TOW Crocus Species in the Garden
Mary Sue Ittner (Tue, 04 Feb 2003 17:46:04 PST)

Dear All,

When I was living in a part of California with warmer summers and dryer
winters I had a number of the Crocus chrysanthus hybrids increase and come
back really well in the ground, but I watered in summer and had clay soil.
I have some I brought with me surviving here in my wetter climate as well,
but it's always a gamble with all the crocuses that bloom during our very
wet winters.

Crocus laevigatus 'Fontenayi' I got from Lauw is quite nice and has bloomed
more than one year but I didn't plant it in the ground so I can move it out
of the rain since we often have rain when it is blooming. If I had more I'd
try it out. Crocus kotschyanus or so it was labeled bloomed a couple of
years in winter (I know that is the wrong time but that is what happened)
in one of my raised beds, but it and C. pulchellus never came up in the
ground but it could have been the source I purchased them from.

My very best one is Crocus imperati. Amazing to hear it blooms for 5 weeks.
It is increasing really well for me so I have a large clump. This year it
was stunning, but only for days and then we had quite a lot of rain and
there were a few more blooms, but nothing like before. Still I'm happy to
have it. It blooms here in December and January and that time of the year
blooms are so welcome and it is in the ground and returning in greater
numbers each year.

I have quite a few I keep trying from seed, mostly from the NARGS seed
exchange. They must be very popular because there are only a few seeds in
most of the packets, but they are mostly coming back and maybe one day they
will bloom. I too am grateful for Tony's site as it gives me ideas of what
to try and am making note of the ones that others are growing as well,
especially Lauw.

Mary Sue
Mary Sue Ittner <msittner@mcn.org>
California's North Coast
Wet mild winters with occasional frost
Dry mild summers