Flower of the Week-Crocus

Crocus

 

And all the woods are alive

With the murmur and sound of Spring.

And the rose-bud breaks

Into pink on the climbing briar,

And the crocus-bed

Is a quivering moon of fire,

Girdled round

With the belt of an amethyst ring.

by Oscar Wilde

The first flowers of the the year are blooming.  Crocus bloom in late winter and early to mid spring, with many of the blooms popping up even while the snow is still on the ground.  They open their flowers on those sunny, early Spring days, shining up at us, as if to tell us to not despair,  spring really is on its way.

Crocus are known for their cheerfulness, especially needed right about now, when everything in the garden is still dead and asleep.  Soon, soon.

How to Grow Crocus

Crocus are very easy to grow; they grow from corms, planted in the fall when the weather cools but before the ground freezes, usually in September and October.  You will find bags of bulbs in the stores about then, and they can be ordered from many seed companies.

They like a sunny location, with the flowers opening on sunny days and staying closed on cloudy days.

Crocus adapt most anywhere, but prefer a well-drained soil.  Dig some sharp sand into the planting hole along with a handful of good compost when planting if growing in heavy clay soil.

Crocus should be planted 3-4 inches deep, with the pointed end up.

Crocus is very carefree, and will naturalize anywhere, multiplying each year to make a nice clump of spring blooming flowers.  If planting in a flower bed, take care when planting your annuals later in the spring-it is easy to dig up the corms.

Crocus are good to plant right in the lawn-they will come up and bloom before it is time to begin the years mowing. The foliage, which is grass-like, can then be mowed off with the lawn.

They should be planted in groups of at least ten to be effective-1 little crocus would be too lonely!  They are good in mixed flower beds, and are a lovely start to the flower year.

Crocus are not bothered much by deer, rabbits and squirrels.  Bees love it for their early pollen.

Crocus come in a variety of colors-mainly lilac, mauve, white and yellow, and also many striped varieties.  They range in size from the small, early snow crocus to giant crocus.  There are also summer crocus varieties and, even more well-known, fall crocus.  The famous ‘saffron’ crocus is a fall blooming flower, with the saffron being harvested from the orange stamens.

Every Spring, as I am enjoying the blooming crocus, I vow to myself to plant many more the next autumn. Have never done it yet-maybe this fall?

Do you grow crocus and are your crocus blooming ?