Crocus February 2007

[mark smyth]

Crocus baytopiorum is a stunner. Is it actually that colour? You beat me to posting angustifolius 'Bronze' although mine came to me as just C. angustifolius

[David Nicholson]

Why do everyone elses Crocuses look so much better than mine and in full flower so much sooner than mine Must try harder next year!

[mark smyth]

David in theory your should be well advanced. In what way do they look better?

[Diane Clement]

OK, too big, please can I try again
2 orange crocuses:

Crocus cvijicii
Crocus garganicus

Diane

[Lesley Cox]

Diane, even though they may have been too big at your end, they arrived here just right. So well done. Took me months to get my first pictures right. That was on the old Forum though. Hey - do we miss it? well, maybe a little, but this one is great!

I hope someone knows what Franz' gorgeous chrysanthus var is. I WANT it! And does anyone have or know where to get, the old variety called `Kittiwake?' It was my most favourite of all but I haven't seen it anywhere for years. It was the colour of heavy cream, shaded on the outer 3 with a soft greyish lavender and the petals were rather pointed. It was quite lovely, though maybe not so vigorous as some other forms of chrysanthus.

[Lesley Cox]

And yes Mark, C. baytopiorum really IS that colour. There's not the slightest hint of any purplish shade, all pure, soft almost turquoise blue.The colour the sky is towards evening when there hasn't been a cloud all day and the sky over the horizon turns to a clear delicate shade rather like - but cleaner than - duck-egg blue. Golly, I should be writing poetry!

More prosaically, mine flowers mid July when the sun is very weak so it needs to be in a place that gets as much full sun as possible or the flowers are reluctant to open fully. Pot probably is best so it can be moved to the best aspect.

[mark smyth]

after the pure white Crocus I think the intense orange flowered forms are my favourite.

I could be wrong but Franz' lovely Crocus could be 'Advance'

[Lesley Cox]

I don't think it is `Advance' Mark. The colour in Franz' pic is bluer and covers more of the petal. The flower shape is different too. I recall `Advance' as being quite a tubby little flower. Franz' one looks more elegant. (There's nothing elegant about TUBBY, believe me.) Unless Tony G has a thought, we'll have to wait until Thomas is with us again.

[David Nicholson]

David in theory your should be well advanced. In what way do they look better?

If we ever get a day when it is dry enough or light enoug to take pictures I will. As this is my first attempt at (serious!!!!!) crocus growing I opted for easily obtained (and inexpensisve!) varieties grown in pots under glass. I opted for this because anything small in the garden gets battered to bits by the rain and winds. Bud opening on the crocuses has been sporadic, but much better on the Iris reticulatas, leading to some fairly sparce pots. Marks tommies are weeks ahead of mine. I have already learned from previous posts that my watering regime has not been good enough and I will improve this next year. All part of the learning curve I suppose.

[mark smyth]

we must get much more of the Gulf Stream than elswhere. All my spring Crocus have been outside until the first flower is out. They then move under glass so I can enjoy them like this. The last image is 800 pixels wide!

[mark smyth]

when I was in Devon a few weeks back tommies were out everywhere - Garden House and East Lambrook

Anyone know where King Croconut Tony is?

here are few more from my glasshouse
chrysanthus 'Prince of Orange' note the tiny style. All are the same
a mixed pot of dalmaticus ex Potterton's
one of two rogues in a pot of minimus - any ideas? The styles are like chimney brushes
veluchensis with two virused corms

This should read C. flavus Prince of Orange

 

[David Nicholson]

Garden House is dryer than my climate, it's nearer the coast and further from Dartmoor, East Lambrook is in Somerset, much much drier than Devon, that may have had an affect on my stuff. Nice show in your plunges Mark.

[hadacekf]

I think also, it could be Crocus Advance. Mark, your crocus looks beautiful!

[udo]

Mark, the colour from this baytopiorum is real.
Crocus veluchensis from Mt.Olymp, Greece
Crocus corsicus, native form
Crocus olivieri ssp.balansae
Crocus dalmaticus from Petrovac, Montenegro
Crocus scepusiensis f. leucostigma

[mark smyth]

thanks. It's only in the last few days thay have come out in numbers.

One, ex Gothenberg, is a mystery. It's in the middle photo showing the plunge beds at the lower end. The label says sieberi Got. These Crocus were brought to the Dublin AGS discussion weekend last November by Henrik. Any ideas what they could be? Tomorrow I'll get a good sharp close up