Crocus: November 2010

[Boyed]

here they are. Dream Dancer and Purple Heart

Anthony said in 2009
I have just received a corm of Crocus mathewii 'Dream Dancer' from Rareplants. Two shoots, and the corm was as big as an onion set: it would only just fit into the circle made by my thumb and fore finger!

Wow Mark!!!

Very very impressive size!!!
Taking into account my gigantomania, I think I should grow this crocus as well. Besides flowers, I also enjoy big bulbs. And I noticed many growers do it too. During summer I very often visit my store house, touch my big bulbs, look at them and enjoy.

[Armin]

Hi, all! Thank you very much for your posts with wonderful and mouth-watering pictures, and practical advice from your experiences. Here is my potted Crocus mathewii, ex. HKEP. 9291, taken this morning. It’s a herald of crocus season at my place, but this year, more than 2 weeks later than usual. Cheers

Yamanaka-san,
a very fine potful of C. mathewii you have in flower.
Do you have a crocus collection?
I'm excited to read your reply and to see more images from central Japan

[Arda Takan]

here they are. Dream Dancer and Purple Heart

Anthony said in 2009
I have just received a corm of Crocus mathewii 'Dream Dancer' from Rareplants. Two shoots, and the corm was as big as an onion set: it would only just fit into the circle made by my thumb and fore finger!

Wow Mark!!!

Very very impressive size!!!
Taking into account my gigantomania, I think I should grow this crocus as well. Besides flowers, I also enjoy big bulbs. And I noticed many growers do it too. During summer I very often visit my store house, touch my big bulbs, look at them and enjoy.

This is exactly what I feel about bulbs!
I love bulbs more than their flowers

[mark smyth]

Zhirair and Arda I totally agree. My fave bulb is Crocus goulimyi

[YT]

Herr Armin, danke I really love crocuses and dwarf bulbs! Yes I’m just trying to increase my crocus collection and have got around 40 species, varieties and cultivars now. Several are flowering size and many of others are 1-3 year-old seedlings. The second flowering crocus in my collection is C. tournefortii, but seems taking more than a week to flower, and not in its best condition this season because of we had deadly heat summer in my place I think

Zhirair, Arda and Mark, all you're totally freaky croconuts!!!

[Armin]

Yamanada-san,
please call me with my first name, just Armin .

I'm sure all forumists love our plants and share the same passion - you are in good company.
It seems you have got the crocus fever already
Be ensured - it is a quickly spreading but harmless worldwide descease

What were the causes/motivation of your passion? And when did you start to collect/breed your own favourites?
Do you grow your croci & bulbs in a glas house or in the open garden or both?
Sorry, if I'm a bit obstrutive. I'm curious, please tell us a bit more about you

I wouldn't worry about the conditions due to deadly heat in summer. Many crocus species prefer and require a summer drought to flower abundantly.
I'm excited to see your next images of C. tournefortii.

[Tony Willis]

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the problems of aphids on newly emerging crocus shoots. The pests gather under the top dressing and multiply. I have been away for a week and the weather has been very warm. Crocus pelistericus has pushed up its new shoot and as can be seen it is badly infested.

Also a picture of Crocus biflorus ssp melantherus a gift from Melvyn.

[Arda Takan]

Today I marched through the wilds with the hope of finding a new crocus or colchicum for my collection. Unfortunately all I could find was crocus pallasii pallasii which was already in my collection.

[YT]

Armin, Thank you for your warm welcome And please call me just Tatsuo or YT. Yamanaka is my family name and ‘-san’ means ‘Herr’ or ‘Frau/Frl’

What were the causes/motivation of your passion? And when did you start to collect/breed your own favourites?
Do you grow your croci & bulbs in a glas house or in the open garden or both?
Sorry, if I'm a bit obstrutive. I'm curious, please tell us a bit more about you

Well… these are good questions. I cannot explain the reason I cherish plants and can only say I just LOVE them. I started my plants life with a morning glory, one of the typical Japanese ornamental plants, when I was a child and soon interested in autumn planting bulbous plants especially dwarf bulbs. Morning glory is a summer annual and I can grow autumn planting bulbs during another seasons

In autumn 2003, I got a flowering C. tournefortii bulb from a friend and was totally charmed with its wonderful contrast; prominent, dissected vivid orange-red pistil with pale mauve perianths, white anthers, and a small orange-yellow eye at bottom of the cup Before that I only saw saffrons, the big Dutch hybrids and few winter flowering chrysanthus-biflorus hybrids. Then, my crocus fever was started

I grow all my crocuses in pots and outside by sunny south facing wall just under the eaves all through their growing period. My place has no snow and very few (weak) frosts and is one of the most sunny winter areas in Japan

I wouldn't worry about the conditions due to deadly heat in summer. Many crocus species prefer and require a summer drought to flower abundantly.
I'm excited to see your next images of C. tournefortii.

Thank you for your advice. Yes, I know C. tournefortii is a typical Mediterranean and likes dry and hot summer, so I don't worry usual summer. But we had humid and unbelievable heat summer days, max. nearly 40 - min. around 30ºC, continued more than 60 days this summer… In anyway, I'll have a look.

[Tony Willis]

Tatsuo,welcome. From your blog you seem to enjoy a wide range of plants which makes life interesting. Your  Crocus mathewii are very nice. I have just been to see it in the wild.

[Kees Jan]

Here is C. pulchellus in the wild on Uludag, following a recent visit to W. Turkey. C. pulchellus is a woodland plant, so the meadow pictures are exceptions to the rule. The butterfly is supposed to be Polygonia c-album (strange name isn't it!). I've uploaded pics of 3 autumn visits to Turkey on my site now.

KJ

[mark smyth]

YT what is that stunning yellow and brown flower on the first page of your log?

[mark smyth]

The butterfly is supposed to be Polygonia c-album (strange name isn't it!).

Anthony will know why

[Arda Takan]

Kees Jan,

I wish I could travel to Uludag, it is 2-3 hours to the city I live in but I am too lazy&busy for that

[I.S.]

  Kees very nice pulchelus pics. I would be interested to see more... from NW. TR. My most commom crocus is pulchellus and it can grow very easyly everywhere even in my pots without any invitation!. But I like the variations this crocus.