Crocus February 2008

[Paul T]

Tony,

Actually, I was thinking of commenting that the garden gnome Thomas had on his lawn in the first picture was very large and lifelike.  Probably safer than a Chris with a football too!! 

[tonyg]

YYYEEEESSSSSS - to take up the theme!  Here the sun has shone on a day when I was at home.  So now I have some pictures to share of happy crocuses   Just a few tonight before I drop.

Crocus aerius fully open
Crocus angustifolius with extra petals - did anyone else get any like this?
Crocus biflorus ssp biflorus
Crocus biflorus ssp nubigena
Crocus chrysanthus - form with bronze stippled outer petals

[Paul T]

Tony,

What wonderful striping in that aerius.  Is that standard for that species?  I think you've posted pics of it before with the striping haven't you?  And of course the nubigena is lovely!!  The other ain't bad either!! 

[Thomas Huber]

Great plants, Tony - as always! No, Chris doesn't hide a ball and I don't have to hide it, too! He's very careful with my babies this year, as he (and Celine, too) has his own bed with his own flowers now! Each morning both go outside to have a look what was coming out new.
Another sunshine morning here today - will make some photos later. But we will not reach Mark's Irish temperatures - only 6°C are forecasted. Where did you buy your an(t)alyensis?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wonderful pix Tony - all real beauties, but the biflorus' are the ones
I like best in this series - great colour contrasts  !

Thomas, you're one hell of a dad ! Great strategy to turn possible threats for your garden into future SRGC members 

[tonyg]

Thanks All - more pics later.  Another sunny and warm day forecast.  I'm meeting the local Council Horticultural Officer today to map and discuss care of the great population of crocuses in the City Cemetery. Hopefully post few pics from there tonight.
Thomas - you are clearly inspiring your children well - my two are more interested in digging holes than growing plants.
The antalyensis you refer to is Marks, not mine.  I would guess it came from Miniature Bulbs who are now learning how to better identify their crocuses
Paul - You remember well.  This aerius is (I think) the true plant.  Good blue biflorus (ssp pulchricor) are often offered under this name.  The error goes back into the mists of time (not a recent nursery error) but Mathew writes that C aerius is distinguished from it by having parallel fibres at the base of the corm tunic, conspicuously veined flowers and generally wider leaves (plus a few other features).  My plant conforms to this description.  Its did set a few seeds last year so I hope to have more than 1 corm soon

[Paul T]

Tony,

One corm is always a recipe for paranoia isn't it?    Good luck with having more of those wonderful little aerius in future years!! 

I always get nervous with only one of something, yet usually can only afford to order a single item of anything when I buy....of course if I specialised in one or two genera instead of loving 20 different ones or more it wouldn't be quite so expensive when the special catalogues come in.  I'm jealous of those who can buy multiples at a time, but as I said, it is my fault entirely for collecting FAR too much!! 

[Thomas Huber]

What a beautiful day 
Some more plants from my garden:
- Crocus biflorus ssp nubigena - white coloured
- Crocus biflorus ssp nubigena - blue coloured (I love them both)
- a good and vigorous form of Crocus antalyensis
- C. angustifolius "Berlin Gold", a pure yellow selection without any stripes
- C. sieheanus
- C. sieberi ssp sieberi - same clump as yesterday, but with the dark edged beauty open
- Some C. versicolor forms - the first one looks somewhat similar to the tradeform "Picturatus" but its stripes are much finer and in my opinion much better!
- mixed bed in my garden

[Thomas Huber]

Thomas - you are clearly inspiring your children well - my two are more interested in digging holes than growing plants.

Tony, just to show you, how easy children can be inspired, the two beds of Chris and Celine. Built by themselves without Daddy's help!

Last photo seems somewhat out of subject in the Crocus thread, but it makes me worry, that Chris is already infected by the white fever. These two snowdrops were found by him in a local gardencenter.

[Tony Willis]

very nice plants Thomas, here are some of mine from today When I first looked in the greenhouse I thought the hybrid was actually a biflorus alexandri but it is biflorus pulchricolor crossed with chrysanthus and is a natural hybrid from seed collected on ulu dag

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Lots of beauties there Thomas !  

The dark edged siberie is absolutely breathtaking - the antalyensis is heavenly (blue)...  

Great that you have some sun there to expose all these little treasures.

By the way, I find a lot of my clumps of Crocus' are producing less flowers than last year (we've already had the discussion on the early heat and the wet summer), are you (and other forumist of course) experiencing the same phenomenon ??

[Thomas Huber]

Yes, Luc - never seen so few flowers like this year 

Great photos, Tony. Thanks especially for the Mte. Amiata etruscus!!

[Tony Willis]

Thomas I had it sat on top of the boiler to get it to open for you. No sun here.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

It didn't suffer from that treatment Tony, it's a real beauty 
Thanks for the trouble.

[Lvandelft]

Seeing all these beautiful Crocus, I ask myself if I should make more pictures of Crocus next week.