How to Grow Crocus

Well, of all the small spring bulbs the crocus is most favourite among flower lovers. It is not the earliest to bloom, but when it does, often poking up out of the snow in such bright colors. It seems to tell you that if it can get through the rest of winter and mud season without looking grim, so can you. Most of the crocuses normally grow are hybrids of Crocus vernus or C. hrysanthus and have showy flowers in shades yellow, purple lavender and white. Some are striped, and all have handsome yellow stamens.

Moreover, the large flowered Dutch hybrids are the most popular, but if you want to search out other kinds of crocuses you may be able to stretch the blooming period. Some, such as the lavender C. speciosus, even bloom in fall. C. sativus which is lavender or white is the crocus from which the prized spice saffron comes. The bright orange stamens are dried to make this costly seasoning. Most crocuses are hardy and do best in cool climates. They grow from corms. Crocus is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family comprising 90 species of perennials growing from corms

Further if someone wants to grow Crocus, then most gardeners like crocuses not only because of their spring message of cheer, but also because they are trouble free, permanent plantings the multiply by themselves and needn’t be divided. They can be naturalized in grass, but as with any bulb with foliage that persists after bloom, they should not be moved while the leaves are still green. Crocuses like full sun or part shade. Moreover, best to plant some in a sunny sheltered spot for early bloom and some others in a cooler.  Soil required not be rich but must be well drained. Plant them about 4 inches apart, four inches deep in early fall. Plant fall blooming crocuses as soon as they become available in late summer.

The Allium, Most Graceful Ornamental Flower in your Gardens

If you have ever seen chives blooming you may have been surprised to find that the plant is as ornamental as it is useful in the kitchen. Most gardeners do not realize that many members of the onion family produce flowers pretty enough to grow in gardens. They are a very diverse group, with flower clusters in many sizes, shapes and colors and blooming times range from spring to summer to fall. The one thing they have in common is an oniony smell when the foliage is rubbed or stepped on, but this does not happen often enough to offend, and some of the flowers are sweetly fragrant. Most of them make fine, long lasting cut flowers, and some every dry well for winter arrangements.

A wonderful allium to try is Allium giganteum “giant garlic”. In early summer it sends up long stalks about 4 feet tall, topped with 5 inch balls, perfectly round, made up of tiny purple flowers. Buy the time they bloom there is little or no foliage around the stems, so grow them together with lower, bushy plants or behind a low wall. If you like big, round purple flowers, you will really love A. albopilosum “A. christophii” commonly called “star of Persia”. Its flower cluster is looser than that of A. giganteum and up to a foot in diameter, with star shaped flowers in late spring. Stems are shorter, about 2 feet.

A.aflatunense has 4 inch purple balls in May and grows to 2 feet or a bit more. Other handsome spring alliums include A. moly “golden garlic”, with flatter clusters of yellow flowers, about a foot tall, and A. neapolitanum “daffodil garlic”, which is roughly the same height and bears fragrant white flowers in April. For late summer bloom, A. tuberosum “Chinese chives or garlic chives”, which has white, fragrant flower clusters. For fall try A. stellatum or A. thunbergii, both short stemmed and pink flowering. Most alliums are hardy to Zone 4, A. neapolitanum is hardy to Zone 6.

Moreover, if you want to grow Allium then this plant like full sun, though A. giganteum will do fine in part shade. Soil can be of average fertility but it should be lightened with organic matter and moist but well drained. They can be planted in spring of fall, from bulbs or from seed though seed grown plants may take a long time to reach flowering size. Plant the short ones about 4 inches apart, the tall ones 8 inches to a foot apart.

A few things are very important to watch for; some alliums should be deadheaded to prevent them from self sowing all over the place. They also propagate themselves by forming little bulblets on the sides of the bulbs by which you can increase your stock if you so desire. A friend of mine cautions me that his A. giganteum did not produce flowers the second year becaust its energy had gone into producing the bulblets, although by the third year the bulblets were large enough to flower. So if your allium gives you foliage but no flowers, be patient; it may perform better in the future. Also note that many spring flowering species are summer dormant, so don’t be alarmed when the foliage disappears.