Colchicum autumn 2009

[Lesley Cox]

'Huxley' is certainly a beauty, with lovely regularity of shape. Funny, how the half open blooms of the first two pictures give no hint at all of the lovely pale centre when fully open.

Your coatal garden colchicums John, are really magnificent. I've planted some single bulbs over a biggish area last year and hope to see them clump up like that within a reasonable time frame.

[Hagen Engelmann]

First time DICK TROTTER blooms here. It`s (was) a French plant and brought much joy into the GARTEN IN DEN WIESEN. The begin of blooming is very late.

[Ragged Robin]

RR, here is the full situation of my colchicum ground. The bulbs stand under Achnatherum brachytrichum and Thalictrum flavum glaucum.

Hagan, a glorious photo of your colchicum ground, thanks so much - I love the planting combination  

Have just been through your website and find it fascinating to see all the special plants in your photo galleries - a wonderful way to compare the different species.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Hagen,
You have a fabulous Colchicum collection !   
The setting you've planted them in looks great too and seems to suit them very well !
Great show !

[Sinchets]

Flowering for the last few days in the garden:
Colchicum cupanii (?)
and an unidentified Colchicum just emerging near a label for C.atropurpureum 'Drakes Form'
just added a clearer pic of the 'cupanii' taken later in the day

[BULBISSIME]

Colchicum filifolium from France is flowering, as well as C. pusillum, from crete

[Hans A.]

Very fine Colchicums - actually have also two Merendera/Colchicum in flower - M. montana and M. filifolia.

[BULBISSIME]

very similar in culture !!

[Hans A.]

yes, flowers are very similar of this two species.

[Ragged Robin]

Hans, have downloaded your C. montana photo as inspiration for what mine should look like next year - given to me by Tonyg and planted here on my Alpine slope!

[Sinchets]

Flowering just now in the rock garden- Colchicum pusillum (?)

[Thomas Huber]

Surely not pusillum, Simon. It flowers with the leaves like this:

[Sinchets]

That's also what I thought Thomas- though the PBS site says it can flower before or with leaves their pictures show it with leaves.

[Hans A.]

As I know C. cretense never flowers with leaves which normally appear much later (late winter/early spring) while C. pusillum can flower with or whitout leaves (see also B. Mathew - THE SMALLER BULBS).

Here an older pic of a form which start to flower without leaves but appear during the flowering period.

Think Simons plant could be a C. stevenii.

[mark smyth]

See C. pusillum here makes me wonder why mine aren't up