Fall Crocus
Russell Stafford, Odyssey Bulbs (Thu, 21 Oct 2010 15:06:21 PDT)

True, southern Greece is considerably damper than southern
California. On the other hand southern Greece is considerably drier
than Northwest Oregon.

If Jim Waddick hadn't successfully grown Crocus goulimyi in his
former garden, I'd guess that Kansas City's heat and humidity were
the cause of its failure in his current garden. Maybe his erstwhile
garden had more porous soil?

Snow cover is inconsistent in central Massachusetts, although my
flats (whose main function is indeed to exclude hungry rodents) do
get a thin blanket of pine needles or leaves. Snow cover is also
inconsistent in Madison, Wisconsin, where C. goulimyi winters,
according to a reliable source.

Sometimes plants are a mystery.

Russell

At 02:21 PM 10/21/2010, you wrote:

On the contrary, Crocus goulimyi is native to the Peloponnese, where
winters are mild and damp. It usually is seen in very rocky, poor,
limestone soils. Possibly Russell's plants have snow cover during
cold periods, or the flats protect them from burrowing rodents. It
does well in the bulbs frames for me, but voles may have destroyed it
in the garden.

Russell Stafford
Odyssey Bulbs
PO Box 382
South Lancaster, MA 01561
508-335-8106
http://www.odysseybulbs.com/