Crocus in the garden March 2010

[Maggi Young]

They're all good, aren't they? 

[TheOnionMan]

Tedd - I love it when crocus can bunch up like that; very showy!

Davey - All those vernus are attractive (note to myself: plant some vernus)
I like the white one with light purple veins best. 

You know, we spend so much time trying to identify or track down various crocus cultivars, seems that one could easily over time, develop one's own cultivar lines.

[Armin]

Davey, nice to have those vernus hybrids in the garden.

Today we had a bit sunshine around noontime and temperatures raised to 14°C. Enough to force crocus flowers to open and first bees were sighted.

Pictures from today:
Gartenansicht - garden panorama view, I played a bit with my camera SW. Still many noses in the gras. Early chrysanthus cultivars suffered from snow cover but more flower buds visible.
C. biflorus ssp. biflorus - likely cv. Parkinsonii (dutch selection) - astonishingly I have posted this one the 1st. time in spring 2007. No flowers in 2008 and 2009 and I tought I had lost it. Now it is a real surprise to see it flowering.
C. (gargaricus ssp.) herbertii - thanks to Dirk. 1st. time for me in flower. Sofar only one is showing up. I'm not sure other corms survived the strong frost after I lost the first lot already in winter 2008/9.
C. angustifolios Minor. Wee flowers on short stems - smaller then last year. Likely related to strong winter.
C. dalmaticus Petrovac - thought I had lost it in the meadow too but coming back
C. fleischeri - tiny flowers this year too. But more vigorous then I thought. Seed germinated in another pot.
C. reticulatus ssp. reticulatus - thanks to Dirk. 1st. time for me to flower. Pedals suffered from snow.

[Armin]

continued...
C. reticulatus top view
C. sieberi ssp. sublimis Tricolor - reliable but flowers smaller compared to last season.
Some more chysanthus hybrids:
Spring Pearl - now fully open. A delight. 
Blue Bird - open now.
Ard Schenk - reliable, frost resistant. Flowers of early Snowbunting suffered from snow covewr and all are withered. No signs of additional flowers.
Canary Bird - lovely.
Elegance - elegant
Brassband - unusual color. 1st. time for me.
Ladykiller - later in flower but reliable.

[daveyp1970]

STUNNING ARMIN i can't wait for my collection to be like that.

[Armin]

continued... More chrysanthus hybrids:
Blue Pearl - suffered from frost. Tiny and only view flowers this year.
Dorothy - reliable flowers.
Fuscotinctus - ditto.
Goldilocks - ditto, always rich blossom.
Miss Vain - possible bilforus ssp. weldenii hybrid. Late flowering, reliable, did not suffer from bad weather.
Zenith - late flowering - very lovely blue tones and yellowish center. 1st. time for me to flower.
Advance - late flowering - this one seems to be a seedling. Not so happy in my clay soil, weak flowerer.

Davey, once infected by the crocus fever it is hard to get rid off it!

[David Nicholson]

Absolutely beautiful Armin, your garden must look a real treat now.

Lovely selections Dave-the free ones are always the best

[Armin]

David, for you and all others...

[Armin]

Forgot Eyecatcher -superb cv.

[Lesley Cox]

I really do like 'Spring Pearl.' like a sort of advance on.....'Advance.' The 'Eyecatcher' is excellent too, even better when the outside can be seen, so .....eye catching.   I find it is not very vigorous with me. Nothing like your excellent clump Armin.

[Sinchets]

Lovely to see them out in the open garden, Armin. Hopefully we will have your sunshine and temperatures here tomorrow 

[ArnoldT]

Crocus biflorus tauri

Arnold

[Janis Ruksans]

continued... More chrysanthus hybrids:
Blue Pearl - suffered from frost. Tiny and only view flowers this year.
Dorothy - reliable flowers.
Fuscotinctus - ditto.
Goldilocks - ditto, always rich blossom.
Miss Vain - possible bilforus ssp. weldenii hybrid. Late flowering, reliable, did not suffer from bad weather.
Zenith - late flowering - very lovely blue tones and yellowish center. 1st. time for me to flower.
Advance - late flowering - this one seems to be a seedling. Not so happy in my clay soil, weak flowerer.

Davey, once infected by the crocus fever it is hard to get rid off it!

It seems that you have same problem as I - crocuses suffered from very long and hard frost this winter because my flowers are very small (in general - with few exceptions - smaller than usually), too. They comes up irregularly, but at least at present I hardly hope they will alive. May be some will be lost but looks that slow spring helps recovering.
Janis

[Gerdk]

Lovely to see them out in the open garden, Armin. Hopefully we will have your sunshine and temperatures here tomorrow 

Armin, great show - especially I admire your Crocus fleischeri!

We have your sunshine and temps today - unfortunately not your amount of crocus.

Gerd

[Ragged Robin]

Lovely to see them out in the open garden, Armin. Hopefully we will have your sunshine and temperatures here tomorrow 

Armin, great show - especially I admire your Crocus fleischeri!

We have your sunshine and temps today - unfortunately not your amount of crocus.

Gerd

Gerd has put it so well    Really love your collection Armin...your garden looks so Spring-like and the crocuses in the bulb bed are soaking up the sun 

I thought it was just me in the Alps that had small crocus - my Blue Pearl is tiny but they have all at least come up    Do you feed or use bone meal after flowering Armin?