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A few pics from Madeira last month
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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A few pics from Madeira last month
I was in Madeira last month to celebrate a, cough, significant birthday. Worked out it was the 8th time I have been there - just feels so comfortable - although not for a few years. Anyway, I went to a few familiar places and a couple of new ones. But my first port of call these days is always the Blandy garden, mainly to check out the progress of a trio of Furcraea parmentieri that are growing by the lavs. They seem to enjoy the climate there. I have dug out a picture from 2007, followed by how they are now.
This is interesting for so many reasons. Firstly they haven't stopped growing! - they are way bigger than they get in Mexico. It is thought that cold is the trigger for flowering (and subsequent death) so in this balmy climate maybe they are immortal? UK Oasis people may remember my friend Gerald Luckhurst, a landscape architect who works in Portugal and Madeira, and he says he gave them these plants as bulbils that he carried in his jacket pocket! Perhaps to make up for a lack of flowering it is also interesting to note that these giant plants are producing bulbils along the trunk. Never seen this phenomenon in Mexico - perhaps their need to reproduce will not be denied so if it can't happen with flowering then maybe nature finds another way. It also makes me wonder of the same trunk bulbil production one sees on Furcraea selloa is a similar occurrence bourne of climate and not in their nature, although this does flower in Madeira and doesn't get so tall.
I'll add a few more pics in time - saw some nice plants in habitat on a new walk.
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Mon Nov 13, 2017 8:30 am |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
Another plant I have been tabs on is the massive Yucca filifera in Parque Santa Catarina in Funchal. At first no-one seemed quite sure what this was but it flowered a couple of years ago and had the unmistakable drooping inflorescence of Yucca filifera. Now it is sporting several new branches.
There had been flash fires in the hills above Funchal last year. Scarily close to houses - in fact many plants in the top corner of the botanical garden had been burnt. One walk we always do (because there aren't any scary drops) is levada dos tornos - the section between the Blandy garden and Monte. Usually most of this is in the shade of Eucalyptus and Acacia, this time it was mainly in the open.
We did another walk starting from near Ribeiro Frio in the middle of the island, where it is much wetter and the laurisilva forest remains intact. Nice easy walk, no scary vertiginous sections and lots of interesting plants - Euphorbia mellifera - rare in the wild, apparently, which is hard to understand given how it seeds everywhere in my garden.
Sonchus fruticosus
Semele - don't encounter this very often!
And Musschia. Nice to see all of these in habitat for a change.
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Mon Nov 13, 2017 5:15 pm |
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garytheflounder
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 10:32 pm Posts: 241 Location: Brighton Sussex uk
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
Belated '21st' birthday wishes for last month Must get back to Madeira in the near future, loved it there
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Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:34 pm |
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Stan
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:52 pm Posts: 10687 Location: Hayward- S.F. Bay area Ca.
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
wow- You sure that first photo wasn't from 1947?.. Huge growth. That's like a Washingtonia robusta fast growth. It must grow all year. Congrats on the birthday. Youth goes by so fast,and old lasts so long.
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Mon Nov 13, 2017 8:09 pm |
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Kev Spence
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:59 pm Posts: 10902 Location: Loughborough, Leics, central UK
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
Cracking pics Paul love Ribeiro Frio last time we called it was tourist central you could hardly get down the main road for buses very sad to see. Hopefully it has not affected the local flora as its a very small area for so many people. Our son is there now having a fine time by the looks of his pictures ....must go back soon!
Did you see the blue flowering Cordyline in Blandys just wondered whether or how high it was now its progeny its growing well here in the East Mids around 10ft tall but not flowering as yet.
