Evolution of a Crocus Garden

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

Haven't even turned the computer on in the last couple of days.  Was away most of yesterday but between yesterday evening and this morning I got a fair bit more done on the Crocus garden.  The internal "ring" will be a higher level of soild, held back by mossy rocks (also called here "bush rocks") which are lichen encrusted.... collected from my father and sister's property yesterday while we were out there.  This higher area is not yet complete, which is why there is a big basin in the centre at the moment.  I am placing rocks on top of the slppers to try to soften the sharp lines of the sleepers, as I found them very obvious when standing back and looking at the garden.  They can't completely disguise that the garden is straight edged, but they do make it a little less square I think.  There is also a small enclosure of rocks at the back corner which contains a dwarf Japanese maple ('Brandt's Dwarf' in case anyone is interested). 

The sun wasn't exactly perfect to show the garden, but it gives you the idea.  The black rings are the pots that have so far been placed into the garden, and once everything is put in I will put a layer of sand over the top I think, which will help insulate the bulbs but not be a problem in the future like a layer of gravel will be.  I am not intending to use an organic mulch as the blackbirds are being particularly aggressive at the moment and I don't want the new garden to be attacked.  of course the local cats will probably all think it is a gift to them and they'll try to make their deposits. 

Anyway, here's the latest pictures.....

[Lesley Cox]

Assuming the lower level pots are full of crocuses, what will you put in the upper level Paul?

[mark smyth]

looking very good Paul. I'm off to a quarry soon to look for large flat stones to make terraces in the back garden for all my Crocus and small Narcissus. It might be flanked on the south side by a rockery/crevice. That's what's in the head anyway

[Paul T]

Lesley,

There will be approximately 80 pots all up in the lower level once everything is potted and placed.  You can just see that there are rings where I have marked out those positions that pots haven't actually been put in as yet.  I expect another 30 or so perhaps in the top, but not entirely sure of the arrangement as yet.  The lower level isn't all Crocus.  At this stage the majority that are in are crocus, but there is a group of a half dozen or so at each end that are reticulata iris, plus one histrioides 'April Tears' pot in the centre of the closest to the path.  I wanted to break it up a little so there isn't all Crocus in one area and all retics in another etc, but I also didn't want to have them mixed too heavily. 

There are also maybe a half dozen pots that will be on the upper level that will be mostly Crocus with a couple of retics.  The rest of the upper level will be hoop petticoat daff varieties.  I thought they'd make a nice division above and below, but it is still possible that I'll sneak a couple of the daffs into the lower level.  I don't want it too "formal" in that regard, but I also don't want it too mixed up as there isn't the space.  In Thomas' rock garden there is the space to have them mixed in together as you can view along the garden and see a mixture of different things, whereas mine is too small an area to feel comfortable doing that in a fully mixed setup.  By mixed I still mean everything is planted in their own basket, but that the baskets are mixed between types.  Does that all make sense?

[Thomas Huber]

Paul, your crocus bed look better and better!!
But don't forget to write the plants names also on the baskets,
in case the labels are removed!!!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Looks very promising Paul - you've been a hard working man ! 
Can't wait (and I bet you can't either) to see the pix of the first flowers emerging next autumn (ours that is... )

[Paul T]

Luc,

I'm hoping first flowers will be in a matter or weeks here!!

Thomas,

Not entirely sure how I'd do it on these baskets.  The labels will end up being buried once the sand layer is in place, so unless there are human rascals I shouldn't have a problem with that.  I am hoping as well that once they're in place I will draw up a map for that purpose as well, so I can work out what is what if anything happens.  Now I'm feeling paranoid of course!  I hadn't been until you mentioned it!! 

[Thomas Huber]

Paul forget the map-drawing-plan - I tried it, but there are always replantings in summer,
which you can't update completely on your map. I have written the plants name with a
white edding painter on my baskets. No more confusion with lost labels 

[Paul T]

Thomas,

You're right.  I have paint pens, so that isn't a problem.  I guess I could pull those that I had already planted out, so that I could label them then put them back in.  Might be a plan for tomorrow morning.

[gote]

In Sweden it is an old woodworking tradition to decorate simple things with a red hot iron. For that reason we can buy electric "pens" that will trace a dark indelible line on wood. It so happens that they are excellent for writing on plastic too. I sometimes mark my pots in this way. Even a laptop can also be marked indelibly. These pens may be unavailable in Australia or Scotland (It would be easy to send one within the EU) but the smallest type of soldering iron will do the job as well.
Göte

[Paul T]

Gote,

There are also etching machines for putting details on good around the house, but I don't have one of those myself.  They'd work out fine.  The other possibility would be to actually wire the label to the pot, but it would make it hard to lift the label to find out what the plant actually is. A second label could be properly attached I guess, but that would be becoming unwieldy I think.  The paint pens "should" work out OK, at least I'll test them this year to find out won't I?    All those baskets that were already planted have been lifted and replanted this morning.  All new pottings in the baskets will be labelled on the basket as well.  Thanks Thomas!!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

You're a very dedicated pupil Paul, I'm sure you will do ok ! 

[Thomas Huber]

Well done, Paul - you will see this saves you lots of work in the next years!

[Paul T]

Yeeesssss, but if I'd known about it BEFORE I started planting the baskets..... 

Thanks for the advice.  Always nice to learn from the experienced masters (and I do not mean that at all sarcastically... you have experience in these sorts of things that I don't have!!  That's valuable!)   

[Paul T]

Update on the garden.......

All bagged Crocus are now potted into their baskets and in place, as are all reticulata iris.  First couple of Narcissus bulbocodium (including a tall form that can grow well more than a foot tall) have been added, plus a couple of other little unusual bits and pieces (Spiloxene linearis for example) have been added.  The bottom level is now pretty much complete, except for the most shaded corner at the front left under the weeping Apricot.  There, I am going to add a couple of more moisture liking things like certain Crocus, some Anemone blanda, and Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' etc.

Now, can someone please remind me exactly which Crocus are the more moisture requiring?  I have in mind banaticus, cvijicii, longiflorus (or is it nudiflorus), and I think Thomas mentioned that asuminae likes some summer moisture didn't he?  The corner that they're all in I can give some extra water to in summer and it will get some shade which will help, and that shouldn't be a bother to anything else in there that needs the drier summer.

Second level will be composed mainly of Narcissus bulbocodium and miniature narcissus species etc, although there are a couple of Crocus and Iris retics in there as well.  The small third level will probably have some Australian native Calostemma purpurea which will like the extra depth and pull themselves down deep.  This extra depth should mean they flower for me, whereas at the moment in their pots they aren't exactly fantastic in that regard! 

So that is the update.  No pics at this stage as too knackered right now to go and take any.  Horticultural Society meeting tonight as well so have to have dinner and get ready etc.  So many gardening things, so little time (and still too darn hot!!)  Friday is forecast 24'c which will be heavenly after the last week of 30'C plus.  Better than Adelaide that have had 15 days straight above 35'C (I thought it was only 13, but it is 15).  Nasty!!!!