August flowers in the Sierra de Grazalema

nerium-oleander

August is a golden month, as most annual flowers have finished their colourful phase, produced their seed heads and dried completely to a straw colour. Although if you look in the right places there are still flowers to be found; watercourses, irrigated areas, animal watering troughs, damp meadows and high mountains will offer the best selection. However, this is also a good month to see insects such as dragonflies, mantis and bushcrickets!

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Hike Pyrenees – Some excellent articles to read!

Hike Pyrenees blog

Phil & Anna have been living in the Pyrenees for over 12 years and love the culture, wildlife and mountains there. They run Hike Pyrenees, which organises guided and self guided hiking holidays in the Pyrenees and other areas of Spain. During this awful coronavirus lockdown here in Spain everything is shut and tourist related … Read more

October flowers in the Sierra de Grazalema

crocus-serotinus

Autumn flowering bulbs are a favourite at this time of year, but you generally have to have keen eyes to find them as they can be very small and well hidden. On the contrary the Autumn Buttercup can turn a rugged hillside yellow with its shiny, rich yellow, blooms. Autumn doesn’t necessarily mean colourful leaves about to fall, as many trees here are evergreen. The Narrow-leaved Ash seems to be the first to turn yellow with tall Poplars following shortly. The deciduous oaks may retain their leaves until the buds shoot again in the new year, unless strong winds shake them free. See more about the Sierra de Grazalema here: https://grazalemaguide.com/blog/the-sierra-de-grazalema-natural-park/

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Flowering plants – June in the Sierra de Grazalema, Andalusia

aristolochia-baetica

During late May and into June temperatures start to rise as springtime turns quickly to summer. Road side verges are full of flowering plants in all colours and cereal fields turn bright red with poppies and yellow with false fennel. As the weeks progress, spring blooms will be turning to seed and the golden browns of summer will begin to dominate the lower landscapes. However the later flowering of the higher altitude mountainous plants means that there is still plenty to discover in what is known as the ‘hedgehog zone’ describing plants with a dwarf and prickly form. See more about the Sierra de Grazalema here: https://grazalemaguide.com/blog/the-sierra-de-grazalema-natural-park/

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