Crocus January 2010

[Sinchets]

The weather here has been very unusual for this time of year. Temperature records were set throughout Bulgaria on New Year’s Eve, with +23.2C being recorded for our nearest city.
Crocuses have been showing their noses around the garden for a few weeks and the heat of the last few days has really brought them on. Species I would not normally see here until the end of February or beginning of March are starting to show their buds.
Here we have what I believe is Crocus etruscus Crocus imperati in a bulb frame, Crocus laevigatus (Crete) in the vegetable patch and Crocus laevigatus still 'loving life' in the open garden!

[tonyg]

Spring already in Bulgaria?!  I asume you will get winter eventually ... snowing (only a little) here again.
Your C etruscus is very early - timing is right for C imperati and it looks rather like that one too.  Lovely to see them when all is cold and bleak here.

[Sinchets]

Thanks, Tony, I will change the name.

[Sinchets]

It is not yet Spring here- just an unusually warm period between snow storms. We are expecting more snow in a few days, but for now:
Crocus korolkowii 'Golden Nugget' and
Crocus sieberi 'Albus' , both in the open garden.
The C.sieberi is doing particularly well considering it was accidentally planted under the outfall of a gutter, which has not yet been repaired. I suppose it has enjoyed the 'snowmelt' 

[David Nicholson]

Nice start to the year Simon, they made me feel almost spring-like!

[Sinchets]

Thanks, David, they brightened up my day too, and made a few honey bees very happy 

[Janis Ruksans]

Nice New Year, dear friends!
Here crocuses sleeping - picture made few minutes ago. For several years we hadn't so deep snow cover, I just measured in spot where wind didn't made corrections - 32 cm. Fortunately frost isn't so hard as it was promissed. This morning only minus 13 C, tomorrow promissed minus 19. No warming offered up to mid of January at least.
Janis

[arilnut]

Very pretty scene Janis. Do you have heaters, and what kind, in the greenhouses?

John

Nice New Year, dear friends!
Here crocuses sleeping - picture made few minutes ago. For several years we hadn't so deep snow cover, I just measured in spot where wind didn't made corrections - 32 cm. Fortunately frost isn't so hard as it was promissed. This morning only minus 13 C, tomorrow promissed minus 19. No warming offered up to mid of January at least.
Janis

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Bulgaria, it's (your) plants and it's weather don't stop surprising me Simon !!
What a great Spring show you're sharing !
Thanks !! 

[Janis Ruksans]

Very pretty scene Janis. Do you have heaters, and what kind, in the greenhouses?

John

No, greenhouses are without heating. In first years I put electric hot-air blower in the first greenhouse, but it cost so high money for electricity bills... After that I introduced covering of beds and pots with 5 cm thick glasswool sheets and it works very well.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Very pretty scene Janis. Do you have heaters, and what kind, in the greenhouses?

John

Just checked temperatures. Outside at present is minus 19 C, in the greenhouse air temperature is only minus 8 C. I don't know about temperature below covering, but I suppose it is only a pair degrees below zero as I put on covering when inside temperature was below zero and pot soil surface was frosen. This helps to keep low temperature below covering during periodical warming in winter and helps to keep bulbs from too early starting of growing. Although in previous winter some allium and tulip shoots grew through glasswool sheets before I took them off.
Janis

[Armin]

Simon,
nice croci flowers - a pleasant anticipation to what you will show us in spring 

Nothing to report - just frozen noses everywhere in the garden...

[mark smyth]

Only a week or two ago I was saying how early my Crocus are. Now they are stuck in blocks of ice for at least another week

[Hendrik Van Bogaert]

Dear Croconuts,

Here in Belgium we have a lot of snow and it is very cold, luckily I can spend my time to read the new Janis catalogue (internet version, only available by e-mail). He offers unusually large number of rare crocuses, between them are some nowhere else available and very great rarities. You can ask him copy by e-mail janis.bulb@hawk.lv

Hendrik

[Sinchets]

The warm winds last night melted away 10cm of snow in 8 hours. Here is Crocus michelsonii flowering in the open garden