Crocus March 2008

[mark smyth]

After showing Margaret Glynn Thomas' crocus lawn she is going to extend her tiny patch this year

[Lvandelft]

Last week you almost convinced me that the discussion about Cr. Whitewell Purple etc. was finished.
But yesterday I saw Ruby Giant and comaring must say this is much bigger (and a week later.)
So here are all three again:

PS.
Only when taking Ruby Giant there was much wind, so not too clear!

[art600]

Thomas

Sorry my question was not clear regarding Autumn-flowering crocus.

I assume that your lawn also has an Autumn display.  Can you advise best species to plant please. 

After you mow on May 20, do you continue until the Autumn-flowering crocus start to appear.  As you have to leave the crocus to build up the corms after flowering, does this mean that your lawn does not get mown before winter?  It looks quite short now as if it had been mown before winter.

[Thomas Huber]

Luit, now the confusion is perfect: The one with the dark stem is what I have as "Whitewell Purple",
while the white-stemed is "Ruby Giant" in my garden. What a pity there are no reliable drawings or
descriptions to clear this endless mystery 

Art, I don't have autumn-crocus on THIS lawn due to the children, who also want to use it as a playing field
in summer and late autumn. But I had many speciosus on another lawn: First mowing middle of June until
middle of August, when the first flowers appear. Next mowing was always in the middle of December, after
the last flowers disappeared - I guess you will like that thought, won't you 

Best species for autumn display will be: C. speciosus, kotschyanus, pulchellus, vallicola, banaticus,
nudiflorus if you want to do the final mowing in December. If you won't, you can also use wintergreen
species like: C. goulimyi, hadriaticus, serotinus ssp salzmanii, cartwrightianus, laevigatus.

[mark smyth]

I have some very late Crocus just producing flowers of the last few days. Flower buds are visible between the leaves. These are mainly some vernus selections from Janis Ruksans. Are these late because they are in Latvian time?

[art600]

Thomas

I am very grateful for your very complete answer.

Arthur

[ashley]

Luit, now the confusion is perfect: The one with the dark stem is what I have as "Whitewell Purple",
while the white-stemed is "Ruby Giant" in my garden. What a pity there are no reliable drawings or
descriptions to clear this endless mystery 

Mine with dark rather than light stems were bought as 'Ruby Giant' from a garden centre a few years ago - not that that means very much 

[mark smyth]

If I was well enough I would go outside and taken a few shots of my remaining dark flowered dark stemmed tommies. Later I'll look up a photo that took that shows all the tommies side by side

[Lvandelft]

Luit, now the confusion is perfect: The one with the dark stem is what I have as "Whitewell Purple",
while the white-stemed is "Ruby Giant" in my garden. What a pity there are no reliable drawings or
descriptions to clear this endless mystery 

Thomas, when we were talking at the phone I understood that you were thinking Whitewell has something to do with white. (tell me if I am wrong?)
I am thinking different:

E.A. Bowles had often contact with Reverend Joseph Jacob, who lived from 1859 - 1926they might even have been friends?
Reading in E.A. Bowles & his Garden I have the following conclusion:
This Reverend lived at Whitewell Rectory Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 3HB.
E.A. Bowles used his knowledge when he travelled to Holland. For the reverend a mecca of plants.
The same Reverend is also connected with Aubrieta Whitewell Gem.

I already explained that Ruby Giant would mean "BIG", and the one on the picture is really bigger than the Whitewell Purple, which is about the same size as Barr's Purple. 

[Martin Baxendale]

Luit, in my copy of Collins Guide To Bulbs, by Patrick Synge (1961) it says 'Whitewell Purple' is "Named after the rectory where Rev. Joseph Jacob collected together so many unusual and good plants. Flower purplish-mauve outside, pale silvery-mauve inside. " There are also short descriptions for 'Taplow Ruby' and 'Barr's Purple' if you want those too.

[Martin Baxendale]

I see you were discussing 'Barr's Purple' so here is the description for that variety from Collin's Guide To Bulbs: "Rich purple-lilac inside, outside of the three outer petals pale mauvish-grey as in the species."

[Staale]

Thomas (or others); I am also considering planting autumn flowering crocuses in my lawn, wich is fairly sunny and dry. However, my autumn is much shorter because I live so far north, so the later ones won't be able to make much impact. What would be useful to know is the order in wich the autumn flowering species start to flower.

[Armin]

Enclosed what I have as  "Ruby Giant". The size is smaller then "Whitewell Purple" but a bit larger than an ordinary C. tommasianus.
In comparison two different versions of "Whitewell Purple" I cultivate.
The latter is much larger and to be considered in the forum as the "true" one...

[David Nicholson]

If I was well enough I would go outside and taken a few shots of my remaining dark flowered dark stemmed tommies. Later I'll look up a photo that took that shows all the tommies side by side

Ahhhh, you feeling poorly?

[Gerry Webster]

Armin, Are the colours in your pics reasonably accurate? If they are, then what I grow as 'Ruby Giant' (obtained more than 15 years ago & not all that big) is more like your 'Whitewell Purple' (true). To add to the confusion, my form has white tubes.