Henry Mitchell, in his best-known book The Essential Earthman has this to say about hybrid crocuses: "Let us have no more talk about 'fat Dutch crocuses'... as if the gardener loved only the slender, elegant wild crocuses... unfed, unbred, and untouched by the Dutch. The truth is that nothing is more sprightly to see than patches of fat Dutch crocuses in March, coming as they do to lift our spirits and amaze the young and simple.". . .

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Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-04-12, 06:26:32

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Posted by Leigh Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus, spring on 2008-04-01, 06:47:18

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The calendar says it's spring, but outside, winter is still gasping for air. Yesterday was the nicest day we've had all year, with temps nearing 60°. The next couple of days we're going back to winter-like weather and snow flurries are even predicted for later tonight. . .

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Posted by Kylee Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus, spring, weather on 2008-03-28, 18:08:42

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Well, we've had a swing from lows in the 20s on Tuesday to highs in the 70s yesterday. Ah, March. So, as far as I can tell, the inspection went well. No demerits listed on the sheet that was on my table. In fact, nothing was on the sheet on the table, except for his card. We shall see, I guess.

The purple crocus were flattened by the low temperatures. I can tell this because they were extremely wilted. Like almost disintegrating, wilting. Squirrel butts just don't cause that kind of damage.

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Posted by millionbells Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus, weather on 2008-03-28, 06:17:04

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"How now, mad spirit!
What night-rule now about this haunted grove."

Will Shakespeare

It's believed that on the night of the vernal equinox, Crocus Dell at the foot of the ancient Oak is the site of much reverie as all the faeries and elves of Olde Breuckelen celebrate the end of winter. They sup on the nectar of a thousand snow crocus that bloom here in the week prior and the locals know to bolt fast their doors and windows to thwart their drunken mischief.

OK, I made that up. I became a little boy again with a head full of fantastical nonsense the minute I saw this carpet of crocus at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Fairies and Elves live here I thought to myself -for sure, and that giant eye on the oak- that's to ward off Goblins.

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Posted by The Occasional Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-03-27, 18:08:42

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Look what I found!

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Posted by Gina Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-03-26, 18:11:12

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these are my crocus. Honest!

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Posted by Sissy Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-03-26, 18:00:43

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I've always thought early, small crocuses are best when they are scattered here and there as if they popped up randomly on their own. Well, I (or I should say WE) have achieved that effect in the garden... the other half of this equation being the squirrels, who dig up the crocuses, and re-bury some of them in the oddest spots. It is always a delight to see various little bulbs popping up all over the garden, and guessing what they might be.
The only problem with this human-large rodent partnership is squirrel math: an even split is eat six, plant one!

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Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus, pests on 2008-03-18, 00:09:45

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A

reBlogged to crocus on Mar 12, 2008, 8:07PM

Posted by sandy Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-03-14, 00:41:39

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This morning I took a slight detour from my commute routine to check the tree pits along Cortelyou Road for blooming Crocuses. I was rewarded: It may not look like much, but this is only one of the 400 Crocuses neighborhood volunteers planted...

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Posted by Xris (Flatbush Gardener) Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-03-07, 06:25:40

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We all could use a taste of spring right about now. And a reader from Port Washington has come to the rescue, forcing me to launch the 2nd annual spring blossom watch early this year. . . .

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Posted by Jessica Damiano Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus, spring on 2008-03-07, 06:16:52

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I like all my crocuses, but I like 'Ruby Giant' the best.

A couple of warm days, a thundershower and voila! beautiful dark purple flowers magically appear. The color draws me to it - so vivid and bright after gray and brown winter. . . .

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Posted by Entangled Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-03-07, 06:09:25

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Posted by OldRoses Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-03-05, 05:44:12

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I have all of two of these clusters in my garden. One in the front and one in the back. With a snow flurry/hail storm making its way down from Bogus Basin (the ski hill), the temp is too low for these little guys to open up. But I know they are there. I saw them open the other day. With my own eyes. I did, too! Promise. Now, as I sit here I hear hail pounding the skylights and no doubt beating the daylights out of those silky little crocus petals. Well, it IS the first of March. What was I thinking. . .

reBlogged to crocus on Mar 1, 2008, 6:49PM

Posted by Mary Ann Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-03-03, 00:30:44

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Fall crocus are indeed fall-blooming species of this popular spring-blooming bulb (a corm actually). The fall blooming species include: C. kotschyanus, C. sativus, C. ochroleucus, and C. niveus

