Madeira- June 2012

[David Nicholson]

Our first visit to Madeira and we were most impressed. A lovely island and some very nice gardens to see. A few pictures here from one of them, Palheiro Gardens, better known as Blandy's Garden, after the Blandy family who owned the estate from the 1850's. The estate is now part of a hotel group. The Blandy family's name seems to crop up quite a lot in Madeira as the family were big in the wine making business.

First a few general shots from around the garden:

[David Nicholson]

Some flowers etc.

The first two-not sure what this is but huge drifts of it in the wilder part of the grounds.
3/7- Water Lily and ponds and accompanying frog

[David Nicholson]

Flowers:-

Rhododendron
2-3 perhaps a Libertia?
4- again not sure what this is
5- Watsonia?
6-7 Leucospermum cordifolium
8- Sprekelia formosissima, I think?
9- Tulip Tree in full bloom

[David Nicholson]

Madeira is in fact part of a series of extinct volcanos so a few mountain views. We managed to get above the clouds (nothing special, no boots and crampons, just a good road-that's my kind of mountaineering!) and at seal level on the coast the the sun was shining and the sky was blue.

[angie]

David Maderia looks lovely, I have a few friends that have been there and they keep saying its a must. I would have liked to have seen the tulip tree, never seen one in flower before 
Like the blue skies as well.

Ang 

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks for whisking us off to the sun David, we were at Abbotsbury last week and they had lots of 043 -it's a canna.

[fermi de Sousa]

Flowers:-

Rhododendron
2-3 perhaps a Libertia?
4- again not sure what this is
5- Watsonia?
6-7 Leucospermum cordifolium
8- Sprekelia formosissima, I think?
9- Tulip Tree in full bloom

Hi David,
2-3: Dietes ?bicolor?
4- Canna sp
cheers
fermi

[David Nicholson]

Many thanks Fermi and Brian.

[Gerdk]

Sitting here in endless rain(with one day interruption) it's a pleasure to view your lovely sights -
thank you David!

Gerd

[David Nicholson]

Thank you Gerd, it's rained every day here since we got back.

[Gerry Webster]

Very nice pics David.
I had to Google your tulip tree since it looks nothing like the tulip tree I know (Liriodendron tulipifera), which is quite common in Sussex gardens. It seems to be the Gabon or African tulip tree: Spathodea campanulata. Very handsome.

[David Nicholson]

Thanks Gerry, and for the research too.

[DaveM]

Looks a wonderful place for a holiday - contemplated going on several occasions but never made it.
Have you any pics of the wild flowers to share with us? 

[David Nicholson]

Looks a wonderful place for a holiday - contemplated going on several occasions but never made it.
Have you any pics of the wild flowers to share with us? 

Dave, not the right time of year really. Having said that I did get a few pics of some weedy type things but they were ruined by camera shake! I'm the type who gets dizzy three rungs up a step ladder so if I get anywhere near a point I think I could remotely fall from I need both feet firmly planted and both arms to balance with, so no time to cope with a camera as well.

We did do a touristy type Lavada walk as the pic below will prove which was hairy enough for me (is that really Chris Bonnington leading the team!!   ) Note that I was keeping well to the left on the path as there was a drop at the other side-must have been at least 40 feet and my palms were quite wet. There was a more or less total absence of wild flowers on this walk apart from the ubiquitous Monbretia which seems to get everywhere.

I would have thought that early March(ish) would be a better time.

 

[Maggi Young]

Some other forum threads of relevance.....

'Some Madeira Island flora' :   http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=2467.0 -from Michael, from Madeira ( we haven't seen much of him around here since he's been in the UK studying at Kew!)

'A three week Madeira blog' from John Finch, who often travels to the island :   
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=6401.0

and from Cliff,  'MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC' :
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=1023.0