Crocus March 2014

[Gerry Webster]

English  'humour' -

“Crocus cvijicii

The seemingly unpronounceable specific name of this Balkan Crocus  commemorates Professor Jovan Cvijicic a Yugoslavian  geologist noted for his particular knowledge of Macedonia. The nearest equivalent sound seems to be ‘shveeyeech-e-e’, and the amusing comment by E. A. Bowles, that it might be best to imitate  a sneeze  or play it on the violin, it seems sound advice!”

B. Mathew The Crocus (p 61)

[Anthony Darby]

.....but is it meant to be sound effect advice?

[Lesley Cox]

Janis, I was assuming, perhaps wrongly, that the comment from Bowles was disparaging of the violin which I happen to love very much indeed.

[udo]

with the last Crocus this spring,
Crocus exiguus from Croatia

[udo]

and more,
Crocus minimus from Col de Bavella, Corsica
   ``          ``    'Little Girl', the Crocus with the shortes stem?

[Jacek]

I wanted to have fertile Crocus flavus in my garden and hopefully I have it. There are two reasons:

1. The only crocus that reliably survived winters and my local conditions is Golden Yellow, but it is sterile. C. chrysanthus cultivars tend to die due to frost injury. Crocus korolkowii and angustifolus - are not growing well.

2. When I was a student I was skiing in Pamporovo, Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria. Except skiing I wanted to do some mountain walks, but because the resort is located close to Greek border and it was still the communist time - soldiers stopped me. Then instead of going up I decided to go down into w wild valley and there I saw yellow crocuses. It had to be C. flavus.


OK, so I bought some corms. Because Janis says in his book that they like to grow deep in soil - I did it. Playing like a child in the sandpit or rather like a mole, using different tools including a table spoon - I managed to plant them DEEP. Down to 40 cm.

And now I have the result - the latest crocus in my garden.



Next time I will plant deeper - may be they will show up in Australia??