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Around Agios Georgios, Arilllas and Agios
Stefanos |
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In Corfu the best times for tourists to enjoy the
wild flowers are in Spring or Autumn. |
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The
hot dry summers mean that the flowering times of most plants are early in the
season and by the middle of May the best of the wild floral display is over.
However domestic garden flowers more than make up for this with their colourful
and often brilliant displays. Everywhere else the more tender wild flowers
have finished blooming by June and even then their stems and green parts will
soon by drying up. However many tougher and colourful flowers will continue
throughout the summer. |
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For that reason, unless visitors are able to
travel out-of-season in March or April, May is a flower lovers' favourite time
for visiting Corfu and most of the photographs were taken then. |
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Agios Georgios area has several plant habitats
nearby ranging from beach to miles of roadside verges; from sunny clearings in
the olive groves to open wind-swept headlands; from small meadows to rocky
cliffs. The narrow country lanes along the valley bottom as in Walk 4 on
main site, (click on Agios Georgios link on top menu) are great for roadside
flowers. |
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Outstanding roadside plants along the valley
road.
The stately white and purple wild Acanthus
is for some reason commonly known as 'Bear's Breeches' and is offered by some
UK garden centres and plant nurseries. This one has spiny thistle like
leaves. |
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If you can get up to Afionas (and everyone should)
the windswept limestone headland with its old abandoned fields is often ablaze
with colour.
On
Agios Georgios beach late-summer visitors may not even notice these untidy
clumps of dying herbage and straggly flowers at the beach edge. The leaves of
the Sea Daffodil tend to die back early. However look closer and admire the
purest white colour of these quite rare flowers which are now conserved... so
please do not pick them or disturb the bulbs. |
Sea
Daffodils |
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Sea
Daffodil |
For an interesting and
surprising close-up of the Sea Daffodil visit the 'Something Odd' gallery
below. |
Autumn-flowering Cyclamen |
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After the heat
and dryness of the summer Corfu enjoys a 2nd mini-display of wild flowers when
autumn rains encourage underground bulbs and corms into life, and bright green
new grass to suddenly appear everywhere. Large swathes of mauve coloured
cyclamen cover roadside banks and delicate Autumn Crocuses seem to suddenly
sprout up. |
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The site owner is not a botanist so not many names
are given and these pages are merely to show what beautiful things are to be
found in this beautiful corner of Corfu by those with the time and willingness
to look. (Any contributions about definitely identified subjects or
corrections to my notes will be gratefully received) |
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As stated these pages
are also open for contributions from visitors to (or residents of) nearby
resorts and villages. |
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These 2 contributions by a visitor to Arillas,
show a delightful Iris and a wonderful February display of Bermuda Buttercup
flowers, a member of the Oxalis family. Also called the Cape Sorrell it is an
introduction from South Africa. |
Wild Iris at
Arillas (taken by Sara Davies) |
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Bermuda
Buttercups at Arillas (taken by Sara
Davies) |
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Flower
Photo Galleries |
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Some larger flower photographs
are provided which may remind you of your Corfu holiday, or encourage you to
visit. They are about 35-50 kb and will be slow to download on slow Internet
connections.
There are a few galleries arranged in convenient
groups with a choice of 'slideshow' or manual control. Some flowers bloom
throughout the summer so my 'season' gallery titles are according to when the
photograph was taken. The photographs are not masterpieces but are provided
to give some idea as to what sharp-eyed observers can see on their strolls
around the area. Most were taken at roadsides and waste ground but a few were
taken on the nearby Afionas headland. Some galleries comprise close-ups and
many flowers are shown more than life-size, do don't expect to find
those monsters. |
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TO GALLERIES |
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