page of this gallery (here https://harryjans.smugmug.com/   ), just scroll down and you see a World map.
If you click on the number 43 (Argentina), it will zoom into that area a bit more so you know where we have been.

Have an enjoyable virtual tour through a small part of the Andes..

With all best wishes,
Harry Jans