Crocus February 2007

[Luc Gilgemyn]

 

What a great splash of colour this thread turns out to be : Great pix Dirk, Mark and everybody else.
It was this thread in last year's forum that made me get into Crocus a little bit more - so here's my humble contribution : nothing very special or rare, but I like them !

Crocus chrysanthus "Prins Claus"
Crocus flavus "Yalta"
Crocus sieberi "Bowles White" : I love it
Crocus sieberi ssp sublimis "Tricolor"


Best wishes to Thomas and little Hubi for a speedy recovery so that they can both come home and enjoy the Crocus meadow !

[Maggi Young]

I agree, Luc, C. Bowles white is a beauty.

I think Franz' crocus is Advance and I think that the dark one may be Prins Claus: see Luc's pic above and these C. chrysanthus/biflorus hybrids, in this picture of Thomas Huber.

[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.

Further to my post above we had an hours break from rain this afternoon so I rushed out to take some pictures to illustrate the points I made above. The pictures are part of my photographic improvement project so there is no need to mark them out of ten! Not a patch on Marks crocuses.

Crocus chrysanthus Romance










Crocus tommasinnianus Ruby Giant under glass






Crocus tommasinnianus Ruby Giant planted on the same day as the above but kept outside

[Maggi Young]

Perfectly fine pix, David. A crocus is a thing of beauty.
I have tweaked your post to set the pix amongst the text. You still click to enlarge the image.

[tonyg]

OK Since Mark asked ... I've been away for half term then back at work ... then opening box with laptop (+powerpoint) ... then AGS meeting last night (Tibet - local lady speaker who must be a h*ll of a lot fitter than I am given the hikes she undertook!)... then work AGAIN!!
I did visit a local cemetry yesterday looking for crocus (NOT snowdrops Mark ) - I'll post a few pics in a while.

Mark - Nasty when virus spoils the flowers like that.  Really nasty when there is no other outward sign.  I tipped a pot out to remove a couple of sick ones yeaterday.
Your rogue is likely a tommy - they pop up everywhere!
Prince of Orange has style and anthers rather like C flavus.

Luc - Sorry, your flavus Yalta looks just like a (very nice) form/hybrid Crocus vernus that I grow ...and your C sieberi Bowles white really ought to have an egg yolk yellow centre.  When Thomas returns he will be able to tell you what it really is.

Dirk - WOW - you have a collection of crocus to be envied
The C sieberi sublimis with the feathered outers and almost white inside is the BEST crocus that I have seen on the site!!!  If you have a spare you can ask for ANYTHING from my collection!  Is it as vigorous as the other C sieberi?

David - my early crocus pots were just like yours .... I'd stop now before the fever really gets a hold

[tonyg]

On Sunday - just I got a call from a local NCCPG member who reported that there were some good stands of Crocus tommasinianus in a local Cemetry ... too many to count.  The weather here (and my available time) do not do justice to this amazing sight ... but I think you'll get the picture

[tonyg]

And then I noticed the Crocus vernus .... 
Judging from the headstones these could have been growing here for around 100 years.  Seeding around to cover quite several large areas and making many interesting intra-specific hybrids.   Heaven might be like this.

[Maggi Young]

Tony, this is a wondrous sight and a wonderful site! How absolutely breath-taking a scene. You must try to visit again very soon on a warm sunny day, the fragrance from those millions ( surely) of flowers must be delicious! You've made my day with hese pix, thank you....and thanks to your NCCPG contact! Sounds a bit like the bird twitchers, doesn't it? Dashing off to a churchyard as the result of a phone call.

[tonyg]

Warm sunny days are in short supply here - and I don't have the car this weekend
One way or another I'll get the pics for you ..... even if we have to wait for next year.
I'm going to ring the Council and arrange a meeting with the superintendant there.  They seem to be doing the right things to keep the plants happy but no harm in making contact.  I'll reserve a plot for when my time comes too!

[mark smyth]

the feathered Crocus in image 10 looks great. Did you see any that are need to being brought into cultivation?

I'll relabel my Chrysanthus as flavus. Thanks and many thanks for the awesome site of the cemetery

[Guff]

Mark, I agree picture 10 is very nice.

[mark smyth]

why are the Crocus absent from the other side of the path?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

My God (well chosen isn't it  what an awsome sight Tony !
This definitely is Crocus heaven !

Thanks for your info on the names of my crocus' - they were all bought at a local garden center and are produce of Holland - but as I said, I like them and they do match the pictures that were on the packaging.  But I will gladly await the correct naming from Thomas !
Thanks for pointing it out.

[Lesley Cox]

And to think I've picked out a tatty old trough to be buried under. I'll take these any day. I'd know that at least Tony and Thomas would visit me.

[Maggi Young]

Mark:why are the Crocus absent from the other side of the path?

I think that is where the more recent burials are taking place, so there is disturbance to the ground. You can see a few appearing from the other, flowery  side, where I think the graves are very much older and not being re-opened.