We now get more sun and higher temperatures and that means a lot of change. The flowering period of the various species in the gardens and parks are now more synchronous, the differences in moment of flowering are currently relatively small. The bumblebees and bees are busy visiting various flowers. The Bulbous Corydalis is now almost everywhere in bloom. At the St. Vitus Churchyard in Stiens, a lot of attention is paid to the good management of Stinzenplants. In this period it is the Bulbous Corydalis that gives this place of silence a special appearance.

Dekema State writes: This week Dekema at State the Bulbous Corydalis is prominent. Over the whole site we can find them in smaller and larger patches, in the forest, in the herb garden as weeds, under hedges, a few even have spread to a spot 300 meters away in the Noorderlaan !! Furthermore, we are very happy that the chickens no longer roem the terrain, because for the first time in years the Bird in a bush flower again plays an important role on the forecourt!

Martenatuin reports that this year there is relatively more white flowering Bulbous Corydalis than other years. This also seems to be the case with Stinze Stiens in some places.

At Martenastate the purple-pink tone of the Bulbous Corydalis dominates.

At Philippusfenne you walk along Bulbous Corydalis lanes and along fields of the flowers of Bird in a Bush. They will be at their best this week, reports Philippusfenne.

In the Stinzenflora garden of the Schierstins, pink and blue predominate by the blooming Bird in a Bush and the Glory-of-the-Snow.

Jongemastate also has a lot of flowering springflowers: All the white, which we have been able to admire for so long, has disappeared and turned into purple, blue, a yellow accent and yet also the white of the flowering White Butterbur and the White Bulbous Corydalis. And everywhere, in abundance, the Bulbous Corydalis and the Bird in a Bush are now blooming beautifully.

In the case of Hackfort with its slightly lighter soil the Bird in a Bush is more important than the Bulbous Corydalis, Hackfort reports: With the massively flowering Bird in a Bush a lilac carpet covers the bottom of the park forest. The Wood Anemones join in full bloom. The flowering of Stinzenplants is spectacular at the moment with these two as topper. But the next highlight is coming.

The Snake’s Head Fritillaries are already in full bloom. In addition, the first Summer Snowflakes also show their first flowers. The historic Narcissus Mrs. Langtry, which grows on Hackfort, has also started to thrive in just a few days.

The Snake’s Head Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) is also in full bloom in the Martenatuin in Franeker. And the buds of the big ‘sister’, the Imperial crown (Fritillaria imperialis), in English also called ‘upside down flower’, turn orange in Park Jongemastate. Furthermore, there is in most areas a timid beginning of the bloom of the Wild tulip, which will certainly be much more visible next week.

The yellow of the beautiful Yellow Anemone is a feast next to the white of the Wood Anemone. In addition, the Lesser celandine is also thriving. This plant is not a Stinzenplant because it also occurs in the vicinity of the gardens and parks, but it does occur in most stinzenplanten terrains.

The Common Lungwort is now also in bloom with the blue and pink calyxes. The Schierstins also has the Mountain Lungwort.

The coming week a lot of sun and fairly high temperatures are predicted. This means that all Stinzenplanten terrains are worth a visit. It is also nice to pay attention to the presence of bees and bumblebees who can now find sufficient food in these areas. Also a ‘companion’ such as the Salmon Berry, the Rubus spectabilis, is well attended. So bring photo cameras and binoculars!

Slovenia

This week a final report of our trip to Slovenia, where we concentrate on the species that we usually do not see in our Stinzenflora environments. We regularly saw three different types of Helleborus in the wild. The famous Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger sometimes occurred in fairly large numbers. Most with white flowers but also white with pink-red. These plants, like most early bloomers, can withstand a sudden period of frost and snow.

In addition, the Helleborus odorus also appeared regularly, a species with light green flowers and a species with very dark flowers and leaves, the Dark Hellebore, Helleborus atrorubens. Paul Veenvliet gives interesting information about the different types and growth conditions in his blog about the Helleborus in Slovenia: https://www.natureincolour.eu/2017/12/19/helleborus/

Occasionally also a white flowering plant Rue-leaved Isopyrum (Isopyrum thalictroides) that looks like a Wood Anemone. In a dry grassland in western Slovenia we saw, Broad-Leaved Anemone, Anemone hortensis, a species that is more common in Croatia. Asarabacca (Asarum europaeum) a plant that stands out especially because of its green leaves and is planted in gardens in the shade under trees.

