Crocus in the garden March 2010

[Janis Ruksans]

In total the crocus corms have grown from min. 30cm deep, maybe a bit more cm. Amazing - isn't it?  
I'm happy and it will get special protection from now (with label)!

Armin, on my old field I last year dug out some Crocus speciosus color forms from more than 30-35 cm depth, the spade was too short to reach corms. They all were of huge size and abbundantly bloomed. Absolute record was in my friends garden where we dug out 2 corms of cv. Jeanne d'Arc from ~50 cm depth. He used deep trench-plouging at depth of 5 spade lenghth (soil - sand) to replace old garden soil with fresh from underground, so one unharvested corm accidentally left at such depth. Alived, marvellously bloomed and increasd to two very large in size.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Hurra!
My open garden beds during night opened from snow, still undersoil frosen and not easy to walk between beds, but bulbs at moment still not eaten by rodents!!! In front tubes with rodent poison.
From open grown crocuses as allways the first to bloom is C. chrysanthus Uschak Orange.
Janis

[Gerry Webster]

Three forms of Crocus malyi, my last crocus hurrah!

Observing Crocus species over the years, I believe C. malyi to be one of the very best for growing outdoors, providing a bold display of pristine white blooms that are more weatherproof than many.  This message compares C. malyi 'Sveti Roc', C. malyi 'Ballerina', and an unnamed form of C. malyi that I received from Jane McGary that looks more like the 'Ballerina' selection yet still differs.

Cultivar         flower width      tube height   scent                    distinguishing characteristics
=====================================================================
'Sveti Roc'     5.0 cm              2-3 cm        none                     short stature, full rounded flowers, pure white
'Ballerina'       6.5 cm              4 cm           light melon scent     tall stature, brownish tube tops, long petals, outer petals with fine
                                                                                       purple line on outer tips.
McGary form   7-8 cm             5 cm           light melon scent     tallest stature, brownish tube tops, long petals, no purple lines

Photos of each are uploaded.  In the photo of the Jane McGary form, flowering size seedlings are present, and note one on the lower right with rounder petals, a hybrid.

Mark - My 'Sveti Rok' resembles your 'Ballerina'. It would appear that one of us has the wrong plant. Given that the differences are so slight, I will not be losing any sleep.

[Armin]

Armin, on my old field I last year dug out some Crocus speciosus color forms from more than 30-35 cm depth, the spade was too short to reach corms. They all were of huge size and abbundantly bloomed. Absolute record was in my friends garden where we dug out 2 corms of cv. Jeanne d'Arc from ~50 cm depth. He used deep trench-plouging at depth of 5 spade lenghth (soil - sand) to replace old garden soil with fresh from underground, so one unharvested corm accidentally left at such depth. Alived, marvellously bloomed and increasd to two very large in size.
Janis

Janis,
50cm deepth is an more amazing value. But it confirms that deeper planting is not always negative and will bring larger corms and a better blossom. Maybe temperatures and moist are more stable at deeper ground and therefore growing period is extended resulting in larger corms / more & stronger flowers?
Good to see spring arrives in your area too and you have no losses due rodents.

Anne,
as Lesley mentioned I'd better not rescue them. The risk to damage the stem is too big.

Lesley,
I believe the crocus will find their best growing position also upwards when kept undisturbed and provided the leaves are not cut during growing season to catch enough sun energy.

[Sinchets]

Flowering here now Crocus veluchensis.
The first is in the woodland garden and has been in bud through 2 snowstorms and some unseasonally hot weather. It finally emerged yesterday in the rain.
The second is not quite as bicoloured as the photo shows, and I think would benefit from a shadier location here.

Thanks Maggi 

[Armin]

Simon,
two nice shots for C. veluchensis.

Some more pictures from my garden
C. vernus 'Twinborn': 1st. time flowering with me. Wunderful striped with dark base, already a delight when it is in bud status. Introduced 1955.
C. vernus 'Negro Boy': deep spectrum violet with white margin. Has nicely clumped up in the meadow but flowers grew not as large as last year. Introduced likely 1910.
C. vernus 'Little Dorrit': 1st. time with me. Wunderful mauvette on dark base. A nice vernus hybrid. Introduced 1943.
C. vernus 'Grand Maitre': nice sea lavender violet with silvery gloss and a lighter margin. Introduced 1924.

[Armin]

more...

C. vernus 'Glory of Sassenheim': 1st. time with me. Flowers striped heliotrope with a dark base. Since 1943.
C. vernus 'King of the Striped': amethyst violet with lighter stripes. Since 1880 in cultivation. This year quite shy flowerer.
C. vernus 'Pickwick': Introduced 1950. Rounded flowers striped mineral violet on grey-white ground, later in flower then cv. 'gestreift' I've posted earlier.
C. vernus 'Pallas': 1st. time with me. Striped campanula violet on greyish ground and dark base, very lovely. Introduced 1905.
C. vernus 'Gladstone': 1st. time with me. I'm not sure it is the real cultivar as it is larger flowering and not 100% matching to the discription 'purple, small flowers, mid early flowering'. Since 1875. Nice anyway.
C. vernus 'Albion': 1st. time with me. Bright violet on white ground, base dark purple. Since 1959. Again I'm not sure it is the true cultivar. Maybe somebody can confirm.

[Guff]

Armin, your Negro boy don't look dark enough, they look like what I have as Twilight.

Heres Thomas pictures.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1590.msg42696#msg42696

[Herminarik]

Hi, the last Crocuses in flower here in Lanzhot this spring…
Igor.

[Lvandelft]

Armin, you seemingly have a good source for buying such beautiful older varieties     

[Armin]

Guff,
thanks for your comment and link. It is the true cultivar and is as dark as Thomas picture shows.

However, my picture was taken in full front sunshine brightening the flowers. My DSC could not portray the colors correctly.
But I wanted to show the nice clump. The next day was thunderstorm and all beauty was over.
No chance to make a better picture for this season

I think both cvs. 'Twilight' and 'Negro Boy' are the same and the records state introduction 1910 for both.
'Negro Boy' may be a troubling anachronism therefore 'Twilight' was used?
'Twilight' is not registered in KAVB while 'Negro Boy' is.

Luit,
yes you are quite right, thanks to a good friend living in the heart of Hollands bulb growers

[Guff]

Armin interesting. When I bought my Twilight's, I had asked if they were really Negro Boy, and they said it was the same. But when I look at mine and at Thomas photo the dark black tips is much darker and a larger area. I think Zhirair has both(Negro Boy and Twilight) so maybe he can say if they are the same?

Picture from last year.
Twilight

[Diane Clement]

Armin interesting. When I bought my Twilight's, I had asked if they were really Negro Boy, and they said it was the same. But when I look at mine and at Thomas photo the dark black tips is much darker and a larger area. I think Zhirair has both(Negro Boy and Twilight) so maybe he can say if they are the same?  

I think they are the same and it was the non-political correctness that changed the name at some point.  The colour can look quite different when the sun is shining through them
Crocus Negro Boy

[Armin]

Diane,
thanks for your comment. I fully agree.
You have a nice clump of 'Negro Boy'.
Do you grow more crocus in your lawn?

[Armin]

Hi, the last Crocuses in flower here in Lanzhot this spring…
Igor.

Igor,
lovely C. candidus you have. In pictures of catalogues they look always so weak which hold me off ordering some. I may have to change my mind.
Do you grow them outside or in a greenhouse?