Crocus October 2009

[Thomas Huber]

Welcome back John (A) - it's been one year now since we met last time. Hope you and your family are well!?

Fred, you can't avoid to be caught by the crocus virus if you read and watch regularly in this thread 

Simon, are all those blue niveus flowers from just one single corm??  If so, it's a very good form, my own
plants of niveus have only 1 or 2 flowers even from large corms.

[David Nicholson]

Such good news about the book too. A Christmas present for 2101.

Bit optimistic on the longevity front, Lelsey? Or have you been at the virgins' bloody again? I'd stick to the pinot noir; it's easier to get out of the table cloths.

Lesley, you will be about 158 in 2101-are you sure you will make it

[Sinchets]

Thomas, I am not sure how many corms there are there now. I intend to split the patch up next summer.

[Paul T]

Simon,

How blue is that little clump of the niveus of yours?  I've just realised it looks like it is bicolored.... I thought it was white until I went looking for it after Thomas' comment about being blue.

[Janis Ruksans]

Here some pictures from today. Fortunately it is sunny, although cold, but excellent for pictures.
Janis


 Crocus cancellatus pamphylicus.JPG
 Crocus cancellatus RIGA-074 -02.JPG
 Crocus goulimyi Mani White.JPG
 Crocus pulchellus Alba.JPG
 Crocus vallicola - last flowers.JPG

[Luc Gilgemyn]

 Crocus cancellatus pamphylicus.JPG
 

A real stunner Janis !!

[John Aipassa]

Welcome back John (A) - it's been one year now since we met last time. Hope you and your family are well!?

Thanks Thomas,

All is well here in the Eastern parts of Holland. I hope you and your family are well too dear friend.

Time goes fast, it is indeed one year since we have seen each other. It is as if I have been at your place only a few months ago. Although that could't be the case, since I would not be able to make some pictures of your beautiful autumn Crocus I did last year. Any interest in which photos I took back then? I could post them, but that would be some of your Crocus in 2008, which I believe should flower at this moment too, so much difference should not be the case.... ?

I must admit that seeing your Crocus last year inspired me to plant some autumn species in my garden too. I only had a few spring flowering ones, so thanks for giving me the "virus".   

Cheers,


 

[Thomas Huber]

Yes, John, everything fine here with the Hubi's.
Would love to see some of your photos from last years visit - my own plants still seem to sleep.
Some are up, but most plants just begin to show their noses. And weather isn't good for photographing now 

[mark smyth]

How does Crocus cancellatus pamphylicus differ from pulchellus Zephyr?

[tonyg]

I can see why you ask Mark but if you had them side by side it would be easy to see they are different.  Corm tunic is the easy way, pulchellus has papery tunic, cancellatus have very clearly netted fibrous tunic.  The flowers are not so much alike as the picture suggests.  Unless the form Janis shows is twice the size of the ones I grow, C cancellatus pamphyllicus is much smaller than C pulchellus Zephyr which has very large flowers.  There are other subtler differences too.

[mark smyth]

Thanks

[Janis Ruksans]

I can see why you ask Mark but if you had them side by side it would be easy to see they are different.  Corm tunic is the easy way, pulchellus has papery tunic, cancellatus have very clearly netted fibrous tunic.  The flowers are not so much alike as the picture suggests.  Unless the form Janis shows is twice the size of the ones I grow, C cancellatus pamphyllicus is much smaller than C pulchellus Zephyr which has very large flowers.  There are other subtler differences too.

Tony, the size of my form is normall. Only camera shows them larger.
Janis

[Sinchets]

Simon,

How blue is that little clump of the niveus of yours?  I've just realised it looks like it is bicolored.... I thought it was white until I went looking for it after Thomas' comment about being blue.

It's more of a bicolor, Paul. The colder nights here seem to accentuating the difference between the 3 outer and 3 inner petals. My other 2 forms are pure white. I don't have the pure blue form- yet 

[Janis Ruksans]

Some more pictures for today. Today started blooming of purple C. banaticus. I used last pollens of C. banaticus FIRST SNOW to pollinate them and vice verse. Next is another Crocus boryi stock, later blooming but otherwise almost identical with early blooming. Two pictures showing variability of Crocus cancellatus subsp. mazziaricus (note the diferences in branching of style in second picture) and the last for this entry - white form of Crocus caspius which I got just now from my Belgium friend. Another stock grom Ian Young only shows its noses. Pity - didn't succeed to restore bluish colored stock from Norman Stevens. I lost all my caspius stocks last winter. It was too cold for this species.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Some more pictures. The best today was C. mathewii selection 'Brian Mathew' although flowers this year is not as large as usually and flowering isn't so abundant as normally. Excellent flowershape has this Crocus hadriaticus form from Alepohori. With help of T.H. I finally got healthy C. ligusticus. All comercial stocks got earlier turned virus infected. Pure white C. niveus stock collected S of Gythion is nothing special, then follows early form of Crocus pulchellus. As the last for today is Crocus serotinus subsp. clusii. I have only one stock of it and I'm a little doubtful about correctness of name. Style should be more divided. Would like to know your opinion.
Janis