Georgia travel informations?

[Ophrys]

Dear plant lovers,
I am new here and would like to start with a question. I would like to take a short trip to Georgia next year. The focus of the trip should be the crocuses. Can someone tell me what is the best time to travel and which areas should I visit? After the trip I will report here!
Best wishes
Ophrys

[Gail]

Too late for your crocus but take a look at the Greentours itinerary; http://www.greentours.co.uk/Asia/GEORGIA-34/
I went on their trip to Delphi in October which was also led by Kurt Vickery, an extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly delightful guide, and he said his favourite trip is the Georgia one.

[Ophrys]

Dear Gail,
Thank you for the tip. I guess it is an interesting and very good journey, but for me it is a lit bit too late. I would like to go for crocus.
Best wishes
Ophrys

[krasovski sergey]

Read  Greentours Trip Report 13-23  March 2014
It's not a Georgia, but it is near.

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March 21 Ikizdere and Anzar Yayla

Now we drove to Anzar Yayla. This was along another side road that wound up through the most
lovely scenery. We stopped briefly for Scilla sibirica subspecies armena on the way up. We drove
up as far as we could to 1850m where the road was blocked by snow. This was at one of the
yaylas a little way below Anzar. We hoped we might find Crocus aerius here and duly did. Anne
Ka found the first one, and we were pleased to see thi s, then another couple were found. It still
came as a surprise to find that slopes a little above this were covered in not just thousands but in
fact around half a million blooms stretching across half a kilometre of mountainside! They were a
mix of whites and blues, some with tepals more or less half and half, others pale with blue lines a
wonderful sight!
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I don't think, that you can find crocuses in big amounts in Georgia...
They grow there, of course, but in small amounts.
Maybe, you are interesting in flowers, that looks like crocus?
For examples - Merendera. You can find it in Armenia
https://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/Armenia/i-GBxHv8v

[ArnoldT]

May be of some interest.

Boyce Tankersley of the Chicago Botanical Garden has made numerous trip to Georgia for plant collecting and conservation.

See here:

http://my.chicagobotanic.org/horticulture/behind-the-scenes/plant-collecting-in-the-republic-of-georgia/

[Ophrys]

Dear Sergey,  Dear Arnold,

Thank you for the well-founded tips. They take me a lot further.
Best wishes

Andreas

[Jan Jeddeloh]

Make sure when you go to the Greentours website that you look at the trip report for Georgia.  It has information on what they actually saw.  I went on the Greentours Georgia trip last May with Kurt Vickery.  I don't remember seeing any crocus.  Unfortunately for us the season was late so we didn't see all the plants Kurt would have liked to show us.

I know you may be interested mostly in crocus but if you get to Georgia in May make sure you get to some of the fields of Scilla rosenii in the Lesser Caucasus.  They are breathtaking fields of blue.

[krasovski sergey]

 Once again about crocuses.
1. Book "Флора Абхазии, том 4, 1986" page 250:
  C.autranii - IX-X
  C.scharojanii - VIII-IX
  C.speciosus - VIII-XI
  C.vallicola - VII-IX

That's all. No one spring flower.

2.Book "Флора Армении, том 10, 2001" page 112:
  C.adamii - II-V
  C.speciosus - IX-X

Here is C.adamii !

   

[Willirim]

Last spring, we went to eastern Europe, including Georgia. Unfortunately, we didn't see crocuses, but the wine in Georgia is probably even better than in France or Italy! And there are surprisingly hospitable, cheerful people there. My husband and I often travel around Europe, usually, before the weekend we buy cheap tickets on dbauskunft and go to some new European city. But nowhere have we been met by such wonderful people as in Georgia! Therefore, I consider Georgia a must-visit country for everyone.