What a difference a few weeks and lots of rain makes. The hills are looking lush again and rivers and streams are flowing. In the few days before I took the photograph below it had not quite been warm enough for the cistus and asphodels to turn the hills white. However it won’t be long before the hills disappear under a glorious floral blanket of Cistus, Asphodelus and lavender. 
At first glance you might think there were only Bermuda Buttercups, but as I discovered on Thursday’s short stroll in the baixa Guadiana there is more than enough in flower to keep this amateur botanist happy. Well sort of happy, as it wasn’t long before I realised how much this amateur botanist had forgotten. I really do have a head like a sieve when it comes to flower names.
I couldn’t seem to remember the name of anything, and even back at the apartment with my books I have been struggling. Thank goodness last year I had the sense to create a post with links to all the fabulous flora websites that are out there, as without these I am not sure I would have been able to have labelled even half of the photographs in this post.
As it is there are a few which I am still not certain on, thanks to my habit of not taking sufficient photographs of the leaves and stem. And there is one I just cannot identify. I am sure I have labelled it before, so hopefully I will track down its name, or at least its family name one day soon. In the meantime I will just have to enjoy how beautiful it all looked, particularly when I got down to flower level!
As I think I explained at the start all of these flowers were taken on the same walk, and most of the time we were in glorious sunshine. Every now and again though we were surrounded by stormy skies, but fortunately the heavens did not open. This walk is one I have shared with you numerous times before, and as normal we walked it the opposite way round to everyone else. Much better our way!! We did though make one small change on the return, partly to avoid a potentially challenging stream crossing but mainly because we were in the mood for exploring. I am so glad we did as it was a lovely way back.
It has been a while since I shared a stroll with Jo and her Monday walkers, so hope she won’t mind it is one we have done before. I’ll probably be return to it again soon as I have not mention the bird life, nor have I shared any photographs of the wonderful flowing streams and rivers. It really is a lovely short walk, and best of all Jo there are plenty of cafes in the village for afters!
A beautiful collection of wildflowers and I love the chickens. I agree your ‘yet to be identified’ is definitely a geranium and most likely a cranesbill. The Catchfly is trickier-some flower in the daytime & others only in the evening through to morning, so it helps if you know which! I think just enjoy them and don’t worry too much, they know who they are!
Thank you Theresa, I knew you and Jude would come to my rescue on the ‘yet to be identified’. I do try and enjoy them without worrying too much about who they all are, but I get so frustrated with myself when I spot ones I have identified in the past but cannot recall their names. My ability to remember botanical names is almost non existent 🙁
I know what you mean and so many of the wildflowers we come across in Iberia don’t have English common names to make it easier, I learnt best from going on walks with people who know what they’re looking at, I find most wildflower guides to general! (Apologies for self-promotion, but there’s a Catchfly in my latest post on my Spanish blog that might point you in the right direction?)
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My friend is in Faro and sent me some photos of the local flora. I’m in an alpine garden club in Calgary Alberta Canada so these photos are very interesting. I recognize some but there is one in particular that I can’t seem to find the name of.
It looks like it grows on a shrub. Its sulphur yellow with fuzzy yellow edges on the petals. Any ideas?
It sounds as though it could be one of the Mimosas or maybe Eucalyptus. Are you able to email me the photo as I’m happy to investigate.
What beautiful photographs. Your flowers are gorgeous. What a pretty Spring. Of course, you know dear Jo!
Oh wow you are on my Portuguese blog 😁 thank you so much for visiting. And yes I do, lucky enough to have met up for lunch a few times now.
Lovely. Didn’t even realize there were two separate blogs! Oh my.
Some days I do wonder why I do this!!! 😉
Me too. Hard not to overthink sometimes.
A few years ago I spent some time learning all the wildflowers but now I can’t temember many at all. So the fields waiting for the floral blanket aren’t grazed?
Rare to see cows, and the sheep and goats are moved daily if not hourly across the hills and so there are always flowers 🙂
PS you are fabulous doing this 😊