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Flower Display Page: Crocus.

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Family description Crocus.

Crocus are well known spring bulbs flowering immediately after the snowdrops have finished, filling the time interval before Daffodils and Tulips take centre stage. Most gardens have these small bulbs somewhere, and the sudden appearance of the blooms give us a reminder that winter is nearly over and it is time to get busy in the garden. Although associated with spring, there are autumn-flowering varieties, often confused with Colchicum, which looks similar and flowers at the same time. The best blooms are produced on the Dutch hybrids, and come in a range of colours and bicolours. There are also a number of Species Crocus, including C. sativus, (the source of the spice saffron), that tend to have smaller flowers. When buying the bulbs, it is a good idea to forget the names though, and simply look at the pictures and select the ones you fancy.

General care.

Once planted, Crocus will look after themselves, and come up flowering year after year. If planted in the borders, the treatment given to the other plants will benefit the crocus, but no individual treatment is needed. Bulbs planted in the lawn must be allowed to die down naturally after flowering, before mowing over them. This is not normally a problem provided they are situated in groups rather than random scatterings.

Indoor flowers.

Crocuses can be grown in pots to produce flowering plants for the house. Plant up pots of bulbs in the autumn and leave them outside until the buds begin to develop. At this stage they should be taken indoors and positioned somewhere cool until the flowers open. As soon as flowering is over, return them to the garden where it is best if they are given a permanent home. Different types and different colours will flower at slightly different times, so for the best display, keep strictly one colour and variety to each pot otherwise you will end up with only one or two flowers at a time.