Crocus August 2010

[Armin]

Lesley,
thank you for explaining the seasonal differences. I would find it challenging to cross C. biflorus ssp. melantherus with an spring crocus i.e C. chrysanthus?
Did you ever try?

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks everyone, yes crocus te is the real harbinger of spring to come but as Dave says, the weekend's forecast is nasty with snow to low levels.

Otto, I think my laevigatus must be v. fonteneyi, which I imported from Van Tubergen many years ago when such things were possible. The only other I have a s F/S is from Marcus, the so called "gold" backed form, a soft yellow in my mind with white inners. But that flowered last year in spring too.

The biflorus astrospermus also came from Marcus but he may have had it from Pasche. The picture shows it lavender or purple but in reality it is much closer to blue and a good rich blue at that. I really love it. So tiny and perfect for a trough I think.

The gargaricus pic is of staright gargaricus but I have ssp herbertii as well and I can see no difference whatsoever.

I never attempted the cvijicii/veluchensis cross. I collected seed twice off the former and both times they turned out to be the hybrid. Since I moved cvijicii, I've not had any seed at all, veluchensis no longer being nearby. Would cvijicii cross with sieberi? I ask because also nearby was 'Bowles' White' and a few of the hybrid seedlings were pure white with a little yellow in the throat, seedlings from cvijicii, that is.

[Lesley Cox]

No I never tried that Armin but since C biflorus ssp melantherus is out and so are one or two chrysanthus vars, 'Zwanenburg Bronze,' for instance, as soon as the sun warms a little (both rain and frost over night) I'll go out with a paint brush.

[Armin]

Lesley,
maybe you will breed the first yellow/orange autuum flowering, easy growing, biflorus/chrysanthus hybrid with black anthers and nicely striped outside?
A color which is very rare in autuum croci (except C. scharojanii).

I would be interested if such combination works and you get viable seed or if there is a genetical barrier.
Good luck!

[Lesley Cox]

I'll try Armin!

[Lesley Cox]

Marcus Harvey in Tasmania has a new seedlist available now and it contains many Crocus species as well as Colchicum, Fritillaria, Calochortus and others. He posts seed overseas and will send an email list if asked. hillview400@hotmail.com
Glad I've already sent my order off!

[Janis Ruksans]

Yesterday got very sads news about death of very famous gardener and my great friend Jim Archibald. To establish his memory I decided to name this crocus, collected during common trip as Crocus hittiticus 'Jim'.
Janis

[Maggi Young]

Janis, it is so very sad about Jim's death , I know but it is somehow a good feeling to think of this lovely flower bringing him to mind.

Would you do me a great favour and  post your message and this picture of the crocus in the thread where Ji'm death is recorded?
It is here: http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5879.0

 Thank you,
 Maggi

[Lesley Cox]

Down south again, Crocus angustifolius has come out. It looks great in the sunshine.

[Ragged Robin]

Janis, your photograph of Crocus hittiticus 'Jim', shown here, is a wonderful tribute to your friend that will live on in memory of all that he did and meant to you, thank you so much for showing it.

[udo]

This weekend in flower: Crocus scharojanii
from NO-Turkey, unusual small this year

[Janis Ruksans]

This weekend in flower: Crocus scharojanii
from NO-Turkey, unusual small this year

Due horrible hot (over +30 C) all flowerbuds of scharojanii with me schrivelled and dried out after only showing some color below cataphylls.
Janis

[Lesley Cox]

A few in flower now in the Southern Hemisphere. Some pictures are truly dreadful for which I apologise but when I went out to retake, the rain has mushed them altogether. I may have some spelling incorrect too.

1 Is this one C. vernus? It appeared as a single flower last year where I never planted it and is obviously going to make a nice clump quickly.

2 C. olivieri ssp balansae, the first to flower from Thomas H's seed. From this ssp is the selection 'Chocolate Soldier.'

3 C. chrysanthus 'Eyecatcher'

4 and 5 C. x Bornmuelleri, new this year from Marcus Harvey

6 C. sieberi 'Midas Touch.' I expected this to be more gold rather than creamy.

7 and 8 C. minimus albus

[Otto Fauser]

Lesley , I like your C. x bornmuelleri very much .
and your ? vernus is just a pale Tommy - soon you will have a clump of a thousand!

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for that Otto. I'm delighted to have a pale Tommy as honestly, I have never had tommies before, except a couple I ordered last year from Marcus - and one of those died! No idea where this one came from, maybe a seed in a nursery pot from somewhere. When I have 100 plus, I'll plant them out in the grass.