The Dolomites in mid-June 2023

Jon provides an overview of his articles recounting his trip to the Dolomites in mid-June 2023. Wonderful scenery and fabulous flowers, accessed by bus and chair-lift. ...(more below)
July 19, 2023
AGS Editor
Category(s):
Genera:
Species:
Mount Sassongher

Back to the Mountains

Last year, my wife Helen and I spent two weeks at the end of June in the Dolomites on a walking holiday, but focusing on the flowers.  We were based in Badia, but explored meadows around Corvara, south to Arabba, and east to the Falzarego Pass.  Our enjoyment and discoveries were enhanced enormously by the presence of a fellow alpine ‘enthusiast’, David Charlton.  This trip was documented here on this diary.

Spring 2023 has been very busy for us, for a lot of reasons, and we came to the conclusion that the only way we would get to the mountains at all was to book the exact same holiday, for the same period.  Sadly, this year David was not with us.  This time we chose to be based in Corvara, and thus reduced the number of buses we had to catch up and down the valley.

Weather

The weather in the Alps this spring has been cold, but above all very damp.  The best snow in Corvara was at the end of April, after the skiing season had finished.  Since then, constant rain and cold temperatures had prevailed.  The rain was much needed after last year’s drought, but we worried about the prospects for our holiday, and both purchased a second waterproof coat, in case of days of persistent rain.  In the event we need not have worried.  It was not always warm, but we only lost a couple of hours to rain in the whole of the fortnight.  Now we are back home it seems to be on the warm side there, even in the mountains, so our trip fell just right.

Gardena Pass after rain

Purpose of the Articles

This year, because of the cold, damp spring, the flowering season was 2-3 weeks later than 2022.  As a result we saw many flowers which would have been out towards the end of May last year, and which had gone over by our trip.  I would like to share these with you.

Plant Identification

These diary entries aim to provide a record of what we saw.  As last year, I have spent considerable time and effort since the trip, trying to name correctly the plants I photographed; books and websites did not always yield a definitive answer.  As well as the many books and obvious websites (the AGS Encyclopaedia), I have found the following useful:

  • the checklist of Italian flora here.
  • the flowers of the French Alps here (the plants are often the same).

A number of experts both within and outside the society have given generously of their time and expertise to help me. My thanks to them, and to everyone who helped make this holiday so enjoyable.

And still, grey areas remain.  It remains intriguing to me that the flora of such a familiar and well-documented region can throw up so many puzzles.  I am sure that many mistakes and confusions also remain (my own fault – please forgive me), and I welcome any feedback to discuss or correct these (my email address is below).

Alpine Garden Society church in a scenic mountain setting, showcasing traditional architecture and stunning natural surroundings, ideal for alpine plant enthusiasts and garden visitors.

Locations

Our daily trips were as follows:

I hope you enjoy this adventure as much as we did.

Read More Diary Entries

All news