The Outsider

This month, horticulturist Hannah Gardner heads to the Estonian island of Sarremaa in search of some of the 36 species of orchid found on the island

I have longed to witness an elegant lady slipper orchid ( Cypripedium calceolus) growing in the wild, and I headed to Estonia with this as a clear intent. Estonia is the smallest of the three former Soviet Republics collectively known as the Baltic states. Flying into Tallinn, you can reach the botanically rich western isles in just a few hours by car. Travelling by ferry to the largest of them, Saaremaa, you pass through Matsalu National Park, a coastal bird watcher’s paradise.

Leaving the city means crossing a lowlying expanse of rivers, lakes, marshes and seemingly endless forests. The country is dominated by trees; two million hectares of slender white birch ( Betula pubescens), pine ( Pinus sylvestris), spruce, aspen and a few oaks, which make you appreciate how timber permeates life here. Many Estonians still forage, heading into the woods to reinvigorate body and soul. In the countryside, long thatched barns are artfully stacked with wood. In Tallinn, the smart spa saunas are still fuelled by logs, releasing an aromatic scent into the air.

Inspiration for the trip

There has been an orchid festival on Saaremaa since 2013, a celebration of the 36 orchid species found on the island. It is hosted by Loona Manor, the Vilsandi National Park visitor centre and is the brainchild of a strident local botanist. I am also a devotee of the sauna and this is an inseparable part of life on Saaremaa. Almost every house on the island has its own sauna, so you can experience the ritual for yourself amid the trees.

When to go

Spring arrives in early May when the days are already long. June to August are the best months for wildflowers. The orchid festival is on weekends over June and July.

Where to go

The coast and islands have protected areas with shallow thin soil over a limestone base. Known as alvars and alvar forests, these are rare ecosystems that are rich in species. Many of these areas were exclusion zones during the Soviet period, the forest rapidly rewilding the deserted settlements. Conservationists are now, once again, managing and opening up the woods.

After the town of Kuressaare, strutting cranes are as frequent as asphalt roads are rare. Rough gravel tracks cut through the swampy forests as you navigate Vilsandi National Park. In theory you can stop anywhere and walk into the woods, although it is easy to become disorientated and there aren’t many paths for those who like a route. The birch and pine woods have a relatively open canopy, allowing up to 100 bryophyte species to thrive in the moss layer alone. I spent a few days botanising here, finding generous swathes of Hepatica nobilis, Anemone sylvestris, and Primula farinosa (foliage only, the spring flowers already spent). Red helleborine ( Cephalanthera rubra), narrow-leaved helleborine ( C. longifolia) and the military orchid ( Orchis militaris) were plentiful and at their best around midsummer’s night. I did eventually find a few of my beautiful rare lady’s slipper orchids, growing in modest colonies among lily of the valley. They were at the feet of Pinus sylvestris, their distinctive golden pouches and burgundy sepals floating above a sea of fresh, pleated leaves.

An atmospheric coastal hiking route (Käkisilma to Vilsandi) leads through the junipers, bog myrtle and reeds to the outer cluster of islands, but come prepared to wade through chest-high sea water. Sculptural sea kale ( Crambe maritima), sea wormwood ( Artemisia maritima) and shining cranesbill ( Geranium lucidum) thrive in the shingle and rocks of this outpost. The green-winged orchid ( Orchis morio), marsh orchid ( Dactylorhiza majalis) and pale, scented, wispy sand pinks ( Dianthus arenarius) are easy to spot.

Not far away, on the highest point of the island (only 54m above sea level), is Viidumäe Nature Reserve. You are asked to stick to the trails, but there is signposting with interesting interpretation in English and the habitats are varied and species-rich.

Plants to grow at home

I returned from Estonia full of love for conifers. Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) is our only native pine and not one that is often chosen for a garden situation, perhaps because people are under-confident about how to place and integrate such a statement tree within a garden. However, given space and attention the Scots pine can flourish into a sculptured and more compact version of the forest tree; one that will provide real interest and structure throughout the year. Without close competition for light, its habit is more characterful and laterally spreading, the rough bark having a glorious rosy glow. In spring you can also harvest its nutritious pollen. It is unfussy about soil, enjoying moist, acidic conditions, but tolerating poor rocky alkaline ground, like that of the Estonian alvar forests. Growth is quite rapid, so pruning is a requirement.

Fortunately Pinus sylvestris is a dream subject for the Japanese art of creative pruning for garden trees, known as niwaki. Imagine the satisfaction to be found in caring for and coaxing your garden tree into a naturalistic living sculpture. Niwaki by the arboriculturist Jake Hobson (Timber Press, 2007) provides good guidelines on how to do it, and Jake (based in Dorset), also runs niwaki workshops.

Guides and maps

Orchids of Northern Europe by Sven Nilsson (Penguin, 1979) For information on the orchid festival: orhideefestival.ee For organised walking tours, contact Maarika Toomel at heritagetours.ee

Where to stay

The Eskepaare Boutique Hotel, Lossi 27, 93815, Kuressaare, Estonia. Tel +372 453 8778, ekesparre.ee is a lovely hotel in Kuressaare, one of the best-preserved old towns in Estonia, known for its spa hotels. Villa Verde, Lümanda maantee 11, Kihelkonna, 93401 Saare maakond, Estonia is a comfortable and chic wooden cabin in a small, unspoilt village on the edge of Vilsandi National Park. Find it on booking.com