Mystery plants and horticultural imports

When the strict protocols governing import and export of plants are concerned, gardeners are especially likely to snatch a plant part and smuggle it back home for propagation (are they ??). Concerning all that, I found an interesting article over at BackyardGardener - ''Gulid-free Souvenirs''. Also more on the delusiveness of plants ... LOL

Euphoric Euphorbia was the 1st plant I smuggled back to my garden from the land of Odysseus. But certainly not the 1st one that has put a spell on me. I was not bothered about all the safety regulations (I was not smuggling immigrants after all) , I had one fear only, of those passion-less passport control drones confiscating my little friends. But luckily they were always more concerned with my Carmex lipbalm. 3 years ago, back on Kefalonia island, in an old churchyard,
I spotted this beautiful, delicate plant fluttering in the wind. There was only another larger tree of the like on the island, in the protected laguna, already carrying seedpods but they were not ripe yet. I took some anyway, but never managed to germinate them. 3 years later, this August, it was the right time to harvest some more seed pods. Naturally, I still hadn't the faintest idea what the plant was, except that it belonged to the bean family, judging its seed pods. So instead of asking around, I went on a googling mission through the whole Fabaceae (bean) family. An hour later, already discouraged by hundreds of cousins and no look-a-likes, I suddenly came across this name. The foliage was identical, so were the seed pods, and seed size, shape and color. Parkinsonia. Parkinsonia acuelata ! Possibly. At least I think so, if you think I might be wrong, feel free to widen my horizons. After all, this has been a mystery plant here for years.
The Irish botanist Thomas Coulter was the first to categorize the plant. He obtained specimens near Hermosillo, Sonora in 1830. Also known as Mexican Palo verde tree, or Jerusalem thorn. I recently ran into an article about gardeners, their star signs and the plants they were attracted to. Apparently, Cancers are strongly attracted to the Bean family, esp. to the Mimosa tree look-a-likes. I can wholeheartedly confirm that, as I have had the strangest affinities towards the fan-like foliage which has led me to collect anything from Mimosa (Acacia dealbata) to Jacaranda tree, even though I can only grow some of them as greenhouse plants. Albizia julibrissin makes up for all those who can't be planted outside. I'm actually trying to push the limits and grow my Mimosa outdoors (with considerable winter protection) against the south wall along with Figs and Palm trees.

Parkinsonia in the churchyard of
Kipouria monastery, Kefalonia

Now back to Parkinsonia. Greece, or Mediterranean or even Europe are not at all what you would call a typical habitat for these. It doesn' t even fit in with the surrounding flora. Rather it is native to the semi-desert areas of Africa and the Americas. I can't possibly see how it ended up in Greece except onboard some sort of vessel full of smuggling gardeners ... Still, it has adapted very well and grows in a dry, barren part of the island. I'm sure to all of you in the southwestern parts of the US, Palo verde is just an ordinary, everyday bush. In Australia even, it is is a Weed of National Significance. It is regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia because of its invasiveness, potential for spread, and economic and environmental impacts. I have already germinated 3 of the seeds and the babies are doing great LOL.

Greek Palo-verde

Now to go back at the top photo, which is another mysterious plant for the locals, found in the same churchyard. In my opinion a sort of Campanula (very drought resistant for sure), possibly Campanula rapunculus or C. pyramidalis ??? Hardly needs any soil to grow and thrives on dry stone walls, growing out of structural cracks. Unfortunately, I have not acquired one of these, but have seen them growing out of old city walls on several Croatian heritage hotspots.

And the last one, but not the least. Not as mysterious but equally breathtaking. Urginea (Scilla) maritima or Sea Squill. Has absolutely gigantic bulbs which stick out half way above the ground level and have made my luggage wear the 'heavy tag'. I have smuggled four of these, having to choose only those smaller in size to be able to cram them in. While on a goat path, trying to find way to a secret cave somewhere between nowhere and goodbye of Kefalonia, I ran into a whole area dotted with hundreds and hundreds of these bulbs, actually there were so many you couldn't help but trip over them.


