"trevor.appleton" wrote:

I thought we were talking UK Gardening here?

Oooh -
So if I'm growing Crocus speciosus in Belgium, and have a year-long
experience with it, that's also off-topic in this newsgroup? Thanks a
lot, Trevor.
By the way, Crocus speciosus has a long flower stem because in its
native habitat (or over here too, as well as in the UK, in normal
growing conditions) it has to compete with grasses and other plants,
still around at this time of year. We will have to live with its
flowering habit.
But (Shhh...) Should we really be talking about this plant here?
You know, it's not a British native, it comes from Northern Turkey.
So, probably off-topic.
And I won't bother you again if you post another question.
Roger.







"Rodger Whitlock" wrote in
message ...
On Sun, 10 Nov 2002 22:12:21 -0000, "trevor.appleton"
wrote:

At this time of year all the gardening magazines and papers show
beautiful
pictures of this plant. Straight upright growth, gorgeous lilac flowers.

Why is it that however I grow them - under trees in soil, in short
grass, in
long grass, in window boxes, in containers, they always flop over and
end up
as a heap of lilac slush on the ground - basically an unsightly mess
and
not in the least attractive.(also in full sun, partial shade, or total
shade).

Is there a way of successfully growing these?

Success[1] with Crocus speciosus is, afaict, purely a matter of
luck with the weather, with secondary contributions from the
choise of site. The long tubes of the flowers make Crocus
speciosus very delicate, as you know, and they simply can't
handle any serious weather (wind, rain).

I like to plant them on the sunny side of a conifer, where the
boughs overhead give them a little shelter from rain, and the
wind is somewhat abated. Thus sheltered, you have a better chance
of a reasonably attractive display than a shattered mess.

YMMV


[1] "success" meaning unbroken flower tubes as described in the
OP's first paragraph.
--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

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