fall crocus
DaveKarn@aol.com (Thu, 12 Aug 2004 09:17:06 PDT)

In a message dated 8/12/04 8:18:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
jimmckenney@starpower.net writes:

Jim ~

Elaborate, please! The bulk of mine flower around the end of September and
into early October. Weather at this time of year here is still pretty settled.
The Winter rains don't arrive in earnest until after mid-November. Would
that I had some forms that carried the show on for another month! I have
speciosus in several places and it's fun to see seedlings bloom. I have several
that are without the darker lines in the bloom. Really quite pretty with the
bright red stigmas. Contrary to the general advice often given for keeping
crocus dryish during dormancy, this is one that does much better if kept damp in
the root zone during dormancy. It, thus, makes a good garden plant in among
others which do require some moisture during the heat of summer.

As for Oregon being "cool" -- temperatures each day of this past week have
been in the mid-nineties with a repeat forecast again for today. Sheesh!!
Truly, temperatures of this intensity are "breathtaking!" Pity those poor guys
in Iraq where daily temperatures routinely climb to the 120+s! One can't drink
enough water to keep ahead of its loss.

Dave Karnstedt

Dave Karnstedt