At 11:21 AM 8/11/2004 -0400, you wrote: >I'm afraid I cannot see the rest of the fall crocuses so lightly dismissed, >Jim. Crocus niveus, C. goulimyi, C. pulchellus, C. cancellatus, and C. >laevigatus can easily hold their own against C. speciosus, as can C. >banaticus, C. medius, and others. I would recommend growing a medley of >these to prolong the fall crocus season. Here, C. cancellatus ssp. >cancellatus is usually the earliest (September) and C. laevigatus the >latest (often blooming into January). > >Russell >USDA zone 6, Lake Michigan snowbelt Russell, far from disagreeing with you, I am in complete agreement for the most part. But I said what I said because John's original inquiry suggested he had garden use in mind. Furthermore, the cultivars he mentioned suggested that he was just beginning in crocus. The intention of my response was to get him off to a good start. Your pockets are a lot deeper than mine if you can use some of the ones which you cited as garden plants. Were someone to offer the crocus you mentioned (all of which I either grow or have grown and loved) at the price of Crocus speciosus we would be in almost complete agreement. But all things considered, I stick by my opinion that Crocus speciosus is the best: easiest, largest, best color, fine fragrance, ready availability, adaptable, free seeding, with forms which bloom from September to November - those are qualities which are hard to match in the genus. And did I mention that it blooms on my birthday? The others are fine for the bulb frame or in some other place where you can watch over them and nurture your investment. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@starpower.net Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where crocus are an major preoccupation.