Just about the most fun I can ever have when I travel is hiking off the beaten path and looking for plants. I remember each of those plants' faces far more than most of the people I met along the way. Ultimately, whether I'm picking my way across mountains in eastern Oregon or jungles in Costa Rica in tune with every leaf and rock around me, I am never more alive.
In truth, I may never be able to top my greatest botanical adventure when even the garbage dumps of South Africa's Cape Floral Kingdom were in hypnotically full bloom. But I have longed and longed to botanize in Turkey and as you may know, I'm finally going and taking a bunch of friends along for the April 26th trip (yes, you can still come!). As I indulge myself in books and conversations about what I might find there, I am on fire to walk in the ancient places where so many snowdrop, crocus, tulip and iris evolved.
So what's with the picture? I thought it captured three good reasons to botanize in Turkey (in this case, eastern Turkey near Yuksekova) - the plants, the landscape, and the chance to get on your knees in wonder. It's Iris iberica subsp. lycotus and the photo is courtesy of Latvian plantsman Janis Ruksans, whose book Buried Treasures published by Timber Press is this botanizing girl's dream.
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