Crocus February 2008

[Martin Baxendale]

Sorry to continue boring everyone with my speckly tommasinianus, but I got a couple of better pics today that I think show its character better than my previous snaps.

The more I examine it the more I'm sure it's not virus but a natural colouring. All the seedlings around it exhibit varying (much reduced) degrees of speckling. Also, all the foliage looks healthy as can be.

[Martin Baxendale]

None of my other toms have any signs of virus either. They're all seedlings, not named clones. And the last one is of course heufellianus, not a tom.

[Armin]

Martin,
lovely pixs. You must have had a super sunny day that the crocus opened so wide.

[Martin Baxendale]

Fantastic sunshine all day, Armin. And 14 deg. C. More sunshine tomorrow, too.   

[Lvandelft]

Armin and Martin, it seems you are having the same sunny weather on your Crocuses.
They are beautiful.
The only difference is that you in a smaller garden can wait for a moment without wind.
I'm a bit jealous because on the field where I take the pictures is always wind!   
Those seedlings are stunning Martin!
Armin, some of yours I saw today on the field, like C. chrys. Fuscotinctus and such a bunch in the grass is much more beautiful!

[tonyg]

Nice tomms Martin - I like the claret forms, I have not seen any other crocus with as much red in the flower.  I have a few like that - so far they have not bred true

[art600]

Only one patch worthy of posting

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great pix everyone !
Love your chrysantus' Armin - what a nice collection of good clumps !
Like all Martin's different Tommy's as well - very grateful flowerers aren't they ?
Crocus' + sunshine what else does one need  

[Gerry Webster]

Yet more on C. cvijicii/C. angustifolius. I emailed DixExport to tell them about the incorrect description & photo of C.cvijicii in their wholesale list. This is their reply:

"Thank you for your e-mail of 7th February and for making us aware of the wrong picture and description of Crocus cvijicii. We shall delete Crocus cvijicii from our price-list until we have found better stocks."

It's nice to know that there are still responsible companies around

[Maggi Young]

Crocus' + sunshine what else does one need

I agree ! When can I get those, please?? 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I'm afraid there's no mailorder catalogue for these Maggi ...

[Thomas Huber]

Despite the frosty nights there are still more and more Crocus coming up
in the warm sunshine of our days (6-8°). Here some overview photos, first
one from my lawn today:

[Thomas Huber]

And now some special cultivars (most no longer available in trade) and species:
- biflorus ssp alexandrii "Major"
- chrysanthus "Canary Bird" - to me looks like the cultivar "Goldilocks"
- chrysanthus "Goldene Sonne" - an old Dutch cultivar with a German name
- "Goldene Sonne" with some extra petals
- chrysanthus "Spring Pearl" - first year in my garden, but looks like this will
   become one of my favourites 
- chrysanthus "White Beauty" - often bought but never the true one, this is a swap from a
   Dutch friend who has a good collection of cultivars
- a new cultivar called "Willem van Eeden". I don't know anything about it, just that it wasn't
  registered until 1996.
- Crocus cyprius. Out since December but never opened until last week.
- C. reticulatus x angustifolius "Alionka". A good and vigorous hybrid selected by Leonid
  Bondarenko
- and again .....  Crocus sieberi ssp sieberi

[art600]

Thomas

What soil mixture do you have in your rock garden.  Having been inspired by your wonderful results I have an area in my garden that I could convert.  My soil is acid.

I also bought Crocus reticulatus 'Alionka' from Leonid Bondarenko, and will plant it out for next year.

Here are some of my crocus grown in the bulb house for their first year :

Crocus angustifolius 'Minor'
Crocus reticulatus 'Alionka'
Crocus reticulatus 'Ego'
Crocus reticulatus 'Janis Ruksans'

[Thomas Huber]

Arthur I have ph 6,5. Before I planted the corms I have mixed
the soil with lots of sand! The result looks better than in my
first rockgarden, where I also added pumice-grit.