In general, they are more tender than the typical spring blooming Crocus vernus varieties but if you have the proper garden, they do indeed bloom in the late summer to early fall. While there are other fall blooming crocus grown by collectors, these are the ones m...

reBlogged to crocus on Feb 28, 2008, 12:00AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-02-29, 18:11:40

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Posted by Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus, vegetables on 2008-02-25, 19:03:13

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My garden is still blanketed in a heavy coat of snow. There’s perhaps two or two and a half feet of snow across my whole backyard including the garden beds. I’m actually happy about that. . . .

reBlogged to flowers crocus bulbs on Feb 24, 2008, 12:33AM

Posted by Tricia Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, crocus, flowers on 2008-02-25, 18:50:19

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reBlogged to crocus

Posted by Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-02-25, 06:31:12

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All's right with the world. After a slow start, we seem to be back on track.

It's amazing what a few warm-ish, semi-sunny days will do in terms of waking the garden, this time of year especially.

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Posted by Darcy Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-02-14, 06:08:05

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reBlogged to crocus bulbs

Posted by Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, crocus on 2008-02-12, 19:06:20

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Posted by Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2008-01-30, 18:01:27

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Naturalizing is a term used to describe an informal planting style that is planned to look, well, unplanned.

The most common means of achieving this look is simply to select an area, toss dozens or hundreds of bulbs into the air and then plant them where they fall. It's easiest to do this if you first dig up the entire area to the recommended planting depth. . . .

reBlogged to crocus

Posted by Jessica Damiano Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-10-13, 06:15:15

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Four crocus out of 20 is not really a good result, but maybe quality is better than quantity.

Or perhaps I'm just impatient and more will come up.

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Posted by Alice Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-08-25, 06:30:15

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Is it difficult to grow your own saffron? (answer).

From The Old Farmer's Almanac.

reBlogged to crocus on Jun 22, 2007, 11:00PM

Posted by The Old Farmer's Almanac Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-06-24, 17:45:31

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reBlogged to crocus

Posted by carletongardener Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-04-24, 23:56:51

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reBlogged to crocus

Posted by carletongardener Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-04-22, 00:50:55

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Enjoying the sun ...

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Posted by carletongardener Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-04-12, 22:46:59

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The crocuses are blooming!

We had a beautiful day last Tuesday and I managed to get out in the garden after work and do some spring clean-up.

What bliss to feel the warm sunshine on my shoulders and smell the fresh air! If nothing else, our long, cold winters make me fully appreciate the warmer weather when it finally comes. . . .

reBlogged to crocus

Posted by Kerri Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-04-08, 22:08:02

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Boldly growing where no bulb has grown before . . . Sorry about the poor quality of the photo. It's cold and windy today, so I am sanding and taping walls in preparation for a badly needed paint job. I noticed this little anomaly as I made a quick trip to the composter with my morning coffee grounds. . . .

reBlogged to crocus

Posted by OldRoses Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-04-06, 16:45:11

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These little gems in my garden greeted me on Monday afternoon when I returned home from my trip.

Not sure what is going on, I woke up this morning convinced that it was Friday, the 6th. I slept most of the day yesterday, horrified when I finally got out of bed at around 2 pm. I think I lived through all of yesterday thinking that it was Thursday then. Am I confused? Very. . .

reBlogged to crocus

Posted by Kati Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-04-05, 23:45:46

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I just heard the weather report and now they say there's a chance of snow here in New Jersey this weekend. My bulbs are starting to open despite a major beating from old man winter after they had already sprouted.

And now they might get covered up by the white stuff yet again.

Even if it doesn't snow, I doubt this crocus will make it past the weekend. My daughter is a notorious flower picker.

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Posted by Anthony Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-04-05, 00:06:53

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Snow Crocus
Crocus chrysanthus 'Cream Beauty'
(KROH-kus) (kris-ANTH-us)
Iridaceae (eye-rid-AY-see-ay)

I came across these wonderfully colored Crocuses in the Rock Garden at The NYBG. They aren’t very tall and grow in a tight bunch but I saw them from quite a distance. The orange stamens were an extra treat when the flower is viewed close up. I was happy to see that they were marked with the name because it cuts down on the detective work. . . .

reBlogged to crocus

Posted by Digital Flower Pictures Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-04-02, 16:46:13

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There isn't a hardy bulb that I appreciate more than the humble Crocus. In the early spring when the ground is an ugly combination of gray and brown the first Crocus flowers are a welcomed sight. On Monday when I looked over my garden there wasn't much to make note of, then when I looked again on Tuesday there were pockets of color along the front of my garden. . . .

