Crocus: November 2010

[Gail]

When I came along Roger Poulett a bell rang. I had an interesting correspondence about Cyclamen with him in 1994 and until today I cultivate Cyclamen colchicum which originated from him.
He had an excellent handwriting and  - he wrote in perfect German!
Some years later I was told - true or not - that he gave up all his plants and went to sunnier climes.
I was very impressed by him and I am curious to know whether there is someone in this community who is able to tell me something about the fate of Roger.

Gerd

I used to get Roger's wonderful handwritten lists and bought several marvellous plants from him.  He retired a few years ago - I can't remember where he went but I probably still have his last list somewhere so I will have a hunt for it.

[Gerry Webster]

When I came along Roger Poulett a bell rang. I had an interesting correspondence about Cyclamen with him in 1994 and until today I cultivate Cyclamen colchicum which originated from him.
He had an excellent handwriting and  - he wrote in perfect German!
Some years later I was told - true or not - that he gave up all his plants and went to sunnier climes.
I was very impressed by him and I am curious to know whether there is someone in this community who is able to tell me something about the fate of Roger.

Gerd

I used to get Roger's wonderful handwritten lists and bought several marvellous plants from him.  He retired a few years ago - I can't remember where he went but I probably still have his last list somewhere so I will have a hunt for it.

Roger Poulett used to have a nursery not far from here which I visited on a couple of occasions over 20 years ago. If I remember correctly, he specialised in cyclamen though he had many other interesting plants. I'm surprised to learn that some people actually had plants from him since he had the reputation of being unwilling to sell any of his stock & this was my experience when I visited the nursery, though I did manage to buy a couple of his hepaticas at an AGS show. I'm not surprised to learn that he was fluent in German since I believe he spent a few years working there.

[YT]

Cover your bed with wire-net and hide it by thin layer of stone chips. It helps against cats. Their legs dont like stone chips and especially the wire-net just below.
Janis

Janis, thank you very much for your advices I'll try them. And I’m so fascinated your C. laevigatus 'Gold Back'

[Janis Ruksans]

I for several years corresponded with Roger Poulett and... not remember now, I think that exchanged with plants (as in this period it was not easy for me to buy something in West...) with Roger. I suppose that it was in first years of our independence, so it was in early 90-ties. I still remember his handwritten bulb lists (catalogues) with prices, so he sold something, too. I'm afraid that during replacing of nursery his lists (catalogues) were lost somewhere, but I'm still growing several of his plants. At moment in brain came Crocus received as abantensis but which turned to be Crocus biflorus taurii. They can easy be mixed by flowers, although tunics are different. Another is very beautiful small Muscari sp. received by Roger as species from Steven. Now it is grown under nickname "miniarmeniacum from Poulett" and most likely is new species later recollected by our team (together with Henrik and Arnis) in Turkey. There was Crocus pulchellus 'Big Boy' (most likely speciosus hybrid) and white pulchellus - those I got from Roger, too. May be there were some others, but I don't remember at moment.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

As C. sativus is known as triploid clone I am surprised about the variation in colour,
[/quote]

Due long absence from forum, only now read earlier entries, so something delayed comment to Hans entry with marvellous pictures.
As very long cultivated triploid and being sterile Crocus sativus is not saved from mutations which rise some variation. As I remember plants from Apscheron (Azerbaijan, then it was Soviet Union) - the single place in previous USSR where it was cultivated for saffron - there were some variation in color, of course not so prominent as on your picture. I think that in wide area there could be several clones adapted to local conditions. Those, which are cultivated in Spain, could be quite different from those cultivated in Iran or India. Triploid tulips  are common with quite greater proportion of mutations than in normal diploid cultivars. Why not accept that for Crocus sativus, too. Of course there are var. cashmirianus, reported by some as rarely fertile at least as pollen parent (although I'm doubtful about correctness of experiment - may be not sufficient isolation from foreign pollen on mother plant was insured, but this is only my opinion). I suppose that your light colored specimen is such mutation. Albinos are usual between purple-blue colored species. If I remember well - very long ago white sativus was offered by Van Tubergen company, then it was owned by Hoog's family and was famous for growing (not only selling) rarest bulbs near Harlem in Holland. It was in early 80-ties or even earlier.
Janis

[Gerry Webster]

An article on the saffron harvest in Spain appeared in The Independent this morning:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/saffron-harvest-brings-a-new-gold-rush-2132857.html

[Armin]

This one has been popping up either and yon. I can't remember the species. Seems very late given the rains we've had in the last 6 weeks.
johnw

John, it is C. ligusticus (medius).

[Kees Jan]

Here is the last of three Crocus species that I found in W Turkey recently, Crocus pallasii ssp. pallasii in a pretty good form in Bozdağlar. This is a ssp. with quite a large distribution.

[Lesley Cox]

Marcus very kindly sent me a corm of the Gold Back laevigatus, summer before last. It is really lovely, and unexpected. What a thrill! Marcus, Janis and me!

[Gerry Webster]

Crocus laevigatus

From a Steve Keeble collection, Crete. This is small - about 5cm tall.

[Gerdk]

Many thanks for all your remarks concerning Roger Poulett!
I still save one of his wonderful written letters from 1994.

Gerd

[udo]

Some from last pictures for this autumn:
Cr.asumaniae, a late form
    cartwrightianus, ex 'Albus' hort.
    laevigatus dark , in front of it laevigatus Gold Back

[Melvyn Jope]

Crocus cartwrightianus from Sirikari Crete needed to be brought in for some warmth and light to open today.

[Otto Fauser]

Gerd , I too kept a few of Roger's handwritten letters ( as you say in perfect german ) from 1991-94 . He taught English for a few years at a school in Munich . I too still grow Cyclamen colchicum from seed received from him ( but my first seed of this species came from
Prof . Otto Schwarz , Jena Bot . Garden ) and also Hepatica nobilis 'Elkhofner Resi" - a vivid pink- which Roger collected somewhere in
Bavaria .
I remember , someone told me some years ago ,that Roger had a sea change and went to sunny Spain .
  also his spoken German on the phone was really good.

[Gerdk]

Thank you, Otto!
A second name - of whom I heard a lot - Professor Otto Schwarz - aka 'Primel Otto'.   

Gerd