We are now into March, time flies, but having turned cooler hopefully this will allow the crocuses to remain in top form longer. I have just had a thought and would welcome yours: is it that there are fewer bees around so they do not get pollinated, and if they are pollinated the petals go into 'degrade' mode? Someone out there will already have observed this, studied it, and written up about it. I might come across an answer or you may like to add to this. In the meantime they are gorgeous and it has got to be the week of the crocus here in the garden.
1. Crocus minimus Spring Beauty, although shown before, is really coming into its prime during moments of sunshine. Will bees and bumblebees feasting or even dozing.....
2, Here are a couple of several clumps of Crocus tommasianus Barr's Purple, which are more on the mauve side. I think these are ready to be divided before next spring. They started with about five corms planted 4cm apart five years ago.
3. Although called Crocus tommasianus Ruby Giant, there are more purple. Gradually I am extending the clumps across the garden without buying a single further bulb. They are tough here and take lifting and dividing even at this stage, when it is easy for me to locate potential places, rather than at the time there are dried bulbs, when I cannot remember what is where.
4. Ruby Giant and the following Crocus Vernus Pickwick started off as just a few bulbs piggy backing in a pot in which a shrub was growing in the pots I brought down with me from a previous garden.
I have a few areas with this one in all from about this number of bulbs growing the first year. These were planted and spaced out last year, and I shall enjoy this group clumping up over the next few years.
5. The pot in which these bulbs were growing contained a dwarf forsythia, and that is itself flowering this week. Flower timing is just as it was last year. It is now planted up in the garden, and I have another plant about four or five years old taken as a cutting.
6. Who doesn't like a bargain, especially when one was nipping into Morrisons just to get some butter? A perfect little plant costing less than the butter: Clematis Alpina Blue Dancer. Suitably replanted up a pot size, and labelled, it is staying in safety and will be slowly acclimatised after probably a week or so in the warmth. I've yet to know where it is going in the garden, but then that is the lure of spotting just the right plant, I will cogitate on the right place!
What a bargain. Some of my best clematis have come from Morrisons. I've got some crocus that have bulked up nicely too and I was planning on splitting them in the green, so good to know that it works well for you.
ReplyDeleteIt is a question of bringing these young plants on carefully for the first year, and then one would be pushed to say a plant four times the price is stronger. I had not heard about moving crocus in the green, but I just tried it, and it works perfectly for me.
DeleteCompared to last year, I notice that there are fewer bees and fewer bumblebees at this time of the year. So fewer pollinators but the heat is really not there. It's still earl March. (Usually I see bumblebees foraging on crocuses, but nothing so far. ) Speaking of crocuses, the Ruby Giant is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteOooh, I'll have to have a nose round Morrison's plant section the next time I'm in town, although I have to say their dry roasted peanuts are rather disappointing, having just this minute opened a bag to sample. You have a lovely selection of crocuses.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I love crocus almost more than snowdrops. As for nuts it is Grapetree every time..the salted roasted cashew are our favourite, but I get all the nuts, seeds, fruit etc there, and would recommend them.
DeleteMy crocus all need a few more years before I see them in clumps like these - I do love the purple ones. What a bargain! I rarely spot such things when I'm grocery shopping - head down, beetling down the aisles!
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh, I don't browse in the food isles, as I tend to cook from scratch, and know the ingredients I want, though I do browse for plants!
DeleteYour crocuses look lovely. Interesting comment re the flowers collapsing if not pollinated, I noticed that in mine. Not many bees about, too cold?
ReplyDeleteYes, too cold for now. The flowers collapse when they have been pollinated.
DeleteLove all your crocus, they are beautiful! I have read that bees only fly when it is 10C or above and flowers only open when it is the same temperature, isn't nature wonderful? We had lots of bees when we had our warm spell a week or so ago, but now it is a lot colder, the bees are obviously keeping warm somewhere!
ReplyDeleteYes, you are right about the 10 c for bees, for now I am content with the cooler weather when the blossom is yet to burst on the fruit trees.
Delete