The Bluebells will blossom fully in the coming week. Many of the later types of stinzenplanten are growing between the advancing vegetation of Ground Elder and Cow parsley and are sometimes completely covered.

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

Stinzenflora-monitor Calendar 2018 week 18. Scroll horizontally to view all plants. Learn more about a terrain or stinzenplant? Click on the name in the table.

In several areas there is a lot of gardening to keep these species clearly visible. Ideally, this is not necessary.

Stinzenplants expert Heilien Tonckens was on Texel to view the Bluebells there: It was a blue symphony on Texel. First a meadow with flowering Cowslip, incredibly beautiful. Alexanders were present in the NIOZ grove and then the woodland that started to colour blue at the forest floor. I found at least hundred Martagon lilies in one spot. For more information about Wild hyacinth on Texel, click here (in Dutch),

In places where the soil is rich in nitrogen, lime and moisture, Ground Elder and Bear’s Garlic feel at home and can form dense vegetations, sometimes growing together, sometimes separately. Large flowering fields of flowering Bear’s Garlic, which is now blossoming, is a beautiful sight and you also smell its presence, due its scent. Some people love the smell, some hate it.

At Dekema State they are quite happy with it: The Bear’s Garlic has exploded in the forest. This strongly present plant may be allowed to go its way at certain places in the forest; if we do not want it somewhere we can “fight” it on the spot. For the Head Gardener Wim Hoogendam the Bear’s Garlic does not pose a problem – if he does not outcompete the other stinzenplanten. He collected ripe seed from  Bulbous Corydalis and seeded it on bare spots in the forest, hoping for flowering in later years.

The Drooping Star-of-Bethlehem has two variants. The plants that have been around for years in historic areas have already completely blossomed, but the recently planted plants are starting to bloom like at Hackfort, where they flower at the same time as the common Star-of-Bethlehem.

The Pheasant’s Eye is now also in bloom. The Dandelions are present in many areas and in bloom.

The fresh green of the young leaves on the trees together with the exuberant undergrowth  and the filtered sunlight gives these terrains a special atmosphere.

The Double Meadow Saxifrage that stems from the Meadow Saxifrage, which is virtually extinct in the Netherlands, are now beginning to blossom and will probably be fully in bloom next week. The most beautiful places with Double Meadow Saxifrage in Friesland are the Lime tree avenue at Martenastate and the verge  near the Harstastate in Hegebeintum, which has also Lime trees.

 

In the meantime, other plants are also blossoming that some consider to be Stinzenplants such as the Mourning widow (Geranium phaeum). A shrub such as the Bladder nut (Staphylea pinnata), which often occurs in Stinzenplant gardens and parks, is now also blooming pretty with delicate flowers.

And that also a faded Wild Tulip can look beautiful shows Sjoerd Hogerhuis, photographer of Martenastate.

Next week is the last report of this season in the Stinzenflora-monitor Calendar. This week, the correspondents and owners / Head gardeners had a meeting to look back and look ahead. Not in the last place experiences were exchanged and knowledge shared. We do this every year, alternating at the estate of one of the participants. In the photo right are some of them at Philippusfenne where we were warmly welcomed by Mattie and Luc Lutz.

Events *:

The participants in the Stinzenflora-monitor organize various activities during the Stinzenflora season.
The events 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 IN ADVANCE.
Every estate has its own rules. You are kindly requested to follow those as directed.

Data: see ESTATES

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 19
• Vorige: Stinzenflora-monitor 2018: Calendar week 17