poppies, cornflowers and corn marigoldss

road between Orvieto and Bolsena

La Renara: between Orvieto and Bolsena

Bolsena: nr British war cemetery

Bolsena: poppies nr British war cemetery

poppies, cornflowers and other cornfield weeds

The summer (June into July) of 2010 was, for us, an extraordinary one in that local farmers had ploughed back in winter but subsequently left huge areas fallow. Nature took over with a vengeance and the seeds, lying dormant in the soil, germinated to produce a display, the like of which we have never witnessed in our part of Italy.

The comparison with the Piano Grande, the area of the Sibiilini we visit annually for the flora displays, was valid. We could walk to one area and take a short car ride to another, near Bolsena. This we day after day over a period of a month taking thousands of shots - landscapes, fish-eye views, macro with shallow depth of field...impressionist. Early morning late evening...things always seemed different.

The colour is generated by comparatively few species: scarlet poppies, blue cornflowers and anchusas, yellow corn marigolds, white mayweed....but the effect is staggering.

These weeds have the capacity to produce seeds that then lie dormant, often for decades, until the ground is turned and the seeds are exposed to the air...

HIDDEN WORLDS