The Outsider
This month, horticulturist Hannah Gardner heads to a plantsman’s paradise in Turkey’s Kaçkar Mountains where she finds a wealth of familiar garden flora – some of it good enough to eat
Horticulturist Hannah Gardner heads to Turkey’s Kaçkar Mountains
Ihad never experienced the joy of rolling a honey-drenched rosebud around in my mouth until I breakfasted in Barhal, a mountain village in the Kaçkar region of northeastern Turkey. The rosebud honey was served with butter, thick slabs of rough bread and a glass of local black tea. Turkey is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of flora – this in turn sustaining the bees and attracting beautiful butterflies. Beekeeping provides a good livelihood, and the competition for the best honey is intense. Most people here are of Georgian and Armenian descent, their lofty medieval stone churches and ruined forts demark the steep forested countryside. The Pontic Alps border the Black Sea and extend into Georgia. Kaçkar National Park lies at its heart, but you can cross through it without noticing for the whole range is pristine wilderness with no signage, just an extraordinary tapestry of flowers and Caucasus mixed forests on the slopes. The land is literally awash with oxygen and nutrient rich water gushing down the mountains, filling rivers and gurgling up through springs.
Inspiration
It was a revered horticulturist friend, Fergus Garrett, who first fired me with the enthusiasm to travel across the dusty plains of central Turkey and up into the verdant lands that border Georgia. Even on the Turkish scale of hospitality I was unprepared for the warm welcome that awaited. The flora is outstanding and the fertility and energy of the landscapes breathtaking.
When to go
To head over the high passes the season is July-August. Below 2,500m it is flowery from June until the hay meadows are scythed in early August. My starting point was the south side of the range as the weather is more clement avoiding the heavy mists that roll off the Black Sea. It is still unpredictable however, and terrifying thunder and lightening storms are common.
Where to go
Trails of varying difficulty cut across the mountains. I carried a tent and spent a few unforgettable nights amid the nomadic cattle and snowy high peaks.
Heading northeast from Barhal, towards the Altiparmak range with pace, quickened by the interminable sound of rushing water I passed the first of many seasonally occupied stone-and-timber buildings, the animals housed below, the timber living quarters above. The size of the plants emerging from the forest edges are intriguing with many great examples of tall herb flora. The big, deep indigo bells of Campanula latifolia and Cephalaria gigantea colonised banks between rocky streams and forest, a beautiful contrast to magenta Lythrum salicaria and bright Inula orientalis. In the shadows of ancient conifers and oriental beech colonies of musky, leather-scented Digitalis ferruginea and the ghostly Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. vulparia loom.
On higher, drier, open land Centaurea pulcherrima and Scabiosa caucasica share the sun with Aster amellus and wide drifts of the papery orange Armenian poppy ( Papaver lateritium). Eryngium giganteum at its best wild in the shimmering grass.
The high meadows lie between the tree line and the alpine turf and scree. They are lush and a technicolour mass of familiar garden plants. Astrantia maxima subsp. haradjianii, Persicaria bistorta subsp. carnea, which has a particularly vivid and compact flower head, the dark-eyed Geranium psilostemon, and Betonica macrantha tumble together on the flanks of the great snowy peaks of Kaçkar Daglari.
Plant to grow at home
Among the giants of high-mountain flora Cephalaria gigantea has to be the most demure. This leafy, hardy perennial manages to be pale, interesting and handsome. It occurs between 1,2003,000m, its distribution spreading through central northern Turkey and the Caucasus. The name originates from the Greek kephale (head) referring to the dense arrangement of many small flowers on the floral receptacle creating a generous 4-6cm rounded head. A substantial clump of large anise-scented, dark-green leaves send up branched flower stems that routinely reach 2.5m tall. The scabious-like flowers are an arresting pale primrose yellow, an unusual hue in hardy perennials. In cultivation it tolerates full sunlight and part shade but requires moisture to flourish. In situ it competes well in rough grass. In the high but sheltered valleys of the Kaçkar range it colonises stream sides, woodland clearings and lush meadows growing alongside the pale lilac panicles of Campanula lactiflora. It requires space, but is self-supporting, and worth cutting back after the first flush of flowers in July. Ensure it has enough moisture, and it will throw up more flowers in September, the soft yellow a wonderful accent amid the earthy tones of autumn.
Guides and maps
The Kaçkar: Trekking in Turkey’s Black Sea Mountains by Kate Clow, and Chris Gardner (Upcountry, 2012). A comprehensive guide to mostly unsigned walks with a map. Mountain Flowers and Trees of Caucasia by Shamil Shetekauri and Martin Jacoby (Martin Jacoby, 2009). You can also find useful information at trekkinginturkey.com
Where to stay
Barhal Pansiyon Artvin – Altıparmak Köyü, Turkey. Tel +49 (0)89 8189 81619, barhalpansiyon.com is in Barhal village and offers 15 new wooden bungalows, all ensuite, with delicious home cooking. Karahan Pension Altıparmak (Barhal) Köyü, Yusufeli – Artvin, Turkey. Tel +90 (0) 466 8262071, karahanpension.com is out of the village closer to the trails. Ensuite rooms and a covered terrace where you eat incredible food overlooking the 10th-century church and river. The friendly owner Mehmet is happy to assist with local accommodation in the mountain villages, mule hire and local guides. There are few facilities in the mountains, so just look for a flat area to pitch a tent and be sure to leave nothing behind.