Evolution of a Crocus Garden

[Paul T]

Armin,

My first Crocus pics were posting in the Crocus thread and ID'd as speciosus rather than the abantensis that the seeds were purchased as.  Will still look nice in the future when they fill out more and give a good flowering.  Nice and early which isn't a bad thing. 

First rain in a month here at the moment, so that might stimulate a few things too!!

[Paul T]

A Crocus pulchellus appeared in the new garden this morning, despite carefully checking yesterday for any signs of buds anywhere.  They really do pop up out of nothing.

The black at the base of the flower is an ant that was ecstatically rummaging around at the bottom of the flower, I assume for nectar.

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

The third crocus to flower in my new garden is now open.  Crocus mathewii is just glorious!  That wonderfully dark throat set off by the stamens and style, all set against the pure white.    The other one to flower for me in the garden so far was C. pallassii ssp dispathacea.  Not sure whether I should be posting this here or in the April thread, but thought I'd post it here for a bit of variety.   Not sure if people are interested in the closeup or not, but I've posted it as well to show the details.    The 3 white dots on the "upper" petal in the picture are due to rain overnight on the unopened bud..... I think there must still be some drops sitting on the outside of the petal, focusing light through them to those bright points.

Lesley, I have no idea whether this is my older bulb from a couple of years ago of mathewii, or whether it is one of the two from this year.  It hasn't flowered for me until now, so maybe it is the older bulb, which had nearly doubled in size from when I got it and positively dwarfed the new ones I got this year.  Maybe the spideriness of yours is just that they're still to settle in?  Anyway, very very pleased that this is flowering for me to finally see in person, as it is one I've wanted to see ever since I saw Thomas' a couple of years ago.

[Thomas Huber]

Anyway, very very pleased that this is flowering for me to finally see in person, as it is one I've wanted to see ever since I saw Thomas' a couple of years ago.

Next you will tell me, that I'm responsible for the Crocus virus that has catched you 

[Paul T]

Thomas,

No, but you're not exactly hindering it's spread either you know!!?? I already collected Crocus before I "met" you here, but the virus has become much worse since meeting you!! 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

C. matherwii really is out of this world isn't it  
Unique flower if you ask me - must get hold of it somehow...

As to Thomas' remark.... sorry Thomas but you're as guilty as hell for spreading the C. virus (the benign variant  ) around the world !!!

[t00lie]

Quote from Luc
"As to Thomas' remark.... sorry Thomas but you're as guilty as hell for spreading the C. virus (the benine variant  Wink) around the world !!!"

I'd have to agree with you whole heartedly Luc ,(and Paul),--it's even reach down here to the bottom of the South Island NZ where i have quite a few baby Hubi's in foliage at the moment ,(and others still tucked up nicely in bed until spring),awaiting their first flowering next year maybe.

Lovely pics all.

Cheers Dave.

[Thomas Huber]

OK, OK - I confess: I'm guilty
AND I'M PROUD OF IT!!! 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I'm sure that with a good lawyer, you might find the jury to be most clement Thomas 

[Paul T]

Luc,

Yeah, mathewii is definitely very special.  I am so hoping to get more flowers from it, as I only got such a short viewing of that flower before it got trashed by the hail.  Of course, unfortunately even if it does send up more I will only really see them on the weekend as they're not open when I leave for work at 6:45am and they're closing up by the time I get home from work at around 4pm.  I have a new bulb of asuminae that I bought this year (third attempt at growing it) and it currently has a flower on it that by the looks of it opened today....... I think I'm going to have to train Yvonne (my wife) to use the camera so she can get a photo for me tomorrow.  I'm paranoid that the flower will be over by the weekend and I'll have missed it.  I just want to make sure it actually is that species.  I also have longiflorus out in the back yard, but the same thing regarding flowers closed when I'm home applies. 

[Tony Willis]

Paul one of the great things about retiring is that you get to see all the lovely things you missed when at work.I had a short spell when I worked near home and could pop home at lunch and see them.They never seem to flower at weekend. Now I just see them every day.

Your mathewii is lovely and one of my favorite autumn crocus. it is always a problem with me as we seem to have lots of dull days around the time these are in flower and it is difficult to get them to open.

[fermi de Sousa]

Thomas,
the Crocophilia virus must be German in origin because I caught it off Otto!
cheers
fermi

[Otto Fauser]

Fermi , Paul & Hubi, do not blame me for spreading the virus [even such a pleasant one], I caught it 55 years ago, reading,and immensly enjoying them, the books written by
 E.A. Bowles.
     Ciao Otto.

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

An update on the crocus garden (in case anyone is interested?).....

A couple of pics of the garden (same positions as usual, for comparison purposes).  Flowering at the moment are the Iris histrio as shown elsewhere, the crocus shown below, some hoop petticoat type daffs and continuing flowering of the Moraea polystachya which has been flowering for a couple of months now.  I did note today that there is another corcus bud that should open the next sunny day, probably a C. sieberi by the look of it (without digging around to find the tag)/

And a couple of pics of what I am growing as Crocus laevigatus var fontenayii, which isn't much different to the other laevigatus that I grow.  After this years settling in, and hopefully improvement of bulb flowering, I am hoping to compare them properly next year to see if there really are any differences between those that I grow as the species or the variety.  I have suspicions there aren't much in the way of differences.   I would like to know one way or the other eventually, so I can name them all the same if that is what they are.

[Katherine J]

An update on the crocus garden (in case anyone is interested?).....

Yes, we are interested. Thank you for keeping alive this thread!

And I envy you for your "winter" down there.