Crocus January 2007

[tonyg]

I bet thats a first - Possum in a Crocus thread!

Back at the main event - here are some spring crocus urged on by the warm (but dreadful dull) weather.

Two subspecies of Crocus biflorus and one Crocus chrysanthus
The numbers after the names are my reference numbers

[tonyg]

Crocus x bornmuelleri is a name for a cross between C biflorus and C chrysanthus.  This form from wild collected seed is particularly nice from any angle.

[tonyg]

Also Crocus sieberi atticus and Crocus rujanensis which is thought by some to be only a form of C sieberi - you can probably see why!

[Anthony Darby]

Didn't Davey Crocket have a 'coon hat - oh, and three ears?

[tonyg]

Always early flowering this last group demonstrate why I'm into Crocus more than Snowdrops.  While the galanthophiles live in the Black and white ... sorry Green and white age, Croconuts live in glorious technicolour

C baytopiorum - unmatched shade of blue
C imperati De Jager - Striped biscuit outers, fantastic lavender inners
C korolkowii Gold Nugget - unique two-tone
C aleppicus - Very small and delicately marked

[Maggi Young]

It is the diversity of the off topic notes on this forum that I enjoy most, Tony. I think it is what makes these pages so much like a normal conversation between friends. While out looking to see how the crocus are coming on -- hardly at all, as it happens--- the subject of warm hands and feet are very dear to me! Still just a few tiny noses showing in the garden and there are so many narcissus in the glass house that it is hard to see past them. I am still reeling from Hubi's garden flowers last month---glad to see some crocus life stirring with you again. the photos are so good I can almost smell them.The biflorus nubigena is so photogenic, a real diva. But then see the reverse onthe x bormuelleri..Cor!


Anthony, you're right, I think the titfer in question was a raccoon---I knew it was some form of pesky varmint skin!

[Maggi Young]

More beauties, Tony, I'm drooling. This is exactly why I am a croconut and proud of it!
how dainty the aleppicus are next to the imperati.


Anthony --three ears? (I know I'll regret asking him this, I always do)

[tonyg]

Now we must cut out this talk of rodents - you'll frighten the crocuses  

OK here is one for the galanthophiles - a whitish crocus with indistinct markings!  Crocus nevadensis often much more highly coloured and marked but like so many crocus, variable.

[tonyg]

Thanks Maggi - I've never taken part in a 'live debate' before

I've split these into different posts to keep the pics with the text.  I'll have to look up the attach thumb thingy again but I quite like the file-name with the pic ... and the 'hit counter' too!

Here is a curiosity - Crocus chrysanthus and its yellow allies often fail show their true colour in my digipics.  I have to set the camera to 'incandescent light' to get close to the true yellow.  I'll post two pics below to illustrate plus one of C sieberi on the incandescent setting to show just what a difference this makes.

The first pic is what the camera does to chrysanthus on the auto white setting that I use for almost all my crocus shots.

[Joakim B]

Lovely pics Tony lure something out of Maggi now that she is hot from the crocus.
Like use the hammer while the iron is worm. Not that Maggi is to be hit by a hammer but maybe she is less iron hard when seeing this buities  .

I now regret I did not buy more crocus at the sale 

Joakim

[Anthony Darby]

A left ear; a right ear and a wild front ear............well you did ask!

[mark smyth]

Tony thats an unbelievable collection and a brilliant night cap. Drooling over many including the korolkowii. Is it a cultivar?

[Maggi Young]

Yes, Anthony, I DID ask. Will I never learn? You realise that I am now sitting here singing 'Davy, davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier' There are innocent souls trying to sleep in this house, you know.
I am almost as suggestible with songs as I am with food but no, Joakim, I cannot be hammered so easily, though you have reminded me that I have ironing to be done. Too late now, though, it'll wait till tomorrow.

Tony, these photos on other settings are extraordinary aren't they? Makes them so different, you could make a Warhol-like montage with colour effects. That could be an idea for next years greetings card!

Mark, so glad you can enjoy these crocus as much as I can!


Off now to try a little sleep myself, goodnight, friends.

[Lesley Cox]

As everyone says Tony, truly beautiful crocuses. I think the nubigena is especially nice. I guess these are early for you this year? I saw some TV news the other night saying (and showing) that Americans are jogging with their singlets off and that the peach (they called it cherry) blossom is out in many areas.

Mark, Thomas' hat is of the beanie kind. I hope he might show us a picture later on.

[Ian Y]

What a difference a four hundred miles makes Tony, the only crocus that we have in flower are some Crocus laevigatus, there are buds up on our squinny form of C. alatavicus but nothing else showing yet.
However if we get some warm weather I know that the crocus can go from nothing showing to being in full flower in less than two days.