We found these tiny Greek cyclamen growing in the most unpromising places – in rocky clefts and on bone-dry litter among the pines below Pylos Castle. We also found them clinging to the cliff above Peroulia Beach, rooted in the arid cliff path where people keep walking on them. They seemed to be thriving.
Travel With Intent This Sunday Debbie is in the pink. Please pay her a visit.
Tish Farrell 
Oh I love these and they must be a “no kill” plant. I could use some in my garrden. LOL
🙂
Beauties!
Amazing that they can give such beauty in such an arid spot
They are so sweet aren’t they. No wonder the ones we buy from UK nurseries, bedded in little pots of sodden compost, don’t last very long.
Nice!!!!
These are beautiful.
Did you read my post ‘Kate’?
Did you hear?
I did know, (sorry) and was working out how to tell you before we went away. But I didn’t know how to begin, and anyway wasn’t sure if you knew. Sending you an email out of the blue seemed crass somehow – just blurting it out. All so v. sad.
Sad indeed. It’s okay, Tish. I understand.
One of the moments when I wished I could phone you up.
One of those things.
A short while back I had this crazy idea of paying her and her husband a visit.
It’s always been a wish of Ems and I to visit the Ramirez guitar factory in Madrid during our next visit. It’s not too far a drive from Portugal. And then it is is a mere hop skip and jump from there to Gib!
Alas … the dreams of Mice and Men, right, as Steinbeck wrote.
Like the other friends we have lost along the way, we must consider it a privilege to have known her, albeit from afar.
You two had quite a rapport going. I used to enjoy reading your exchanges. But a privilege to know her – you are absolutely right.
I know I’m butting in but I didn’t read it, Ark, and I’d like to. Vicky says that Adrian’s not in very good shape, which you can understand. Trying to keep busy painting the Spanish house and stuff. Very sad, indeed.
Not butting in at all, Jo. So many have been touched by this very sad loss.
Lovely!
🙂
Oh, lovely bit of pink, Tish!
Combined with the sweet scent of the pines under which they were growing in Pylos, they were just heavenly.
Oh, wonderful!
What most beautiful flowers they are!
How beautiful. I’m imagining that zoomed out, they would provide tiny dots of colour in the landscape too. Or are the clusters too small for that? Gorgeous anyway.
No you are right. They were obvious against the ochre colours. Some seemed to have pushed their way up through pine cones, yet so delicate too.
How lovely. 🙂
I would love to have cyclamen growing wild in my yard.
It would be a real treat, wouldn’t it, at this time of year.
Beautiful. Reminds me of “The Moon-Spinners” by Mary Stewart.
janet
Not read that one, but it’s a beguiling title.
Just reread it for the ??the time not long ago. 🙂
So very pretty. I think this colour is much nicer than the colour of the cyclamens we get in pots. Btw I have had some trouble with commenting on posts recently. You may find a comment from me in your spam folder, that’s if the comment hasn’t vanished into cyber space.
I agree about the colour. It’s very subtle and soothing. I will go visit my spam folder. I think there may have been some hiccup with Microsoft updating.
Soothing is the right description. Shop cyclamens are very bold.
But sometimes the little white ones we get have a wonderful lemony scent, but they explode quickly in their pots.
Oh how silly I am. I have a little white one out on my porch. I see it every day but I had completely forgotten about the white cyclamens. Poor thing. I must apologize to it.
Didn’t find you in my spam, just a lot of real rubbish.
Phew! Thanks for putting yourself through the horror of spam to check. 🙂
I’m always astounded by the sorts of things people think they will sell me.
😀 😀
Beauties, I wish they would thrive in my garden.
I’m now guessing that they may well need a lot of neglect. In fact before we went away, I noticed some very miniature but similarly coloured ones growing in edge of our field path. Someone must have chucked them over their garden fence years ago, and they’ve been working their way up through the couch grass ever since.
We have some lovely crimson ones and white ones on our windowsill, Tish, and a few in the garden but wild is wonderful. 🙂 🙂
This reminded me of the time we hiked in Cyprus and came across a whole carpet of wild cyclamen – so beautiful. I can’t remember where we were hiking to – better go back in the archives and find it 🙂
Alison
PS It wasn’t Cyprus, it was Italy – near Positano 🙂
A.
And now that you have located it (real and fictionally) in two locations – it has to be a magic carpet. Wayhay!
Chuckle. Yes! A magic carpet!
Often the wild varieties have more nuance and subtlety than the hybrids don’t they? Lovely photo and post that reminded me of a poem by DH Lawrence called (I think) ‘Sicilian Cyclamens’, which I used to love and need to rediscover
Thank you, Carol. That sounds like a poem well worth re-discovering – or in my case, finding for the first time,
They look so dainty and delicate, but they are survivors. What a beautiful colour.
That struck me too, their bid for survival even in hazardous places.
This is my favourite flower. I haven’t seen it in a while. Thank you for the share, Tish.
Lovely to find you here, Paula. How’s the hand doing? I’m assuming improvement since you are here. Hope so. Tx
Yes, but I have to use it sparingly. Thanks, Tish.