Crocus March 2008

[HClase]

I guess my privilege to start this one.  The third species to appear in my frame was photogenic today.  This is C. abantensis (from Ruksans) and has done reasonably well over the six years I've had it, despite some neglect!  I got two corms originally and they were different clones, one is noticeably darker than the other.  As you can see it's not snowing today, but it's still -6C outside.  One of the problems we have here is the wild swings in weather, a few days ago it was +7C and raining, which got rid of a lot of the snow, revealing various bulbs poking their noses up through the soil - then it went down to -16C overnight last night.  So I imagine they are a bit frost bitten this morning!  (The second flowerer was C. ancyrensis, but I won't bother showing you those.)

[art600]

Here is heufelianus 'Dark Eyes' from Leonid Bondarenko

[udo]

nice heuffelianus , Arthur

here is a white form from this ssp. with very pale blue tips
Crocus candidus, typical with one flower and one leave
Crocus candidus, open flower
Crocus dalmaticus, large form, not from Petrovac
Crocus angustifolius 'Berlin Gold'

[mark smyth]

I see Dix are listing Berlin Gold. Anyone know how reliable it may be from them?

[Hans J]

Karl ,

If you look under Crocus Februar 2008 there is a pic from me from a Cr. vernus from Mt. Orjen -this is very similar to your pic .....south of Dubrovnik and Orjen are not so far .....

Re: Crocus February 2008
« Reply #354 on: February 24, 2008, 03:20:39 PM »

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1286.msg33992;topicseen#msg33992

[David Nicholson]

I see Dix are listing Berlin Gold. Anyone know how reliable it may be from them?

After some of the happenings this year are any of them reliable?

[Maggi Young]

Two major problems for me  with nursery stock .........
1) is it true to name? 
and 2) particularly for bulbs, has it got virus?     
Of the two faults, at  least the former isn't going to wipe out your collection........

No, I 'll add a third ........
3) what is the nurseryman's idea of "well-rooted mature" plants  and does it bear any connection to reality???

[Diane Clement]

A year ago, I was completely taken with Thomas Huber's crocus lawn so I decided to do my own.  I ordered about 300 corms of 6 different varieties and in the autumn peeled back 4 sections of lawn and planted the corms in groups.  Our lawn is fairly shady so I chose the 4 sections to give different aspects to see which do best.   Now they are in flower.  Last night a gale blew leaves and twigs all over the lawn but today has been quite sunny so they opened up.  One variety "Negro Boy" hasn't flowered at all - maybe it's a late flowering variety, and "Advance" has been sparse.

General view
group
Blue Pearl
Romance
Ard Shenk
Zwanenberg Bronze
Advance

[Paul T]

Great pics guys and gals.  The Heuffelianus in particular are wonderful to see.


Well done on the Crocus Lawn Diane.  Thomas' is inspiring, isn't it.  His lawn and rockery is what prompted me to start my Crocus garden, so he's inspiring all over the world!! 

[Maggi Young]

That is so pretty, Diane... they do look so well in grass, don't they?

[Armin]

I guess my privilege to start this one.  The third species to appear in my frame was photogenic today.  This is C. abantensis (from Ruksans) and has done reasonably well over the six years I've had it, despite some neglect!  I got two corms originally and they were different clones, one is noticeably darker than the other.  As you can see it's not snowing today, but it's still -6C outside.  One of the problems we have here is the wild swings in weather, a few days ago it was +7C and raining, which got rid of a lot of the snow, revealing various bulbs poking their noses up through the soil - then it went down to -16C overnight last night.  So I imagine they are a bit frost bitten this morning!  (The second flowerer was C. ancyrensis, but I won't bother showing you those.)

C.abantensis is realy nice one. It seem to do well with the unsteady wheather conditions.
It is one of my wish list.

[Thomas Huber]

Mark, angustifolius "Berlin Gold" is originally sold by a German breeder from Berlin from where Dix
also gets his plants - so this one is reliable! Also my new stock of chrysanthus Herald came
from Dix last year.

Diane - a great start for a crocus lawn - looks like my own lawn 7 years ago.
Advance is a very small cultivar - I also have some on my lawn, but it is too small to be seen well in the grass.
Negro Boy is always the last cultivar coming into flower in my garden - it's not to late for yours!

[art600]

Thomas

Where you grow your crocus in a rock garden, what other bulbs or shrubs to grow to continue the colour through the year.

I think your lawn looks wonderful, and I am tempted to start one myself - I hate mowing!  When do you mow the lawn?  When would be the best time to incorporate autumn flowering species?

Thanks

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great to see how the bulb lawn developped in 7 years time Thomas !
And it's not only the Crocus' that have grown.... 

[Thomas Huber]

Now you've got me, Art - the only reason for planting so many crocus on my lawn is:
I don't like mowing  I never mow my lawn before 20th of may - because on 21st
my wife celebrates her Birthday. This gives them time enough to store new energy
for next years planting.

In my rockgarden our of the crocus season I have mainly: Rocks  but I also have some
Campanula, Sempervivum, Gentiana, Saxifraga and other alpines.

Sorry, I don't understand the question about autumn crocus?

Luc - I'm proud of my lawn, but not half as proud as I'm of my son!