The spring in the region is almost over but thanks to longer than usual rainy (and plenty of it) winter in & around Bodrum this year the spring is extended into May which is almost over and its magical surprises continues for nature and garden/ing lovers, such as myself.  While driving down from Istanbul last week and thoroughly enjoying the nature all along the Aegean route down to Mazi where I live now I have calculated that I have been visiting and/or living in & around Bodrum since 1971 which brings it to 38 years! It seems like as I have been living here all my life or as if almost born here and the dramatic change that took place meanwhile is beyond the subject of this article: I am to write about nature & my garden.

I have had my first garden in the region in 1984 which I left behind in 2006 sadly... Leaving behind a garden feels almost like leaving a lover or a pet. But as always there is always the excitement of the new which if not compensates it is always exciting to start a garden from scratch. I have started this new garden in Mazi in 2004. To be precise I have planted my first tree on january 1st, 2004 which was a tiny pomegranate tree given by two dear friends whom one of them actually took the trouble of climbing hills and jumping over bushes and walls on a chilly and rainy day to plant it together with me.

Rough safari walks to reach the land never stopped me from continuing to plant and carry water by bottles until finally in April 2004 I have obtained the permission from the court to open a road after which I got carried away:  though I am in love with what I did I definitely believe I over did it, as usual. Only naturally I have started with cedar trees along the northern border to control the fierce north wind that did not give any chance to grow anything but olive trees which there were already about 60 of them when I first bought the land, young and well established to which I added some more -this is part of the house ritual: Whenever friends come to stay for a night or two we plant a tree in their name, mainly olive trees but still some more conifers in strategic places to control the wind.

My intention was not to write about my garden but the nature and its magical beauty and surprises which after almost 5 years still excites me in every season when some mushrooms or some bulbs & tubers that lie dormant all season and pop-up here and there over night and flower and disappear in a day. Since I am terrible with names and have very little patience (thus gardening is my therapy:-)) I do not know all their names but I know that some belong to orchid family (so far I have only spotted “tongue orchid”) or there are types of lilies, irises: that much I know after all those years of gardening and reading on the subject. Some even smell! Their colours varies from any colour one can imagine except black. The hues of purples, blues, pinks, oranges, white, and especially yellows being the dominant colour. Interestingly enough the only red I noticed is poppy! I wonder why?

But this year I have had the most fascinating experience if not joy when I have spotted only one pink poppy under an olive tree which I have never seen before in my life! It most likely arrived with manure which I buy tons and tons of it each year. Now it is under my close protection & inspection each morning to save its seeds. The pink poppy was the discovery of the year along with a miniature lavender colour wild iris like the poppy I could only spotted a single one this year. Maybe next year there will be more.

The jewel of the land, my favourite are wild lavenders (that being the name I gave them without checking any botanical books which may be correct): they are in abundance and thanks to rains this year they lasted longer and after each rain their slightly bitter almost peppery & untamed fragrance fill the whole neighbourhood not that anyone cares or lives near by but I do. I wish they’d lasted all year round like the cultivated common lavender.

Only naturally the other local beauty is miniature wild gladiolus’. Sadly they are over by now.  The cistus family (rock rose) are still in full bloom in hues of pink and white, though I like them very much when they are in full bloom but when spring is over and they start drying & or dying they look ugly.  Also they are invaders, so beware! They self seed like most wild plants and pop-up in abundance the next year. Either the old ones or the new shoots needs to be plucked like weeding and kept under control.

As a gardening enthusiast and traveller only naturally over the years I have collected many exotics from various trips to Africa, South America, Caribbean and Asia: some survived, some did not. Some I grew from seeds, some from cuttings. Some flowered, some still do not; some settled and flourished happily, adjusted bravely, some barely survives.  I grew cashew nut tree from seed which is still about 30 cm high after 4 years: needs a lot of water. White flowering frangipani’s too, still not very high but flower, I have failed to grow pink ones from seed. Jacaranda’s are very happy they self seed and grow as they please where ever they like! Bauhinia tree with its white and slightly fragrant flowers is also among those very happy ones. But beware it also self seeds and have the tendency to become an invader. Strelitzia nicolai’s are still in flower though the regina’s are over now. Palo barocho finally flowered one single flower last year and I hope it will do so more this year since it looks very happy so far this year.

Among my precious exotics I have two species from the ginger family: Shell ginger (alpinia zerumbet) which by chance I have purchased in Bodrum without knowing what it was –the green house I bought it from did not know it either; I bought it because of its scented leaves which is a cross between cinnamon and ginger, when gently rubbed by hand which give the smell of a freshly baked spicy carrot or ginger cake and make one feel hungry. The other one is with lemony scented white flowers, hedychium forrestii. Suprisingly enough the “forrestii” which I have brought as an off shoot from my other garden in Buenos Aires last year flowered soon after I planted but “shell ginger” is flowering for the first time after 4 years of being in the ground. Maybe threatening it worked: I said “if you do not flower this year I will discard you!” and it flowered earlier than any information on it says so, in May already!

Apart from the botanical wonders of the season my favourites are the long forgotten childhood special lady bugs & fire flies: each night when I turn off the lights I admire their flickering along with the stars. For me they are still the sign of unspoiled nature & innocence. But so far my number one enemies are reluctant this year: bees! Well they are my enemies since I did not know nor had any allergies until the age of 50 which I discovered very roughly: I am lucky to be alive to realise & discover that I now have a serious bee sting allergy: beware one never knows when it will strike! So please do not think that you are not allergic to bee sting.

While watering part of the garden this morning I noticed the endless amount and type of spiders there are!!. As many as grasshoppers probably if not more. Both creatures –and toads and frogs, have dark brown, light brown, has stripes of black, brown, orange, red, white... And you name it they come in endless varieties. They must have a very creative fashion designer! So are lizards and snails. They also come in endless colours, patterns and sizes. I rather not dwell into describing scorpions and snakes!

Well, there is so  much more to write but I believe this article has already become far too long for the standards of the “bulletin” but for those garden enthusiast I should announce here & now that my garden in Mazi is open to visits (by email appointment only: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and especially between now and mid june while jacaranda’s, agapanthus, acanthus, artichokes, oleanders, natal plums, common lavenders, brugmensia candida (datura grand marnier) with its soft apricot colour and strong scent at night, flame tree with its flaming red flowers and endless & nameless others are in full bloom or to bloom soon.

Cultivated and wild edibles will be the subject of another “letter”. Until than enjoy the last days of spring and  “insallah” another rain, as the clouds are gathering while I am writing this “letter from Mazi.

Ceylan Orhun ©
May 2009, Mazi