Trip to S Turkey (E of Antalya)

[Armin]

Janis,
mouthwatering pictures with breathtaking color combinations of chrysanthus x isauricus hybrids and colchicum szowitsii
It is a pity this wunderful location is actual threatened.

[Janis Ruksans]

the dark purple hybrid blew my socks off wow wow and wow again.Now to look for my socks

I mostly like 05, 17, 19
Janis

[TheOnionMan]

the dark purple hybrid blew my socks off wow wow and wow again.Now to look for my socks

I mostly like 05, 17, 19
Janis

Now I know that I have full-blown Crocofever (and there's no antidote)... my socks blew off too like Davey's! Janis, what a fantastic find.  So why aren't more people deliberately hybridrizing with these species to create such uniquely beautiful colors and patterning?

I like #5 (unspeckled egg colors), #10 (speckled egg colors), #8 (4 completely different colors within centimeters), #12 - Shiraz purple, #17 & #19 orange and burnt copper, and I like 1-19 

[Lesley Cox]

A fabulous collection of hybrids Janis. Thanks so much for showing us these, and the possibilities for potential crocus breeders.

So pleased you just managed to get to your Fritillaria lecture. There would have been very unhappy people if you'd missed it. I'm also almost pleased I'm NOT going to the Conference in the UK next year because I was asked to speak to the Frit Group, they having been told I would be in the UK then. I can't imagine speaking about frits to a group that could include you, Janis, Jim Archibald, the Wallises, Brian Mathew and so many others all of whom know a millions times more than I do. Just as well I had to say thanks but have to decline.

[Janis Ruksans]

On Gembos yaila we met beautiful Scilla bifolia with large spikes. It just started blooming and full opened spikes were on most sunny spots where snow went away earlier. There are other bulbs, too, but it was too early for them.
On other side of ridge by road to Akseki we stopped on same slopes where we were at start of our trip. We saw some Galanthus elwesii, but its flowering was close to end. Crocus biflorus isauricus there was quite uniform. Very rare pure white specimens were found, as very few with black connectives. During all exploring of those slopes we found only 2 yellow flowering plants. What a great difference with opposite side of ridge (yaila)!
On road down to see we stopped at small family restaurant on bank of over flooded river. There we got superb salmon trout grilled in grape leaves and the best salad during our trip + true mountain yogurt. This was our best lunch during trip at very moderate price. For four persons we paid only 40,- Euro (inclusive 5 bottles of Efes-bier for three of us).
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Night we passed in our usual Lemon Hotel on opposite side of Antalya and next day went up in direction to Altinyaka to continue search for Crocus antalyensis. I still never saw it blooming in wild, although I collected few corms several times when it was out of flowers.
Our first stop was on place where some years ago I got one or two corms of Crocus antalyensis and saw my first Romulea crocea blooming in wild - 2 or 3 flowers. Now the extremely wet (really damp, partly covered by water) meadow in wettest spots was covered by beautiful golden flowers of Romulea, by distance resembling crocuses. But… from searched C. antalyensis there were only few small leaves.
Next stop was something fur5ther by side road where some years ago I saw beautiful Crocus biflorus blooming between small rock openings on very steep slope. It is some mystery. I well remember where I turned, where I looked for crocuses and I think, I collected something - but this place isn’t in my diaries, there is no crocus from that place in my collection registered. May be I didn’t find there something?
But this trip is successful. There finally I saw C. antalyensis in full bloom and in some variability. As in other localities it grew inside shrubs. Flowers were of traditional light blue color, but I saw few with dark lilac flowers, too. There were cancellatus lycius (out of flowers of course) and between all - 1 pcs of C. biflorus (out of flowers).
Next stop were for pictures of Cyclamen trochopteranthum, beautiful tiny plant growing on rocks. It was in full flowers. Another beauty from there - Galanthus gracilis was out of flowers and I saw only a pair of wilted flowers. Few yellow C. flavus dissectus still were in bloom and there I started to think than may be plant offered last year by Paul Christian as “antalyensis yellow form” really is this form of C. flavus growing sometimes in mixed populations with C. antalyensis.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Last pictures
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

As last my entry about this trip I want to show you my friends, taking part in trip.
Vaclav is famous lily hybridizer (in past) and Cyclamen lover now
Jirko is nature lover, knowing everything about trees and shrubs
Vladimir is professional photographer - all three are from Czech Republic
and - I - Janis from Latvia
On the last picture - our marshrout. Abbreviation JJVV derived from our names in alphabetic order Janis, Jirko, Vaclav and Vladimir

[tonyg]

Janis - a magnificent report with some beautiful plants (and people!) illustrated.  Thank you for taking the time to share so much with us.

[David Nicholson]

I enjoyed your journey very much Janis and almost felt I was travelling with you. BUT I didn't get cold and I didn't get wet-that's my sort of travelling.

[Diane Clement]

Thanks Janis for showing us this trip and the wonderful plants to be found.  You have wetted my appetite at just the right time, because in about 3 weeks time a few of us from this forum make a trip to Antalya.  Gembos Yayla is on our itinerary, so I hope that the plants will still be in flower.

[Tony Willis]

Janis a great trip with wonderful pictures,thankyou

[I.S.]

  Janis very nice plants, very nice diary, thank you very much for showing us. I start to dream for next year

[Oron Peri]

Janis
fascinating photos, i think you were lucky to find all in peak time.
it seems that all bulbs in the Eastern Mediterranean are blooming much earlier this year.

Amazing variation of hybrids!!!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great report Janis !!
Thanks you so much for showing us all these hidden treasures !!