Crocus in the garden March 2010

[mark smyth]

Maybe I should put grass in my raised beds

[Armin]

Thanks Arthur and Ashley.
"Spring Pearl" is a "Pearl" in my collection A pity it is not grown in high volumes.
Mark, why not?

A few more pictures:
Fuscotinctus: was initial a very week grower in my meadow (and were in many Gipsy Girl packets ) - now one of the croci I like due its contrasted appearance much better then Dorothy
Snow Bunting: one of the most vigorous - early and rich flowering
Firefly: hardy, reliable and early flowering
Roseus: very vigorous and unusual color, many seed - a pink beauty
Romance: a lighter yellow with white margins - very lovely, reliable, rich flowering
Goldilocks: improved E.P. Bowles, high contrast, rich flowering

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I think it's bulb meadow season... 

couldn't resist posting more than I should.

      Crocus tomasinianus,snowdrops and aconites

You couldn't ever post too many of these pictures !!
Simply amazing !

Great looking lawns Vivien and Armin !!

Armin, Spring pearl has some resemblence with my earlier posted hybrids.. 

[Ragged Robin]

Breathtakingly beautiful crocus from everyone!

John, your crocus meadow is a work of art with the colours flowing and complementing each other in light and dark shades.  the eranthis skirts the trees like a pool of gold, I have never seen a planting look so glorious. 

Vivien, I'm way behind you so will watch your progress in trying to establish a  crocus meadow with interest.  Hey, from small beginnings.......

Armin, thanks for posting such clear photos of your crocus showing how lovely each one is in shape and colour.  So many are appealing in your list and detail of attributes but Spring Pearl really is the star of the show 

Please keep posting these rays of sunshine 

[Sinchets]

Some lovely clumps of Crocus you have there Armin. How long did they need to start bulking up like that? We are only in our second year of using the meadow here for planting bulbs, but we hope one day soon they will look as happy as yours!
At the moment you can't go anywhere, where there aren't still late snow patches, and not see Crocus flavus in flower. I did bring C.flavus here with me as C.olivieri form several different sources- but this pic is of the real deal- our local plant slowly bulking up in the woodland garden.
This Crocus sieberi I had as vernus is also buling up well- next autumn more of it will go into wilder parts of the garden.

[Armin]

Luc,
you are right there are resemblances between "Spring Pearl" and your hybrids. Maybe you found the parents of "Spring Pearl"?

Robin,
thanks for your comments. I would be pleased to have convinced more forumists for bulb meadows. Good luck for your own!

Simon,
this is the 5th spring flowering season. In autuum 2005 I began to plant my first crocus corms in the lawn.
My rough estimate is I've planted ~1800-2000 corms ytd (spring & autuum species & cultivars) in the meadow and the surrounding raised beds. And I still have so many on my wish list...
As many hybrids produce no or only view seed corms it will take several years to clump up. Therefore I was quite happy with last years good number of seed vessels, thanks to my hotel for solitary bees, warm weather  and their pollination work.

Currently I estimate less then half of all crocus are out. But the cold temperatures cause quick withering, many flop over, ground is frozen and an unconvienient wind chill perceived me when I took pictures.
Our weather forecast says 10cm of new snow overnight . I don't know if I should think it is good or bad. Personal I have had enough of snow this winter.

[Armin]

The weather forecast was almost right! ~8cm of new wet heavy snow this morning.
My crocus are forced to make a break...
But day temperatures raised to +3°C, snow melts...

My bird feeder station was very luring this morning. I counted ~50 birds at the same time, record sofar

[Sinchets]

The same kind of view as ours, Armin. We have wet snow forecast until Thursday 

[ChrisB]

I got these corms as tiny things from a plant stall last year.  I'm hoping they are what it said on the label: Crocus pestalozzae caeruleus  and if so, will they be ok in the garden if I plant them out?  I have them in a pot right now.

[Martin Baxendale]

I got these corms as tiny things from a plant stall last year.  I'm hoping they are what it said on the label: Crocus pestalozzae caeruleus  and if so, will they be ok in the garden if I plant them out?  I have them in a pot right now.

Yes, pestalozzae caeruleus - the little black spots at the bases of the anthers are the thing to look for in confirming an ID of pestalozzae. The blue form is quite strong growing, but I lost mine in the open garden, so maybe someone else could advise on pot v. garden.

[Sinchets]

My C.pestalozzae careuleus have been fine in the rock garden for the last 2 years and are bulking up well. They are flowering just now through the inch of snow we had last night. They are in an area which is dry in summer when they are grown over by a Penstemon palmeri plant.

[ChrisB]

Thanks Martin & Simon.  I have very sandy, free draining soil, maybe I'll put half the pot out as an experiment next year.

[Sinchets]

I am sure they will be okay Chris. Ours were at -10C this morning as the snow melted around them, although it was sunny the air temperature was never high enough to open them for a picture. A cola bottle cloche persuaded this one to open though- Crocus vitellinus 'White' 

[ChrisB]

Ok Simon, I'm going to risk it.  Too many pots.....

[Sinchets]

Flowering here yesterday in a brief melt between snowfall- Crocus x leonidii 'Ego'