These beauties are native to the Mediterranean coastal regions, and while prone to fires and high temperatures, they are known to be frost tender in the continental areas. I'm pushing the envelope there too, planted one outdoors while the other three remain potted inside, chucklin' on the windowsill at their infortunate brother. Apart from being giants among all Mediterranean geophytes, the bulbs are also very poisonous. For more detailed info, visit here and there.

Sea Squill

Kefalonia : Back to the Future

Hi all, back and out of the doldrums. Hopefully you've all been overly productive both in your offline & online gardens. I'm about to recompensate my absenteeism but first I've got to share this effusion of sentiments and pixels from my latest Homeric crusade... (raised eyebrows and grumbling welcome as usual !)




Even though I have only just returned, the sentimental lust is forever blooming. I will let you enjoy some idyllic Mediterranean landscapes and many of the easily missed and often unappreciated plants which have illuminated my wanderings and followed me as I left some more footprints on this marvelous island. 'Cos there truly is more to this delusively barren land than just my 'engaging' balderdash...

Old, charming villages dotted with bougainvilleas, rose laurels and century old olive trees ...



Under the Mediterranean Sun

"The half-forgotten island of Kefalonia rises improvidently and inadvisedly from the Ionian Sea; it is an island so immense in antiquity that the very rocks exhale nostalgia and the red earth lies stupified not only by the sun, but by the impossible weight of memory… The dark green of the pines is unfathomably and retreatingly deep, the ocean viewed from the top of a cliff presents azure and turquoise, emerald, viridian and lapis lazuli. Even the seawater is easier to see through than the air of any other place; a man may float in the water watching the distant sea bed, and clearly see the lugubrious rays accompanied by diminutive flatfish."

From 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' by Louis de Bernières

Regrettably (or not), no longer forgotten, but remains as overwhelming and intoxicating as ever.
As far as tourism goes, Kefalonians should consider naming Mr De Bernieres their other patron saint. For it was his book ' Captain Corelli's mandolin ' and  then there's the year 2002 with the homonymous film which definitely introduced the magic and beauty of the place to a huge audience and widened the horizons of many more nature lovers and adventurers.

The far north colorful village of Fiskardo - always in bloom

An island 35 kilometres by 45 kilometres...
Insane but ingenious islanders...
Vibrant colours even during the scorching summer days...
Breathtaking and dramatic scenery...
Venetian ruins, Mycenian tombs, Nymph Caves, Odysseus and Lord Byron's footsteps...
Dreamy, turquoise Ionian sea...
Cypress trees, Umbrella (Italian stone) pines, Greek Firs, Robola grapevine, olive groves, Ainos mountain with many more endemic species...

Sea Squill ( Urginea maritima )

Many tragedies have befallen this beautiful island, but the following two were disastrous. One natural and one man-made. First, what happens to the little people when megalomaniacs get busy a.k.a. the Second World War. The island was occupied by Italian troops. When Italy capitulated to the Allies in 1943, the Italians handed the island over to the Germans, who massacred over 5000 Italian troops on the island. Then another tragedy struck Kefalonia in August 1953. A cataclysmic earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale reduced the island to ruins to the point that virtually every building/house was destroyed. Several hundreds died. Thousands migrated. Many abandoned, dreary old villages remain today as a monument to the 1953 disaster. Mostly for these two reasons, Kefalonia is deprived of the rich architectural legacy that many other tourist destinations display so lavishly. Nevertheless, God has been very generous when it comes to natural beauty and overwhelming landscape.

Spikey Reichardia...

