Crocus October 2008

[Thomas Huber]

Bad, rainy and windy weather in Neustadt today.
Here a few impressions from my rockgarden to lighten up dull October:

[Thomas Huber]

Some flowers enjoying the last September sunshine:

- Crocus asumaniae, next relative to C. mathewii
- C. biflorus ssp melantherus, the autumn flowering taxa of the biflorus group with blackish anthers
- C. cancellatus ssp cancellatus, a beautiful form grown from wild collected seed
- C. cancellatus ssp pamphyllicus, the white anthered ssp of cancellatus still doing well outside
- 2x C. caspius, one of my favourites, long wanted and now finally flowering in my garden 
- Close up of the C. medius style
- C. ochroleucus from Lebanon, larger than the Dutch trade form and with a beautiful veining

[Luc Gilgemyn]

You sure succeeded to lighten up a dull October day Thomas ! 
(plenty of rain and wind here too !)

I understand why you're so happy with C. caspius Thomas it's a real delight !! (and so are many others !!  )

[tonyg]

Fabulous Thomas.  The flowers look great in your garden, looks like you had a good spell of weather before today.  Your crocuses are weeks ahead of mine.  Are some of the special ones increasing in the garden?  I certainly hope so 
Celine seems to have grown over the summer and looks so much like her mum   Is Fanny a new arrival in the Huber household?  (Looks like she could be a friend for Lily in Aberdeen )

[Thomas Huber]

Thanks Luc  - I don't like to have a look out of my window  

Last batch of flowers for today and - if I can trust the weather forecast - for this week  

- C. oreocreticus, the high mountain autumn crocus from Crete
- C. robertianus, from the Pindus Mountains in Greece. I love these strong and showy flowers and hope for many seeds next summer!
- C. serotinus ssp salzmannii Albus, this one is standing much better in the autumn rain than 'El Torcal'
- C. speciosus Albus, nothing special but nevertheless a wonderful crocus
- C. thomasii from Gargano, where it was not recorded so far
- Two forms of C. tournefortii, first one from Crete, second one from Mykonos. The Mykonos form is showing unusual feathering and forms many small bulbills - both points for a possibly hybrid with C. laevigatus in my opinion!

Yes, Tony, the specials are increasing well in my sandy soil now! 
Fanny is the neighbours dog and Celine loves playing with her.
She has made a big jump in growing - physically and mental!

[Otto Fauser]

Thank you ,Thomas for sharing your beautyfully grown autumn crocus with us . Did you find any mauve coloured forms amongst the batch of C. caspius?
   Ciao Otto.

[Thomas Huber]

Thank you ,Thomas for sharing your beautyfully grown autumn crocus with us . Did you find any mauve coloured forms amongst the batch of C. caspius?
   Ciao Otto.

No, Otto, just soft blue ones - but these are not the ones you sent me in January.
Yours are still in a pot and waiting for flowering.  Next summer they will be planted in the open garden.
Will tell you if any mauve forms appear.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

- C. speciosus Albus, nothing special but nevertheless a wonderful crocus

mmmm Thomas, didn't you tell us that ALL Crocus are special only a few days ago  
And I do agree with that statement !!  

[Thomas Huber]

mmmm Thomas, didn't you tell us that ALL Crocus are special only a few days ago  
And I do agree with that statement !!  

Of course they are, Luc - but this one is not especially special - you understand 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

 
ah.. now I understand... 

[David Shaw]

I would have rephrased that to say that some Crocus are more special than others!
Wonderful rockery, Thomas, would love to get to see it in real life sometime.

[Gerry Webster]

Thomas - very beautiful crocus. It's amazing how advanced yours are. Here, for instance, only the noses are showing on C. robertianus & there is no sign at all of C. tournefortii. C. caspius is a lovely plant; alas I lost all mine when ill a few years ago & just one seed has germinated from a sowing made 2 years ago.

[Maggi Young]

The morning started bright in Aberdeen but in the last few monutes the wind has increased and the rain begins..... so it is even more welcome to see the crocus so happy in Neustadt! So many fine forms out this early.
Celine is as lovely as the flowers and  our little white dog Lily would have great fun playing with Celine and the cute Scottie Fanny..... might not be quite so good for the flowers, though!

[dominique]

Marvellous pics of so tiny bulbs. Thank you Thomas. I like particularly caspius, robertianus and your ochroleucus. All are the top models !!! thank for de jager received at home. Neustadt is the best for crocuses, because mine are very late in comparaison with yours. I have only cancellatus, first speciosus, pulchellus, salzmannii, tournefortii and since to day, longiflorus. All we hope you have many seeds in summer !!!

[Thomas Huber]

Thanks everbody!

David, most people who know my garden just from photos are dissappointed when seeing it with their own eyes!
Ask Luit, Dirk, Hans, Armin, Alberto ... 

Gerry, will try to help you with some caspius seeds next summer - if I get some!
Paintbrush was running hot last weekend  Don't know why my plants are so much advanced, they don't get a special treatment.
Even Dirk told me most of his plants are still sleeping! By the way: I also have many autumn crocus still sleeping!

Maggi and Lily (and everybody else!), you're invited to visit Fanny in my garden every time!

Good luck with my corms, Dom!