Crocus in both hemispheres August 2008

[galahad]

edit by Maggi 20/08/08 : The rather odd beginning to this thread for Crocus in the Southern Hemisphere has come about because of some editing work done on the thread, when splitting it off from the July thread!

The I. danfordiae are from a local garden centre, 3rd attempt. Ist year they were 'Harmony', last year not one came up, all rotted and this year I have all these buds but still may not see them open.

Lesley, I had the same issue with I. danfordiae.  Was so disappointed when they flowered blue.

[Lesley Cox]

Hello Galahad, and a warm welcome to the Forum. I see you're from Christchurch. May we know who please? Bout time someone from that fair city joined us southern men and women.

It seems if we complain where appropriate it sometimes works. When the first batch were in fact 'Harmony' Dave Toole wrote to the wholesaler and had a good moan, wouldn't accept money back but demanded replacement with the right product. Last year's could have been anything but probably were danfordiae, or they wouldn't have been so quick to rot ( ) but persistence paid off and the right thing flowered this year. (see Reticulate Iris topic). The continuing rain has just about done for the later blooms.

[galahad]

Hi Lesley

It's Ross from Christchurch.  Have been lurking for a wee while.

Yay.  A sunny day yesterday only for it to start raining again today   at least the reticlata irises have opened and the Fritillarias seem to enjoying the water.....so far.

[Maggi Young]

Hello, Ross/Galahad, from Christchurch! Good to have you struggle aboard through the rain....

[galahad]

Thanks, Maggi

[Oron Peri]

Maggie,

Many tnx for your warm welcome,
I have been going back to many of the posts here.
There is so much information and many pics. to look at.

since there are about two more months for me and my bulbs to  bake in the sun..
i hope to catch up with you....

Good to see there are so many Croconuts around 

oron

[Lesley Cox]

Some more crocuses here, taken yesterday in a brief sunny period. One thing about the raised bed pics, I'm forcibly reminded about the weeds, when I look at these, here. Hadn't noticed so much ragwort (et al).

C. sieberi `Hubert Edelsten' has grudgingly opened a few flowers.




C. biflorus alexandri, in a less contrasting (but I think prettier) form than the usual commercial version.






Crocus (was) susianus, stellaris, (now) angustifolius.


Crocus olivieri. A rather blurry pic, sorry, but the colour is right, especially of the less open flowers.

[Paul T]

Beautiful, Lesley.  You're right about that alexandri being very nice.  Great colour and form to it. 

[Lesley Cox]

I put up the wrong pic of C. olivieri. It was last year's. (Also blurry.)


C. abantensis seems to have washed-out colour this year, not surprisingly. Still the bluest blue though.


More of the cvijicii x veluchensis hybrids. Same pot as befoer, but with some sun on it.


This one is a very pretty shade and large.


and a bronzy one I particularly like.


Crocus chrysanthus 'Herald' is a beauty'




And finally for now (tommies soon), C. sieberi ssp atticus which I think is delightful.


I think I will have to separate all the cvijiciix veluchensis sdlgs into separate pots and grow each one on to increase it a little then isolate each in the garden. Or maybe I should just plant out the lot in a patch somewhere.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

'Herald' is a beauty, isn't it.  I've seen it at a friend's place here in Canberra but have never chased it up.  Excellent flowers with good strong markings.  Very superior!!

Still loving those cvijicii hybrids of yours. 

Great pics, all of them!! 

[fermi de Sousa]

My name is Oron Peri, from Israel. I am garden designer and a fanatic collector of
dwarf  geophytes from the Mediterranean Basin: Cyclamen, Crocus, Sternbergias,
Colchicum, scilla, romulea and many others....
All mainly from low altitudes that need hot and dry summer [34c today...]
Would like to exchange seeds  with other members from same climate conditions [if there are any....]
Just to give you an idea... I grow Cyclamen colchicum in A frig. [the one used to show cakes in a coffe shop]...they just love it and flower each year for the last 5 yrs.

Welocme Oron,
I live in Central Victoria in Southern Australia, and I think the climate here may be similar to yours, please send me a PM (personal message) so we can correspond.

In our garden I may've made a mistake planting this crocus here. Can you spot the crocus?

Here's a close-up in case you couldn't see it amongst the fallen Mexican hawthorn fruit!

I got it as "Sunkist" but Thomas assures me that it's actually a form of Crocus flavus.
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Maybe it is just trying to blend itself in to protect itself from predators? 

Here today C. cvijicii has popped up and into flower since yesterday when there was no sign of it.  Will try self pollinating it for seed again, but doubt my chances based on previous experiences.  Other than veluchensis what species is it able to cross with?  Might try some hybridising if there are a few flowers and enough pollen to go around?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wonderful stuff from down under !!!

C. abantensis is on my wants list now ! As are quite a few others... 

[Lesley Cox]

Paul, you could try CC. sieberi or dalmaticus or reticulatus. I'm pretty sure C. sieberi `Bowles' White' would work, maybe both ways and the lavender forms would be worth a go.

[Paul T]

Thanks Lesley.

So is that any of the sieberi ssp?  I have 'Violet Queen' in flower at the moment (and actually growing only a foot away from the cvijicii).  I unfortunately don't have the other 2 species you mentioned, not the 'Bowles' White'.