Once more the unsettled giant in the bowels of the earth slammed a mighty fist vertically upwards, so that houses leapt from their foundations and solid stone walls rippled like paper in the wind, and suddenly there was a stillness like that of death . The earthquake changed lives so profoundly that to this day it is still the single greatest topic of conversation. Captain Corelli's Mandolin


Beautiful Mediterranean vistas

Kefalonia definitely being a typical example , with vast areas of forest cloaking the rugged limestone landscape and ten peaks exceeding 5,000 feet. Voted 10th in a World Scenic Beauty League, Kefalonia's coast is dotted with hundreds of secluded white limestone coves, caves and steep cliffs. Against the white glow of the coast, many inland areas of the island are blanketed by green plains, Kefalonian fir, olive groves and vineyards.



Mount Ainos, the island's highest mountain(1,628 m), a giant that suddenly emerges from a thick forest of black Greek fir with uniquely upreaching branches that exist only here - Abies cephalonica..

Kefalonians & other living beings

To spoil the fairytale, through the years of my continuous enchantment with this place, I have also been forced to notice some things that people just turn their heads on. Having in mind that some of the Kefalonians truly belong to a breed of demented people, and that coming from a person who has met and won so many beautiful friendships there. You probably guessed, I'm talking animal cruelty.


I can't seem to turn a blind eye on this and usually come to think of myself and friends as magnets for stray animals. There's good and bad just about in every place around the globe, but through the years I have unwillingly created the image about animal abuse on Kefalonia and mind you, I don't even live there, I have never seen hundreds of cats and dogs that get poisoned at the end of the tourist season each year. What I have seen in periods of about  three weeks was enough for my stomach. Dogs abandoned in the middle of nowhere, chained to a massive piece of rock, with no food or WATER at all, with summer temperatures scorching the place at around or above 40C each day, with no rain for months. And nothing or no one nearby, just a few stranded tourists per week. Dehydrated puppies dying scattered along deserted dirt tracks...My dear friend who lived there for 9 years also rescued her dog, that she had found hanged on a piece of linen cord. I will stop there. The general conclusion is that some of the locals are too stiff and hardheaded to neuter their pets but they openhandedly tag their furry friends as vermin. Thanks to many local friends and tourists who have fallen in love with the place and have chosen it as their future home, many of the doomed ones have been saved through their animal welfare program.

Unfortunately, the island of Kefalonia is not alone in this. Neither is Greece. Neither is Europe.
The things is, though, that some countries governments are just as cruel as the people in question when it comes to anyone outside their (pardon my French) fat-ass circle of trust.
You sometimes can't help but wonder, does God hear the cries of those who do not communicate in human language? !

ALL GREEK ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETIES ARE UNDER ATTACK

The Greek Government is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to avoid both its responsibilities to the animals of Greece, and the international embarrassment that this causes. The government prefers to increase the suffering of innocent animals by attacking national and international animal welfare societies and innocent Greek and foreign animal lovers in a pathetic attempt to cover itself for its appalling record on the treatment of animals in Greece. (Story of Leo...)

Before I spoil my little travelogue, here's a few more to get that frown of your faces...
and nothing does it better than Greek road signs !

I wonder which tools they're using?...

I will forever remain a captive of this wonderful isle, even with having to learn that no place is perfect, doing something about it is soul-rewarding and heart-mending to some extent, but doesn't change the world. And just when you thought that people have really lost their marbles, there's papas Efsevios, as modest and benign as ever, Kefalonia's true saint and one of a few good souls to frame down in your memories.


Having to share your chicken souvlaki with a massive hornet is not the worst thing you may experience. A mild earthquake every now and then (Kefalonia and the neighbouring islands being one of the most seismically active in Europe). Being dragged out to the open water by strong currents and 2m waves, what a thrill. Being cheated and fooled by your rent-a-car rep and getting a lovely car with flat tyres & necrotic gearbox fits in the image as well . Locking-in your keys in that silly car, in the middle of nowhere, makes your day for sure ! LOL Here's a special thanks to a hilarious Italian dude from Rome who helped us wind down Fiat Punto's rear window from the outside and thus saved the day.

Wilson was there too... ;-)
He had lost Tom Hanks somewhere along the way...

I will get back soon with more photos of the island's lovely flora and a few plant conundrums of my illicitly imported newbies, for my dear gardening friends to help solve.