This May was an explosive one for me. Last May had been lost to Covid, and I was determined not to let this one slip away too. We were under lockdown until the 17th — and on the 18th I was already out there, without a moment’s hesitation.
The idea had been forming for a while: to find Iris gatesii on Helkis Mountain in Sason — a climb of around a thousand metres up steep hillsides, hopefully at exactly the right moment for this magnificent species. But as always on these trips, there was much to discover along the way.
I was accompanied by my sister Başak, who knows these wild landscapes remarkably well, and by Ramazan from the Nezahat Gökyığit Botanic Garden. As usual, my main purpose was to sketch irises — I have been pursuing these wild beauties for years, aiming to document a new species or two each season. While I was searching for the finest specimens to work from, Ramazan was collecting material for the living collection at NGBB and for herbarium specimens that will, with luck, serve science for many years to come.
We set off from Trabzon. Our first stop was the Kop Mountains to look for Fritillaria alburyana — the first beauty of the journey, and the first species sketched that evening upon arriving at the hotel in Erzurum. The following day, the plan was to continue all the way to Sason via the Palandöken Mountains. Around the last snow patches we came across Fritillaria kurdica and large groups of F. alburyana, along with many other species. Encountering Tchihatchewia isatidea en route was a delightful surprise — though we didn’t linger long.
We were happily driving toward Sason when a cow decided to leap onto the road. I braked as hard as I could and just managed to stop in time. My legs were still shaking when, glancing at the roadside, we noticed an entire field of Iris sari in full bloom. It had not been on my list for this trip — but standing in the middle of that field, there was really nothing else to do. We drove to the nearest town, Muş, to spend the night, and I happily sketched Iris sari into the late hours.
The next day we drove directly to Sason — the main destination — and climbed Helkis Mountain in search of Iris gatesii. We failed. At 1,800 metres, there was not a single flower. The mountains had received no snow the previous year, so the season had come and gone far too early. I still haven’t seen Iris gatesii. With a slightly heavy heart, we drove all the way to Van that same day.
Van is a story in itself. In every direction you choose to go, there is an iris waiting to be found. We spent four nights at a hotel in Edremit, and these days were filled with discovery. On our way to Başkale we found Iris urmiensis in flower despite the early season, and on the return came Iris paradoxa — magnificent. After a full day sketching both species at the hotel, an entire day was devoted to Bahçesaray alone. If you arrive at the right time, this place is overwhelming with bulbous plants — and we had. Iris caucasica was also sketched, though I’m not certain those sketches will be sufficient for a complete plate; I’ll know later in the year. Beyond the irises, we were surrounded by Tulipa humilis, various forms of Fritillaria kurdica, F. minima and F. minuta, Puschkinia scilloides, P. bilgenerii, and the wonderful Colchicum kurdicum. The roadsides all the way up had been lined with Onobrychis cornuta. This land alone could fill pages. Colchicum kurdicum holds a special place in my heart — I made sketches of it during this field trip too.
The one species I didn’t see in the field was Iris barnumiae. While I was busy drawing and painting at the hotel, Başak and Ramazan went out and found it in another beautiful corner of Van, and brought it back to me. I painted it too.
After one final sunset by the shores of Lake Van, the long journey home began — carrying all the knowledge, sketches, and memories gathered along the way. To hold onto those memories, I put together a short film, Eastern Trio. All the scenes follow the journey in chronological order, and every plant mentioned here makes an appearance. I hope you enjoy it.