The first fall crocus here began only about two weeks ago. Right now I'm enjoying Crocus goulimyi in lilac and white-flowered forms. Under my conditions these are reliable and prolific as long as they are protected from predators and have well drained soil. Crocus cartwrightianus, after several trials, has finally settled down into a nice fat clump which blooms reliably every year. Although this is sometimes said to be the source of the saffron crocus, the form I grow does not look much more like a saffron crocus than many other fall-blooming crocuses. Crocus thomasii was in bloom last week - it's a favorite for its rich scent. Several nominally distinct forms of Crocus k. kotschyanus have been blooming. A form of Crocus kotschyanus with distinctly acuminate tepals which I discovered in a local garden is now blooming; this is very handsome to my eyes and can be easily distinguished from typical C. k. kotschyanus from a distance (I originally soptted it yards away from across a fence mixed with typical form) . I see sprouts emerging at the sites of Crocus pulchellus and C. longiflorus. Crocus speciosus 'Albus' has been blooming for about two weeks. As Arnold mentioned, rain takes them down quickly. I don't see any of the "blue" flowered forms yet. The white-flowered form I grow has a flower shape distinct from the shape of the blue-flowered forms: it's more starry and pointed. One way to enhance plantings of autumn crocus is to plant an autumn olive, Elaeagnus pungens, nearby. This shrub is in full bloom now and its powerful scent makes the walk out to the crocus frames doubly pleasurable. Last year squirrels and rabbits got into my crocus frames: rabbits in the spring when the plants were in leaf and squirrels in the summer when they were dormant. The frames are now enclosed in wire netting. I'm not sure what I have left now, and each day I visit the frames and anxiously scan the ground for signs of life. I’ve got my fingers crossed and am hoping that lots more are on the way. Here's something which might be of interest to others with rabbit and squirrel problems: http://jimmckenney.com/roast_squirrels.htm Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone 7 My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/