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Posted by MrBrownThumb Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-03-31, 16:12:56

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Fall of 2005, I planted 100 crocus along the front walk, thinking that I’d have a veritable flower carpet in the spring. Spring 2006 arrived, and I was underwhelmed, so I planned to plant more crocus along the walk in the fall. Fall of 2006, I added 80 more bulbs. (Amazingly, I didn’t run into a single one of the first 100 while digging the next 80 holes.) Spring has come again and I still don’t think I have enough crocus for my desired effect!

reBlogged to crocus

Posted by Kasmira Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-03-27, 16:18:52

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Do all gardeners have pangs of regret when a new garden feature means the loss of some favorite plants? I do.

One of my husband John's interests over the past few years has been stone carving, and last fall a couple of pieces were placed in the garden (after the landscapers and the machinery needed for the job finally were able to make it - five months late). . . .

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Posted by Yvonne Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-03-27, 16:18:02

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I take it back. The squirrels didn't get all of the crocus bulbs that I planted last fall. This is just one bunch of species crocus that I planted in my Wildflower Garden. Two more bunches also survived and bloomed. I love the color. So different from the usual crocus that I plant. These are going to look great in a few years as they multiply.


Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

reBlogged to crocus

Posted by OldRoses Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-03-26, 18:39:41

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This is our favorite crocus. The flowers are edged in a very light lavender giving the blooms an ethereal fragile quality. I did an experiment using two different cameras to see which captured the colors better. The first four are from a Nikon and the last two from a Panasonic. I think the Panasonic is truer in color but the differences are subtle. The Nikon makes the purple look too blue. The picture of the buds was taken early yesterday morning and the other three of the Nikon pictures only about a half an hour later. It doesn't take very much sunlight to get them to open.

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Posted by Ki Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-03-26, 18:38:18

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After waiting and watching for about a month now I finally caught a glimpse of color in the yard. I had to take a second look just to make sure it was a flower and sure enough there it was, the first bloom of the year. . . .

reBlogged to crocus

Posted by Beverly Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-03-24, 23:02:59

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I received two of these in a trade last spring, so this is the first time I have gotten to see a bloom in person. It is a delicate looking flower, making it difficult to believe that it is one of the first of the season. It is also a short plant, I had to set the camera on the ground to get this picture. No matter, it is still nice to have growth and flowers again after what seemed like a very long winter. . . .

reBlogged to hellebores crocus seedlings

Posted by Angie Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus, hellebores, seedlings on 2007-03-22, 23:36:40

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reBlogged to crocus

Posted by Sandy Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-03-17, 17:25:22

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The first crocus bloomed today:) It reached 69 degrees here. It may snow again in two days, but I'll take this spring weather any time. The grackles, red winged black bird and geese are migrating thru here in big groups right now. I even saw a robin yesterday.

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Posted by Lisa Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-03-14, 23:47:41

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So there I lay upon the ground in a yard on Grand Boulevard, taking photos of an adorable crocus, when all the sudden some old lady came up to me and jumped across me.... but that boring story is for another day. I grabbed this shot. This was my youngest's favorite as well as mine. I used the gold side of a Photoflex reflector to bounce sunlight back onto the grass and flowers to warm things up a bit. My lens was a Nikon 105 micro on manual focus--what a stud lens it has proven to be over the years...it is one of my photo loves. Warning to flower photogs, you just don't look right doing this. If you don't believe me, just ask the old lady I encountered. . .

reBlogged to crocus on Mar 13, 2007, 9:28PM

Posted by Marie Freeman Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-03-14, 23:44:39

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I have a few tiny yellow crocus popping up in my yard. I should see about planting out some more in the fall.

Despite the fact that my ice piles (from where I shoveled the snow) are still in my front yard, the season for opening windows in the afternoon has arrived. I'm glad to be able to air out my house again.

I trimmed my snake plant this morning. Most of the original leaves have been suffering and wilting. It is mostly because they had bent over. But some of it is because of the different light conditions. There is plenty of new, fresh growth, and I wanted to give the new leaves a healthier start.

reBlogged to crocus

Posted by millionbells Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-03-13, 23:43:50

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Posted by Christa Reblogged by Old Roses to crocus on 2007-03-13, 00:10:29

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