Crocus of Mid-Autumn

 “I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” — Henry David Thoreau

I have overused that quote, but it may be almost like a mantra to me so it can thus be repeated over and over. 

There are two different versions of the Story of Crocus in Greek mythology, one tells of the Messenger god Hermes and his companion or lover Krokos, while engaged in a game of discus an errant throw by Hermes hit Krokos in the head and killed him. Hermes was so distraught by this he turned Krokos into the Crocus we know today as saffron and the three drops of blood that trickled from Crocus' head became the stigmas of the legendary spice. 

The other telling of the story is of the mortal youth from Sparta, Crocus and a Dryad Nymph named Smilax. Dryads were the nymphs of trees, more specifically the oak tree. While out hunting, Crocus spied the beautiful Smilax and fell deeply in love, but she wouldn't return the amorous advances and Crocus died heartbroken, the Gods who were watching felt sorry for the love smitten youth and turned him into the fabled saffron Crocus, the gods felt Smilax was to haughty in her rejection of the youth and turned her into the rough bind weed, Smilax aspera, with it's choking thorns to be considered a weed. 

Whichever story gave us this divine flower, it rewards the grower every year with it's fall exuberance. The Crocus of Mid-Autumn are now coming strongly into bloom and among my all time favorites are those in the Saffron group. 

Crocus mathewii
I was once strongly chided by a customer who received these bulbs and chewed me out because the throat wasn't "purple enough like the pictures". Trust me it's purple in the throat. I think most people have seen an overly saturated "photoshop" enhanced picture and have taken it for gospel. Seems like some botanists are now wanting to lump this back in with C. asumaniae, but It's really one of the finest of the Saffron group even if it's a bit variable in flower tone and marking.

Crocus thomasii
In reading Ruksan's treatment on the Crocus I found it interesting, that he says this one he has never tried in the garden and had much success with it. I have had the opposite of his experience. Of the Saffron group crocus I have grown this is the one most adapted to life in the garden. I have it in a raised bed next to an aged Peony brownii and it spreads more and more every year. From a trial planting a couple years ago by the driveway in un-irrigated Jory clay soil it's made a wonderful blooming clump. I'll post pics of the outdoor specimens when the weather clears up and I can catch them open midday. 

Crocus cartwhritianus 'Marcel'
A beauty and said to be the most likely precursor of the Saffron itself. I've sown a lot of seed of this one over the years and those corms are starting to mature. It will be interesting to see if I get some different color forms coming up. 

Crocus gouliymi 'Mani White'
Micheal Hoog's selection of the pure white form from the Mani Peninsula in Southern Greece. I got these from Jane McGary a few years ago, and it's taken a bit to get established but is starting to bloom nicely now. 

I guess it's Mid-Autumn now, since we had the first frost. It came on Monday night, it was barely frost, as it did coat the lawn with a sheet of sparkles. But the greenhouse, even with it's open doors showed no signs of the cold. In fact most of the very tender annuals didn't even show much change. I did spend a hurried evening rushing some orchids and Amaryllis inside from the patio after the evening news weatherman said those magic words that are targeted right at me "frost likely in the outlying areas"

I'll have to go back and see if I can find the average since I'm pretty sure I've tracked the first frost on here all these years. I will say this seems earlier then normal, and I did hear someone say our fall temperatures are way below average. For what it's worth the old farmers almanac is saying it's gonna be a chilly one. 

Rain showers all afternoon, and lows into the 40's overnight now. 

Cheers, 

Mark