SPRINGTIME IN GUAJAR ALTO

This year, spring was exceptionally lovely in Guájar Alto. The weather was unusual and a warm, mostly dry, January encouraged the almond trees to blossom earlier than usual. There were some very warm days in February, too, but March brought rain and cold winds which continued into April. It grew very warm indeed in the second week of May and the combination of spring rains and hot days brought forth an abundance of lush vegatation. Cascading down the steep sides of the ravines were cistus bushes covered with flowers of pink and white; phlomis, often seen skulking at the back of herbaceous borders in England, ran riot with masses of pale pink flowers. By both night and day, the singing of nightingales echoed through the valley and the bee-eaters, who arrived from Africa in April, trilled overhead, the blue and yellow of their exotic plumage flashing in the sunlight. At night, the elusive Scops owl could be heard uttering its strange, sonar-like call and the hundreds of frogs which had taken up residence in the water reservoirs began their noisy summer nocturnal chorus.

The superabundance of wild flowers would have delighted the botanist, especially the orchids. Bee orchids are the first to appear in Guájar Alto, normally as early as December but, because of the dry weather, there weren’t as many of these as usual. The later flowering varieties, however, benefited from the March rains and flowered in unusual profusion. The sawfly orchid, which has luscious, pink petals is one of the most beautiful and this spring I discovered a lovely butterfly orchid with large, wing-like petals of glowing magenta. Bordering the pine forests are colonies of yellow orchids as well as mirror orchids with their strange, blue, opalescent speculums which the Spanish call ‘Venus’ looking glass.’ In the mountains, growing in concealed places where only the keen-eyed botanist would spot them, are dense-flowered orchids. They are rather dull in appearance compared to the other varieties but are of great interest, nevertheless, because of their extreme rarity.

There are a few flowering species which exist only in this part of Spain, such as the lovely subspecies of common centaury which has clusters of large, bright pink flowers. These appear at the same time as the tall, blue iris which also abound in dry, rocky places. There are curiosities, such as the parasitic plant of the white-flowered cistus, which is small and low-growing, with wax-like flowers of brilliant yellow encased in scales of bright red. These were to be seen everywhere this spring as well as other parasitic plants, particularly broomrapes. These range in colour from inky-purple to pale, peachy pink and as they emerge from the ground in clusters they resemble bunches of asparagus. In the pine forests, in spring, is another strange plant, the dipcadi, which is not unlike a bluebell except that it has bells of a pale, reddish-brown which have the effect of making it merge into the background, almost like a camouflage.
Because of the spring flowers, we also see many species of butterflies, including two types of swallowtail and the colourful festoon, which is in danger of extiction. Our water reservoirs attract large numbers of dragonflies and damselflies and the surrounding woodland and grassland provides a habitat for a huge number of winged insects, many of which are very striking, such as the ant-lion and butterly-lion; most beautiful of all, though, is the fairy-like, thread lacewing which has long, distinctive tail streamers. In July and August the high-pitched, whirring and trilling sounds made by the crickets, grasshoppers and similar insects are deafening. Identification of insects can be quite difficult because there are so many in this country that one out of every three species has yet to be recorded.

The land bordering the river Toba, which runs through the valley of Los Guájares down to the river Guadalfeo, is lush with all kinds of vegetation. As well as avocados, vines and olives, there are nispero trees in abundance. The fruit is not unlike a combination of peach and apricot and is versatile because not only can it be preserved but also can be incorporated into a number of savoury dishes; there is another tree, the nispola, which bears a similar, but much larger fruit. The unusual weather pattern of this spring favoured the nispolas and nisperos and visitors coming into the village couln’t fail to be impressed by the spectacular combination of the bright yellow fruits, the big swathes of red poppies and the luxuriant, green foliage. Although growers welcomed the rain, and the wild flowers which it produced were lovely to see, it has, nevertheless, brought problems. The verdant greenery which covered the mountain slopes in spring has been parched by the hot, June sun so that it is now tinder dry and since it needs only one carelessly discarded cigarette butt to start a fire, it’s not difficult to imagine the consequences. In the mountainous province of Granada there are many pine-covered slopes which, in the dry summer months, are very vulnerable to fire and during that time it’s not unusual to see the little red and yellow fire-fighting planes buzzing to and fro with their cargo of water. It’s a dangerous operation and the pilots must be not only very skillful but also very brave.

My nearest neighbours are a pair of short-toed eagles. They have made their untidy, treetop nest near the ridge of a towering, declivitous rock and I often see them flying low above the house scanning for snakes, lizards and other reptiles. It’s a pity that so many people have an aversion to snakes because they are really quite beautiful in their way. My favourite reptiles are the big lizards which bask on rocks in the sun and dart away in a flash of olive green when they’re startled. I’m also fond of the geckos and enjoy watching them on summer nights; they position themselves close to the lights outside the house so that they can catch the moths which are attracted there.
As well as the wild flowers, the climate of Guájar Alto is ideal for the cultivation of garden plants, especially roses, which are in flower here for much of the year. Daturas grow quickly into attractive trees, hung with giant, scented trumpets and in spring and early summer there are gorgeous lilies in all the gardens. Jasmine - both summer and winter varieties - is everywhere and no garden is complete without the shrub galán de noche, the tiny, greenish-white flowers of which open after dusk, filling the summer nights with a sweet, voluptuous scent. I’ve been experimenting with summer annuals to try to find out which ones ‘do’ in this area and I’ve produced from seed some lovely cosmos daisies, annual dahlias, godetias and so on and my calendulas self-seed themselves and flower all the year round, providing winter colour. In the village, people fill their patios with green plants, the most popular being the aspidistra, to provide summer shade and pots of geraniums fill every window ledge.

The Moors who discovered the valley of Los Guájares called it ‘an oasis between the mountains’ and it was they who first cultivated the area. The fertile soil combined with the water from the river Toba, as well as the water which flows underground from the high sierras, enabled them to be self-sufficient. We still collect our drinking water, which is of outstanding quality, from the public fountains in the village which were made by the same, Moorish inhabitants all those centuries ago.

Most of the wild flowers have faded now but, thanks to the late rains, the poppies linger on in splashes of vivid red among the dried, waving stipa grasses, while wild delphiniums, of the same intense blue as their cultivated cousins, continue to flower alongside the stony mountain tracks. Although we’ve enjoyed an exceptionally lovely spring, whatever the season, whatever the weather, Guájar Alto is one of the most beautiful places in the province of Granada.