Wild Flowers of The Burren.

I am linking in a day tardily with Gail atClay and Limestonefor Wild Flower Wednesday .

The one affair that could take me away from my garden in May is a long - hold in desire to see the unparalleled flora of the Burren in May , when it is looking its best .

If you do n’t know where the Burren is , here is a clue .

Gentiana verna

This preindication was spotted in Ballyvaughan in County Clare , Ireland . Balyvaughan is a great place to stay to research the Burren . The name , Burren educe from the Irish wordboireannwhich means rocky and this place certainly is rocky . It is a huge limestone paving which at first glance looks quite arid . But everywhere there are cracks and cleft and small pastures with the most wondrous hazardous flowers . It is a unique home ground because there are Mediterranean , Arctic and Alpine plant all growing together . First of all , you have the effect of the Gulf Stream warming the air along the West coast here . Secondly , the limestone itself acts like a vast memory board fastball retaining the heat of the summer Sunday into the winter . Then there is the quality of the light reflected from the limestone . This suits the Alpine plants . I will start with the most showy of the alpines which grows in carpet in some area . It is the irresitible Spring Gentian , Gentiana vernawhich is such an incredible shade of blue . The last fourth dimension I meet gentian uprise like this was in Switzerland .

Gentiana verna

Another Alpine is the Spring Sandwort , Minuartia vernawhich I believe is quite rarified .

Gentiana verna

Minuartia verna

Mountain Avens , Dryas octopetalais another long suit of the Burren . It is a native of the Artic and here it mingles with Mediterranean plants .

Dryas octopetala

There are plenty of Orchids on the Burren , when we were there other Purples were everywhere . We have these in our Sir Henry Joseph Wood in Suffolk , but not in the abundance you see here .

This is a very ancient commonwealth and although it expect as if it must have been erosion which made such a desolate landscape painting , it was once to a great extent populated and the tree were remove by masses living here about 5,000 years ago . There are about 500 ancient hill forts in the Burren . There is a wonderful neolithic portal tomb at Poulnabrone which curb human corpse and artefact which have been analysed to give a bewitching brainstorm to the lives of these people . In the nineteenth century this sphere became depopulate by the potato famine which hit this part of Ireland severely . About 1 million mass die in Ireland when the potato blight strike in successive year . What we did n’t learn at school day was that the English Prime Minister , Lord John Russell had a deliberate policy of laissez - faire to protect free swop . People were give up to starve whilst grain and meat were exported to England . It was even suggested that it was Divine Providence that masses should starve . It amounted to race murder . It was out of the head to give multitude solid food for nothing , so pointless projection were excogitate like building unwanted wall up usurious mound . Starving men were paid a pittance for this work ; many died whilst they were doing it . These rampart are a grim admonisher of man ’s inhumaneness to humans . In the next picture you may see the paries on the left , run up the James Jerome Hill . An interest in flowers was manifestly share by Oliver Stone James Mason in the twelfth century here . The Abbey at Corcomroe has carvings of flowers on the corbels which are some of the early depictions of bloom in a church . They are thought to be harebells which grow in the surround countryside . The legend says that the stone stonemason had to be put to death when he had finished so that he would never be able to carve anything so beautiful anywhere else .

give thanks you for hosting this lovely memeGail . Why don ’ t you join in on the last Wednesday of the calendar month and share the wildflower you are enjoying in your part of the world ?

45 Responses toWild Flowers of The Burren.

Thanks for the background story and the story . It ’s always sad to learn about how mankind in the past ( and present ) pain each other . But it ’s good to be informed . Your wildflowers are adorable . Many of them are familiar , but actually most are new to me , or the special coinage is new to me . Flowering plants that grow among rock candy are to be appreciated and commended . 🙂

A most interesting post for me as our garden is also on a limestone pavement ( even if it has more grime than the paving in your pictures ) . peak on the paving here are also at their best . The most salient plant being the yellow Cypripedium which embark on afford a few days ago . I will try growing some of the plants you cite .

Such a sad chronicle for a stark but beautiful place . Those Gentiana are the stuff of dreams .

Gentiana verna

Gentiana verna

Oh a fascinating position Chloris . I ’ve heard of the Burren but did not realize that it was such a haven for wild blossom . I can empathize why you were lure to leave your beloved garden in the month of May 🙂

This is one of the most fascinating wild flower stake … .I will have to note this area for when I return to visit Ireland again … so desolate and so beautiful … .I especially have sex the orchids .

Minuartia verna