Along the GR10 from Germ for a stroll…

As part of the festivities described earlier, a group of 16 of us also spent a couple of nights at the fabulous Centre de Montagne at Germ. Probably best described as ‘hostel-plus’, the Centre de Montagne has scored a tremendous hit with the opening of ‘Chez Lily’ their bistro and bar just beneath the Centre. This transforms the atmosphere with its quirky tapas and meals menus, great wine and concerts/music throughout the year, and such nice people run it. What a delight.

GR10 group, July 2015

However, despite the attractions of the bistro, we did tear ourselves away and stroll along the GR10 on a very misty, cool day rather reminsicent of Scotland- which was actually a lovely, refreshing change from the heat and sun of previous days. The GR10 was filled with interesting plants revelling in the moistness of the day. Dianthus plumarius, the wild dianthus of the Pyrenees, was flowering everywhere, very pretty, with pink/lilac fringed flowers.  For more information about the garden variety, click here.

Dianthus plumarius, GR10 Germ, July 2015

The pyramid orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis, could also be seen- not numerous, but in one or two small drifts close to the path.

Anacamptis pyramidalis, GR10 Germ, July 2015

And this was a magnificent clump of pink thistles, quite different from the regular variety, which was everywhere. I have tried to identify it from the web, and so this may or may not be Carduus deforatus…

Carduus deforatus, GR10 Germ, July 2015

And, of course, the magnificent blue of the wild Eryngium bourgatii.  There is a spectacular cultivated variety called ‘Picos Blue’ which I have always lusted after…

Eryngium bourgatii, GR10 Germ, July 2015

Everywhere, like so many discarded paper tissues, were the nests of the funnel spider, apparently native to Andalucia, and maybe turning up on the French side from imported olive trees.  The spider waits in the funnel for its prey, and is difficult to see.

Funnel spider in web, GR10 Germ, July 2015

At one point, we passed a spot where, quite naturally, a group of sempervivums and grasses had populated themselves into a rockery display that Dan Pearson would have been proud of….I think, again from the net, that they were Sempervivum montanum, with the yellowing indicating the level of stress the plants were suffering due to the heat and very dry conditions of the past few weeks.

Sempervivum montanum, GR10 Germ, July 2015

Sempervivum montanum, GR10 Germ, July 2015

Home and away….Thalictrum meets the pyramidal orchid

Anacamptis pyramidalis, Pouylebon 65, May 2015

I have to confess to not being the best wildflower spotter there is. After red campion, I wasn’t paying attention in primary school when we did flowers. My friend, Shelagh, is a proper wildflower spotter and puts me to shame. So, in an attempt to live up to Shelagh’s standards, I took a photograph of these orchids yesterday early in the morning. We weren’t flower spotting, we were actually ‘training’ for walking the Via de la Plata from Seville to Santiago in September, and so this was Week 2 of early start walking to mimic the conditions and up the kms-fitness. Near to Pouylebon, it was a lovely 15k walk and there these orchids were. Of course, having taken the photo, I then left the doglead on the ground, which meant Andy gamely offered to go back for it- we hadn’t gone that far, or serious recriminations would have been on the cards.

Back to the flowers. These are pyramidal orchids or Anacamptis pyramidalis, so prevalent on the Isle of Wight that it is the island’s official flower, but they are not omni-present here in the Pyrenees. We saw very few on the walk. Apparently, it likes chalky grassland and needs a specific fungus to be present in the soil for flowering to take place.  Just at the end of the walk, coming back towards Pouylebon, we saw a wonderful collection flowering on a chalky bank near to a ‘Fromage de Gers’ bio-farm. Sadly, we hadn’t brought cash with us or we would have dashed in and bought some cheese to celebrate seeing an abundance of the orchids. Darn.

An abundance of pyramidal orchids, Pouylebon 65, May 2015

And back home, a plant had bloomed that I love for its bluey-green clumps of aquilegia-like leaves, and then its daring, soaring, almost transparent yellow flowers that the bees absolutely go demented for. Thalictrum flavum ssp. glaucum is a bit of a mouthful, but is really worth all the time and trouble there was with tiny seeds and tweezer-transplanting three years ago, Now it has made soft clumps throughout the border, and is a delight. It has something of the Stipa gigantea about it, easy to see through, big (up to easily 2m), but airy and charming, and the insect population trebles at a stroke. Plant Delights, one of my favourite American sites, has a variety called ‘True Blue’ which I would love to see, so I will seek it out. The wonderful Beth Chatto has plants available.

It doesn’t seem to mind our dryish conditions, though it isn’t in the driest spot we have, and is utterly undemanding. It even handles galeforce wind and rain with aplomb. It would take a charging animal to bring it down. I do nothing and it does it all. Here is a full length photo of it, slightly tricky to take as it is so transparent but you can see the flowers silhouetted against the sky, I think.

Full length Thalictrum, Tostat, June 2015

And it is June already. What a shocker, How did that happen?