Crocuses in the Southern Hemisphere - 2009

[Thomas Huber]

Hi  Paul!
Great to see your new crocus bed doing sooo well.
Lucky you with the recovering of Crocus minimus,
I've lost my complete stock last winter.

Crocus etruscus often has stripes, but I don't dare to
tell you yours has a virus. Will leave this to the virus-experts
(Tony G and Zhirair)

Your chrysanthus Saturnus looks like a mix of seelings,
the true Saturnus looks like this:

[Paul T]

Thomas,

Thanks.  Yours look much creamier than my saturnus, and not as dark on the outside?  I rather like mine, but Yes it does look like they're a mix.  I wonder if I should try to isolate the larger one now or not.  I guess safer to just leave them all there and enjoy them next year. 

As for minimus..... if you can't source it locally (i.e in your own hemisphere and therefore less trouble), let me know and I'll see if I can send you some at the end of the year.  I am so pleased to have it back and happy again.  I can't believe how many flowers it has had this year after really thinking I was going to lose it a few years ago.  Great stuff!!

Glad you got to see my pics, given you don't always get up here much at this time of year.  More Crocus appearing every day (I've had a couple more tommasinianus pop up since yesterday, and sieberi sublimus tricolor should open fully tomorrow with more buds just visible at the surface as well).  Great stuff!!    And all the wonderful reticulata irises are going great guns.... should be posting a few more pics of them down in the iris section tomorrow too.

[Thomas Huber]

Paul, thanks for your offer, I'm sure I will be able to replace my minimus stock soon.

Please think about the promised tommie-photos!!!!!

[Paul T]

Thanks for the reminder Thomas, I forgot about them when preparing things yesterday.  The pics don't show them particularly well, but here's a few pics of the seedlings from your seed.  One white one, plus assorted combinations.  So hard to get proper comparison shots.  I've included a few shots from outside to show the different outer petals, plus one of a darker flower, and one of the majority of them in flower in the polystyrene box.  I don't think there'll be any more this year, so I'll be feeding them soon and hopefully lots more flowers next year.

Please click on the pic for a larger version.  If pics are too large, please let me know.

[Paul T]

And forgot....

The first flower on Crocus sieberi sublimus tricolor is out now, with it looks like 4 more flowering points emerging.  Will be lovely if so, as I have wanted for ages to get a good clump together.

Please click on the pic for a larger version.  If pics are too large, please let me know.

[Thomas Huber]

...and finally: Australia - 12 points from the German jury, Paul 
a very good result, particularly the white one in the upper left corner.
And many more will follow next year.

[Paul T]

Thomas,

So you like them then?    I must admit the white one was a nice surprise.  It had some fine fleckings of colour in it, just like the other white tommies that I have seen.  They never seem to be "pure" white, always having some faint splash or stripe of colour on them somewhere.  Maybe it is a product of conditions here.  Still a lovely surprise, as I had no idea how much variance to expect in the seedlings.  Hopefully lots more variations next year as well. 

[Armin]

Paul.
super crocus show! Your crocus bed is already a full success!
Like your pictures especial of C. biflorus ssp alexandrii.

[Ragged Robin]

The first flower on Crocus sieberi sublimus tricolor is out now

Wow, absolutely sublime...hoping to see some more when they emerge 

[mark smyth]

Brilliant Crocus and many I lust after

[Rogan]

Wow Paul! Need I say more!!    I'll have to redouble my efforts at growing crocus - even just one in flower would be fantastic...   

[Lesley Cox]

It should be possible with some species Rogan. I have a friend who lives in the sub tropical north of Auckland (bananas, cherimoyas etc) who succeeds with a number of species, especially autumn flowering forms.

[Paul T]

Robin,

As requested, here's a pic of the Crocus sieberi sublimus tricolor with most of the clump out now (better than I have ever had before).

Also attached are a couple of pics of Crocus tommasinianus 'Barr's Purple'.... it isn't very purple.  Does this look about correct, or have I had a mixup somewhere down the track?  It is very similar to some of the seedlings I have had come from Thomas' seed, and I know that some by that name were parents of that seed.  Maybe the "purple" is one of those liberties taken by people in the naming process? 

Thomas, if you're reading this... I posted a pic of your Anemone blanda seedlings that are in flower here now.... so far all identical blue (17 flowers) but putting on such a lovely show. 

Please click on the pic for a larger version.  If pics are too large, please let me know.

[Thomas Huber]

Seen the photo, Paul. Hope some hybrids will soon appear in your box!!!
In every case a good result, congratulations.

[Paul T]

Thomas,

Even if every one of them ends up blue, I'll still be pleased.  I can just imagine the box in full flower in subsequent years.  Stunning!!  Such a fantastic result for something that is so often difficult to get good germination from.  It shows just how important fresh seed is.... because I think that pretty much every single one you sent germinated.  Thank you kindly Sir!!