Crocus 2011

[WimB]

Mark and Hoy,

wonderful to see your Crocusses flowering too. Some very nice crosses you have there, Mark.

Tony,

C. pelistericus looks stunning. I've sowed this species last year,I hope to see germination soon now.


And a couple of pics of Crocus veluchensis are included here too. It's one of the last to flower here.

[McDonough]

Tony, I second the appraisal that you C. pelistericus is stunning, such deep color!

Trond, I like your "nonagonous" Crocus bloom (nonagon = 9 sides).  Lable it, then it should be interesting to see if that characteristic persists in following years.

Wim, C. veluchensis looks good, not sure why it is such a seldom grown species here, it should be hardy and doable in our climate.
I came across this photo, with receding ice:
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/35358201.jpg

A few photos from today, sunny with tempertaure just a hair above freezing, stiff cold wind; the crocus barely able to "crack a smile" and open their flowers a bit, although the C. chrysanthus hybrid seedlings seem a bit more immune to the cold.

Left to right:  
C. sieberi 'Firefly', C. chrysanthus hybrid seedlings, C. angustifolius (from Jane McGary), C. gargaricus.

[McDonough]

Slowly it warmed to the upper 30s F today, and eventually Crocus blooms opened up:

Two views of Crocus angustifolius, a form from Jane McGary, with C. etruscus 'Rosalind' behind, still refusing to open its blooms.

 


From left to right:
C. sieberi ssp. sublimis 'Tricolor' - used to have a wide patch of this, then varmints got at them one year, so I'm rebuilding stock.
C. gargaricus again, finally opening its perfect pudgy goblets of gold, among my top 10 fav crocus species.
C. chrysanthus - mixed hybrid seedlings
C. chrysanthus - beautiful cream tinged pale lavender, a hybrid seedling.

   

[Todd Boland]

I'll be sharing mine in May when they are distant memories for the rest of you! 

[McDonough]

After a 2-day snow-induced Crocus hiatus, the snow has melted, the sun is warm, and once again Crocus are smiling.  I'm always surprised how crocus can magically break ground and appear in flower in just 1-2 days, such is the case with the lovely C. malyi, one of my favorites with pristine white flowers and bright orange-yellow stamens & stigmas.

Growing among a group of A. malyi I got from Jane McGary in 2002; the two seedling plants have huge flowers that are exactly double the size of normal C. malyi blooms; not sure what caused these plants to have such large flowers, but I think it is worth singling these two out and attempt increasing them.  The extra large blooms are easy to spot, they are over 3" (8 cm) wide.  Notice in the side views, the tubes are dark brownish orange near the top on some seedlings (including the large-flowered ones), or light yellow on others.






Crocus malyi 'Ballerina' (white), C. angustifolius (gold), C. kosaninii (blue purple)



Two views of C. sieberi ssp. sublimis 'Tricolor' (2 left photos) + species Crocus view (3rd) + C. chrysanthus hybrid seedlings view (right)

[McDonough]

I can't resist taking photos of Crocus on bright sunny days, as the blooms open fully to welcome the sun's warmth.  And so I shall take photos of these beauties, because after 17 months of unemployment (but unfettered constant access to the garden), I have rejoined the rat-race with a new job and huge daily commute, I'm back once again to photographing the garden only on weekends (if the sun comes out); a mixed blessing.  So, I photograph the very dwarf and beautiful C. imperati suaveolens even though mostly still just in bud, because in another week they might be over entirely.

C. chrysanthus hybrid seedlings (left) + C. imperati suaveolens (center) + C. etruscus 'Rosalind' (right)




One of the very best dwarf species with charming tiny flowers and gregarious colonizing habit, is C. kosaninii.  While under snow for two days, this species appeared and is jumping at the chance to bloom.  In a couple view, the gold-yellow is C. angustifolius.  Last year, I believe due to the unrelenting heat and drought, this species set no seed.

[Hoy]

It is a huge difference between your Croci and mine, Mark! Yours open their flowers, mine do not - I lack sunshine
Yours have short leaves and a dominant flower, mine have huge leaves and lanky flowers

[Lori S.]

Beautiful, Mark!! 

[Todd Boland]

Great display Mark!

[WimB]

Wonderful, Mark. It looks very much like spring 

[Todd Boland]

My first crocus are somewhat open.  Most are still under snow but the one bed that is melted responded to the cool sun today.  Crocus tommasinianus , C. t. Ruby Giant, C. t. 'Lilac Beauty/

[Todd Boland]

Crocus etruscus just needs one more sunny day.  First C. chrysanthus opened..."Fuscotinctus' and 'Dorothy'

Suppose to be around the freezing point the next 2 days but the next week is suppose to be around 5-6 C every day.  I expect (hope) there will be plenty of crocus open by the time I get back from the UK on the 18th.

[RickR]

So these are where you shoveled the snow away, Todd?

Very nice, by the way. 

[Hoy]

Well, Todd, are you ahead of us? Have May already arrived? Nice to see your crocuses too

[Todd Boland]

No Rick, these are blooming in the first flower bed that naturally melted.  Snow has a funny pattern in my garden.  My back gathers snow like no ones business but I have one area that only got about 2 feet of snow...that bed, along with the shovelled one, are now free.  There are a few tommies in the shovelled bed but most of my bulbs are in the back end of the garden.  As the snow melts, the crocus are literally in bloom within a couple of hours!  Quite amazing to watch!  Remember, I have no frost in the ground like you do, so plants are already growing when the snow leaves them.  Once our snow finally melts, I will be caught up to usual (from a Newfoundland standard).  Unfortunately, my drift in the back reached over 5 feet.  It is down now to 2.5 feet.  Too slow for my liking.  No melting for the next two days.  In fact, it is suppose to drop to -8 C this evening.  On the plus side, all of next week is suppose to be mild so hopefully this next 2 days will mark the end of our winter season.