Fall bloom
Russell Stafford, Odyssey Bulbs (Wed, 10 Sep 2003 05:08:55 PDT)

I don't recall mentioning any early-August-blooming Colchicum cultivars. I
did tantalize Jim Shields with visions of Colchicum graecum blooming then,
but I must confess that I have no idea whether it actually would for
him. It (or at least something posing quite convincingly as it) does bloom
in early to mid-August in at least one garden of my acquaintance (in
Oregon, incidentally). From the evidence of corms received in mid-August
here, it is obviously well into growth at that time in other gardens as well.

It tickles me that I apparently get to enjoy the first flush of colchicums
weeks before Jane does. I have always envied those who garden in the Great
Northwest, but perhaps we in this locality are more highly favored than I
formerly thought.

Regarding John Lonsdale's comments, as a purveyor of colchicums it has been
my impression that it is heat, not cool, that accelerates colchicum
bloom. We always cool them down to slow them down (nothing more
dispiriting than several hundred colchicums blooming in their trays rather
than in customers' gardens). The Colchicum bivonae 'Apollo' I mentioned as
being in bloom is well established in a pot, which means it probably stays
warmer than those in the ground. Of course, it would also sense changes in
ambient temperature more readily.

Russell

At 10:15 AM 9/9/2003 -0700, you wrote:

Russell Stafford
Odyssey Bulbs
8984 Meadow Lane, Berrien Springs, Michigan 49103
269-471-4642
http://www.odysseybulbs.com/