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Mon Nov 13, 2017 8:45 pm |
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John P
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2007 7:41 pm Posts: 445 Location: Tring Hertfordshire UK
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
Thanks for the pictures and commentary Paul its always good share your trips. As I said in Kev's post I had to make do with Gloucester. John
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Mon Nov 13, 2017 10:01 pm |
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Andy Martin
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:58 pm Posts: 1279 Location: Oxford UK
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
Those Furcraea look amazing. I wonder if they set a world record for height? It's been 23 years since I last went to Madeira. I expect it is all changed now but must make the effort to go back. I hope you enjoyed your birthday there Paul
_________________ Lover of Yuccas,Palms,Nolinas,Schefflera.
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Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:04 am |
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charliepridham
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:42 pm Posts: 1925 Location: Cornwall
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
_________________ Charlie, Growing climbers in Cornwall http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
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Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:31 pm |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
Yup, 50 years old. Plus VAT. How did that happen? The cordy is still there, Charlie/Kev. In fact when I got home I found some seeds from it had somehow found their way into my case. The walk at Ribeiro Frio was not that busy, although the trout farm itself was rammed (never quite understood the fascination myself). If you walk down hill, past the trout farm, past the cafe there is a footpath on the right hand side that immediately crosses the river - nice flat beaten earth and stone track at first that hugs the side of the mountain forest and goes as far as you want to walk. On the other side of the road is a walk to a viewpoint called Balcoes. Last time I went it was foggy, but not this time.
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Tue Nov 14, 2017 3:02 pm |
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charliepridham
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:42 pm Posts: 1925 Location: Cornwall
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
Good news re the Cordyline, must have been looking in the wrong place! I take it you didn't go right through to Portella Paul? We did the whole walk this year in the mist, had to abandon our intended plans to go up and over the top. It remains one of my favourite walks there is one stretch Liz is not so keen on but the rest is lovely. some damp pictures below by , on Flickr by , on Flickr by , on Flickr by , on Flickr by , on Flickr by , on Flickr by , on Flickr by , on Flickr by , on Flickr by , on Flickr by , on Flickr by , on Flickr This is the bit Liz doesn't like, when we first did it back in 2001 this was unguarded, even now you have to check the wires are actually attached ! by , on Flickr by , on Flickr After this damp day we managed to stay in the sunshine
_________________ Charlie, Growing climbers in Cornwall http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
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Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:41 pm |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
Not sure I would have liked that bit either. Didn't get that far, Charlie, sticking to a simple 'there and back'. In fact we missed where we should have taken a pathway off to the right that would have made it a circular route Did you do that as a linear walk with buses?
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Wed Nov 15, 2017 9:19 am |
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charliepridham
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:42 pm Posts: 1925 Location: Cornwall
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
Yes, there are plenty of buses at Portella but Ribreiro Frio has only the one returning to Funchal at around 5pm makes a rather cold spot to wait as we discovered it all goes dead at 4 and the bars close!.
I think you would enjoy the woodland walk at Portella no drops at all just masses of ferns
by , on Flickr
by , on Flickr
by , on Flickr
by , on Flickr
by , on Flickr
by , on Flickr
Its a there and back walk with the all important bar at the end!
_________________ Charlie, Growing climbers in Cornwall http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
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Wed Nov 15, 2017 6:01 pm |
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stephenprudence
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:33 pm Posts: 342 Location: Heswall, Wirral, UK (Zone 9a)
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
Really nice photos. In some ways, other than the plants, those woodlands remind me of our woodlands here in so many ways other than of course the species of plants.
Plants from Madeira and Canary Islands seem to grow so well here, we have a very rampant self seeding set of Euphorbia mellifera and Echium pininana. They seem to be happy to grow in our cool, damp climate. All it takes is Euphorbia mellifera to get into the countryside in this country and it'll be away where no one is there to manage it.
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Fri Nov 17, 2017 1:42 pm |
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Kev Spence
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:59 pm Posts: 10902 Location: Loughborough, Leics, central UK
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Re: A few pics from Madeira last month
Cracking shots Charlie it makes us want to go again its so green and lush in Madeira.
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Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:57 pm |
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