Schynige Platte

[Howey]

A new year for me brings a strong desire to sort and rearrange - while in the process I came across a book by Hans Itten - The Alpine Garden of Schynige Platte - 1955.  While visiting Switzerland a few years ago, much to my chagrin, we bypassed this fabled garden in favor of the Jungfrau (top of Europe).  I am wondering if I missed much and if it is still being kept up.  I understand one of the 007 movies was filmed up there.  It was July/August and I didn't see many wild flowers - except clumps of Erica carnea seen through the car (moving) window.  Fran

Frances Howey
London, Ontario, Canada
Zone 5b

[Booker]

Hi Fran,
We were up on Schynige Platte in 2004 and the alpine garden was beautifully maintained at that time. The hikes from the alpine garden station that meandered across to the ridge that overlooked Interlaken and the lakes were awash with amazing plants.

SCHYNIGE PLATTE

[Spiegel]

[quote author=Booker link=topic=536.msg5795#msg5795 date=129509921
 The hikes from the alpine garden station that meandered across to the ridge that overlooked Interlaken and the lakes were awash with amazing plants.

SCHYNIGE PLATTE
[/quote]

Okay, Cliff.  Please check your notes and expound on what the amazing plants were.   On a cold, snow-bound day this would be delightful reading. Any pictures of the plants??

[Booker]

Hi Anne,
From my image files and from memory ... (and in no particular order), the meadows, crags and ridges of Schynige Platte were some of our best ever sites for many of the spring plants we normally see in the Dolomites; Gentiana verna; Gentiana acaulis; Pulsatilla vernalis; Pulsatilla alpina and P. alpina apiifolia; Primula auricula; Crocus vernus ssp. albiflorus (by the millions); Soldanella alpina; Linaria alpina; Ranunculus alpestris; Ajuga pyramidalis; Saxifraga oppositifolia; Primulas (numerous); Silene acaulis; Thymus; early orchids, etc, etc.
I would recommend Wengen, Murren, Grindlewald, Schynige Platte and surrounds for anyone seeking the very best of European high alpine flora. We arrived at the beginning of June and the snow had recently melted ... we have never seen so many magnificent examples of common, pristine and exquisite alpines.
A few images that were easily accessible ... more later if you aren't sated.

[Toole]

Yummy     Cliff.

[Howey]

Lovely pictures, Cliff.  It's almost worth going there again and making sure I do it when most of those lovlies are in bloom.  May we see some more?  Fran

[Mary Ann and Chuck Ulmann]

I want to go back!  We were there in the 90's.  And the train takes you to the gate!!! Mary Ann and Chuck.

[Booker]

Many thanks everyone!   I have just remembered that many of my images from our trip to the area can be viewed from half way down page four on the following link to the conclusion of the topic on page nine.  Please enjoy.

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=684.45

[Spiegel]

Looked at all the pictures, Cliff - really beautiful.  Also bookmarked the Stridvall site - I think a lot of hours could be spent there.  One picture of Petrocallis pyrenaica in the Julian Alps is so spectacular.  I'm going to talk to my little petrocallis buns this spring and tell them what they could look like if they really tried!  Loved your pictures from the Dolomites, especially because I recognize where they were taken, but where was the little lake/pond?

[McDonough]

Cliff, about 1-1/2 hours were siphoned away looking at the link ; while I'm all over the SRGC I haven't yet caught up with the volume of posts there.  Your photographs are stupendous, I'm particularly enamored with the many belly-shots of alpines with magnificent mountain scenery in the background, the 4 or so Globularia pics are fetching (I'm a sucker for blue globularias).

[Booker]

Many thanks, Mark ... all the scars on my extensive belly were worth it then?   
I have a passion for globularias and the Alps and the Dolomites satisfy my passion very well.

[Hugh MacMillan]

Many thanks, Mark ... all the scars on my extensive belly were worth it then?   
I have a passion for globularias and the Alps and the Dolomites satisfy my passion very well.

Looking at your lovely image of the Globularia catapulted me into a quasi 1960's hallucination; I felt as though my being had been integrated with the very substance of the plant - outstanding images.

[Booker]

More delirium than hallucination if it has anything to do with me, Hugh!   

Many thanks for your very kind comments.

[Spiegel]

Hi Anne,
From my image files and from memory ... (and in no particular order), the meadows, crags and ridges of Schynige Platte were some of our best ever sites for many of the spring plants we normally see in the Dolomites; Gentiana verna; Gentiana acaulis; Pulsatilla vernalis; Pulsatilla alpina and P. alpina apiifolia; Primula auricula; Crocus vernus ssp. albiflorus (by the millions); Soldanella alpina; Linaria alpina; Ranunculus alpestris; Ajuga pyramidalis; Saxifraga oppositifolia; Primulas (numerous); Silene acaulis; Thymus; early orchids, etc, etc.
I would recommend Wengen, Murren, Grindlewald, Schynige Platte and surrounds for anyone seeking the very best of European high alpine flora. We arrived at the beginning of June and the snow had recently melted ... we have never seen so many magnificent examples of common, pristine and exquisite alpines.
A few images that were easily accessible ... more later if you aren't sated.

  Please, sir, could I have some more??

[Booker]

Hi Anne,
Unfortunately I haven't the time at the moment to go through the SRGC pages to see which images I have already posted there, so I will simply post a batch here and hope that I haven't included too many duplicates.