In a dry meadow, a special kind of Pasqueflower with very dark flowers (Pulsatilla nigricans) started to bloom.

We found Grape Hyacinth (Muscari botryoides), Italian Lords-and-Ladies, and the Lords-and-ladies.

As yellow flowering plants, Small yellow flowered Spring Bloomer (Hacquetia epipactis) regularly appeared, a small plant with nice yellow flowers and a small plant from the Saxifrage family, Alternate-leaved Golden Saxifrage (Chrysosplenium alternifolium). This plant grows in shaded moist places. We also regularly came across leaflets from a Cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens). This species is very common in Slovenia and blooms in the summer.

We encountered a flowering Mezereum or February Daphne (Daphne mezereum) from time to time. This is a shrub that does not grow larger than 50-80 cm. We saw a flowering Ornithogalum species from time to time, but we do not know what kind of Ornithogalum species it is.

And after this trip we also understood why the White Butterbur (Petasites albus) that is present in a somewhat dry place in our garden is decreasing at the moment. In Slovenia this plant grows on humid slopes and along streams.

Flowering: start full peak decreasing
Present: here and there regular massive

Stinzenflora-monitor Calendar 2018 week 15. Scroll horizontally to view all plants. Learn more about a terrain or stinzenplant? Click on the name in the table.

Events *:

The participants in the Stinzenflora-monitor organize various activities during the Stinzenflora season.
The events that are now known are listed below.
‘Open gardens’ with private garden owners are often mentioned shortly before in this calendar and on the websites of the participants. Opening up depends on the flowering of the Stinzenplants and the weather.
For possibilities of (group) visits you can contact the relevant participant.

Data: see ESTATES

For your agenda *:

Events April:

Dekema State Jelsum. Museum weekend 14 and 15 April. Spring Fair 28 April: with a Stinzenplants search map you make a tour during these events. For prices, opening times and activities see the website. www.dekemastate.nl

Martenastate Koarnjum. Freely accessible. (www.martenastate.nl) Activities in the context of Leeuwarden-Fryslân 2018: Grien Festival, start Easter Monday 2 April, will last until 15 April. And further: excursions and courses Nature Photography Stinzenflora. For dates, prices and registration see the website http://www.martenastate.nl and It Fryske Gea. http://www.itfryskegea.nl/eropuit

Schierstins Feanwâlden. Museum weekend 14 en 15 April. Tours in the garden and the building. For prices, opening times and activities see the website. www.schierstins.nl 

Announcements:

Tourist brochure ‘Stinzenflora in Friesland’: For everyone who wants to go out in the spring, a new handy brochure ‘Stinzenflora in Friesland’ is also available at the tourist centers and affiliated organizations (VVV’s and TIP’s). It was developed in cooperation of the participants in the Stinzenflora-monitor and the tourist organizations Uytland / Destination Noardwest and the regions De Greidhoeke and Noardlike Fryske Wâlden. The folder provides information in Dutch and English and shows which locations are real thriving hotspots in Friesland.

App Stinzenflora (only for Android): The organization Nature2U has independently developed an app (only for Android) with information about Stinzenflora. In this Stinzenflora app all Dutch Stinzenplants and companions are described with country of origin and details. The app is composed with Stinzenplant specialist Heilien Tonckens and nature photographer Wil Leurs, supplemented with some photos of waarneming.nl . The plants are easy to find with flower color and shape or for florists by family classifying. In addition, there are also overviews of the Stinzenflora of the Vecht region and Friesland.
More information via www.nature2U.nl

* Subject to change. Consult always the websites of the participants for the latest information.

• Volgende: Stinzenflora-monitor 2018: Calendar week 16
• Vorige: Stinzenflora-monitor 2018: Calendar week 14