Colchicum autumn 2009

[Anthony Darby]

Here is another better seedling of Colchicum corsicum, also in a trough outside.

[Ragged Robin]

Lovely, Anthony, I'm looking with interest at how to plant Colchicum to best advantage as they do tend to keel over don't they?

[Hagen Engelmann]

You all have good eyes, so you like the small flowering colchicum. But what can I do, with big glasses on my nose. Yes, I like the big flowering colchicum. Today very respectable: ZEPHYR and JOCHUM HOF

[mark smyth]

RR they only fall over in high wind, heavy rain or when they are finished. This year none have fallen over before their time.

[mark smyth]

Hagan I wear glasses also and see beauty in little ones and big ones. Zephyr is very nice

[Ragged Robin]

I shall endeavour to give them the best protection Mark 'though no greenhouse to sweep them into  

[mark smyth]

RR try growing them through short growing Geraniums or grasses

[mark smyth]

Here is one of many queen bumbles working my garden this week

[Hagen Engelmann]

Mark, the bumble has a good background, white is much better than pink.

Colchicum variegatum is another flower of today - and small.

[Ragged Robin]

RR try growing them through short growing Geraniums or grasses

Thanks for the ideas Mark - have the blue tufted grass but it's rather a dense mat and will think on geraniums fro next year apart from the wild ones that grow in every crevice 

[Hagen Engelmann]

Hello RR, here is LILAC WONDER in a bed of Geranium x cantabrigiense. The real problem is the shadow of the big colchicum leaves. The "under"plants havn`t enough sun. So they grow too long and floppy/flabby.

[Ragged Robin]

Hagan, thanks for showing the sample of Colchicum growing through Geranium as Mark suggested - the combination is very attractive but I can see the problem of one over-shadowng another....

[mark smyth]

Maybe yes but the Geranium will respond to a hair cut after the Colchicum leaves are gone. In my garden once Colchicum leaves turn yellow but havent fallen I always remove them

[Ragged Robin]

Mark, I used to give my geraniums a trim/haircut in a herbaceous border after main flowering and they responded well giving a second flowering 

[Anthony Darby]

I'm afraid the large colchicums have all been recycled. Apart from a white one, the last big leafed one I have is graecum and its days are numbered. These two are more my cup of tea: Cc. cretense and atticum.