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Author Topic: Crocus February 2011  (Read 64266 times)

Maggi Young

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #330 on: February 27, 2011, 09:42:18 PM »
I agree with you Tony (W), the three you show are just as fine in their own way. If they were Galanthus they'd be named before the buds were opened :o Thank God though, that Croconuts show a lot more discretion and restraint than Galanthophiles.


I agree with most of that.... but I do have a real  soft spot for Hubert E. Loved him since I first saw him. We got a bulb from Roma, who has always grown it beautifully, a few years ago and now there a nice wee pot of them ( though some years they've been tricky) and I think he is very handsome and a darn sight more distinctive than the average 'drop!! And he's been around a while, too.   ;D


Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

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Lesley Cox

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #331 on: February 27, 2011, 09:44:49 PM »
Oh I love him too Maggi and have had him since an original import from Van Tubergen, must have been in the 60s, so he has proved reliable over the years.

To seed again, in my experience, seed set on crocuses is much more likely when they are in the garden than when they are in pots, with some sort of covering. This applies - for me - with just about anything bulbous.
« Last Edit: February 27, 2011, 09:46:49 PM by Lesley Cox »
Lesley Cox - near Dunedin, lower east coast, South Island of New Zealand - Zone 9

Maggi Young

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #332 on: February 27, 2011, 09:49:58 PM »
Quote
he has proved reliable over the years
....more than we can say for some, eh?
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

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tonyg

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #333 on: February 27, 2011, 09:56:51 PM »
Tony, how do you tell C rujanensis from C sieberi. Here's my pot labelled C rujanensis but is it?  (and I have a feeling you are also going to say "virus"  ::) )
I had an interesting correspondence last year with David Hill, the co-discoverer and co-author of C rujanensis.  He had found the name on the AGS seed list and contacted me as he didn't realise the species was in cultivation.  I directed him to several sites and sources of the seed and plants, and in return he sent me a little book he has written "The Genus Crocus in Serbia".
You look on the label ;D ;D
If you have David's book you may find the answer there.  I have seen the book but do not own a copy.  C rujanensis is very similar to C sieberi atticus, indeed some experts would say it is just the serbian form of that plant.  The two lots of C rujanensis I have raised from outside seed have both been larger flowered than average C sieberi atticus and a slightly 'duller' colour lilac.  The home seed rasings are less uniform and I think they are hybrids with C sieberi forms in my collection. 
As to virus, they look OK to me but you may be seeing details in real life that are blurred by compression of pics.  Show me a back lit, sunny day shot and I'll tell you what I think!

tonyg

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #334 on: February 27, 2011, 09:58:21 PM »
Quote
he has proved reliable over the years
....more than we can say for some, eh?
Some of us are known to be consistantly unreliable over the years ... does that count?  Ask Jacinta :-*

Tony Willis

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #335 on: February 27, 2011, 09:59:10 PM »

To seed again, in my experience, seed set on crocuses is much more likely when they are in the garden than when they are in pots, with some sort of covering. This applies - for me - with just about anything bulbous.

Lesley there is no chance of me growing mine in the garden. I get reasonable seed set under glass and given I am only doing small numbers I usually pull an anther of  the pollen parent and rub it on the stigma of the one I want seed from. This gives me three goes over a number of days.Seems to work okay.
Chorley, Lancashire zone 8b

tonyg

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #336 on: February 27, 2011, 10:01:45 PM »

To seed again, in my experience, seed set on crocuses is much more likely when they are in the garden than when they are in pots, with some sort of covering. This applies - for me - with just about anything bulbous.

Lesley there is no chance of me growing mine in the garden. I get reasonable seed set under glass and given I am only doing small numbers I usually pull an anther of  the pollen parent and rub it on the stigma of the one I want seed from. This gives me three goes over a number of days.Seems to work okay.
I also get reasonable amounts of seed under glass.  I am not as methodical as TW but I have found that crossing different clones of the same species gets the best results.

Diane Clement

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #337 on: February 27, 2011, 10:06:37 PM »
Show me a back lit, sunny day shot and I'll tell you what I think!  

sunny day  :o - I saw some of those last week in Spain  8)  but they are very rare in Wolverhampton ::)
Diane Clement, Wolverhampton, UK
Director, AGS Seed Exchange

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #338 on: February 28, 2011, 07:10:59 PM »
(Wauw Janis, very nice.- refers to Janis' post in Crocus etc from Turkey Feb. 2011)

I have just returned from my work, not so spectacular as Turkey but the weather today was also grey en cold today. I made these photos yesterday.
These are two classic one's, but still worthwile.
Crocus 'Pick Wick' (1 and 2)
Crocus 'Ruby Giant' (3 and 4)
« Last Edit: March 03, 2011, 10:05:13 AM by Maggi Young »
Lichtervelde, West-Vlaanderen

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #339 on: February 28, 2011, 07:54:15 PM »
Having earlier seen David's and now Graeme's picture of Crocus sieberi Ronald Ginns, and bearing in mind that Ray Cobb who named it is a friend, I do wonder what drives the need to keep naming perfectly ordinary forms of plants which I often think have no particular merit. I think if you have seen a hillside covered in this species you would not have picked that one out to photograph.
I agree. The variation in C sieberi must be almost infinite and this is not an exceptional form.  One of us could ask Ray but I am aware that he puts the name of the person who gave him the corm/s on his plant labels.  Perhaps this one has acquired a name because Ray got it from Ronald rather than because he selected it with a view to naming it?

No disrespect intended to Graeme but the two images shown of Crocus sieberi Ronald Ginns really do not do justice to this stunning plant. In my limited view (each to their own) this is a beautiful form, strong growing, hardy and a really good garden variety. Below a photo taken a couple of years ago.

Crocus sieberi 'Ronald Ginns'
Rob Potterton  Lincolnshire  UK

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Tony Willis

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #340 on: February 28, 2011, 09:22:39 PM »
Rob I did not make my comment based only on the pictures on the forum and your website but having seen it in the flesh.It had no bearing on its suitability as a garden plant but as an exceptional form worthy of being named. We shall have to agree to disagree.
Chorley, Lancashire zone 8b

ruweiss

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #341 on: February 28, 2011, 09:57:34 PM »

Close to our meadow garden is another meadow with old fruit trees (mostly appletrees).
The naturalized Crocus tommasinianus which obviously escaped from the old garden
beside it makes it to a real gem for a short time.












Rudi Weiss,Waiblingen,southern Germany,
climate zone 8a,elevation 250 m

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #342 on: February 28, 2011, 10:04:14 PM »
Our favourite among all these fine plant, we only found one
with this colour.
Rudi Weiss,Waiblingen,southern Germany,
climate zone 8a,elevation 250 m

Luc Gilgemyn

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #343 on: February 28, 2011, 10:09:55 PM »
A feast for the eyes Rudi !!  :o
Luc Gilgemyn
Harelbeke - Belgium

Rob Potterton

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Re: Crocus February 2011
« Reply #344 on: February 28, 2011, 11:44:47 PM »
I understand that Ray selected Ronald Ginns out because it was different from anything else that was in cultivation; few of us have had the good fortune & pleasure to see hillsides of Crocus sieberi in nature.
Rob Potterton  Lincolnshire  UK

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