Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Purple Crocus IB Bonanza

Lately we've had more crocus than you can shake a lens at popping up all over the place! These three shots are more of those Fernymoss took on Sunday during his photographic tour around the front gardens. It seems these guys are really coming into their own this year (they were planted in 2005) and staking out nice little clumps here and there in the main garden and along the sidewalk.

We're really liking the colour combinations I somehow achieved when I planted these particular bulbs ... nice combos of purple, white, and yellow all mixed together. As I recall I had several bags of specific bulbs, plus a mix of coulours and I just dumped them all together and set about planting 3-4 bulbs per hole all over the place on the North Woodland Garden side of the house. Last year wasn't a good one for them due to that unexpected very cold snap we had. They bloomed only briefly and then beat a hasty retreat until this year, where they are really shining now!

These shots are two different clumps with varying numbers of flowers currently blooming ... I think the first one really shows off the fantastic range of variations within a single variety, from the soft gradations of colours to the bold veinyness of others. And as for those buttery yellows, I'm just in love with those delectably creamy blooms ... they have the brightness of most crocus, but with much subtler gradations. If you look closely at the interior of the yellow one in the second shot, the IBs almost look like those of a tiny tulip! Oh, and there's a bonus bug pic we discovered when going over these photos ... can you find it? Fernymoss thinks it looks like a very small Lacewing up close ... good news, as we alway welcome them in our garden, due to their propensity to dispense with less desirable insect pests. Besides we think they're really pretty with their delicate almost transparent wings .... I guess this week is now officially Crocus Week at Casa IVG, so stay tuned for even more!

Photos taken by Fernymoss on 13 April 2008 using the S700 in ' Flower Scene Position.'

7 comments:

Larry Kollar said...

Wow, they look like they're glowing! Is the lacewing that little guy in the bottom pic, inside the flower?

Knucklehead said...

On the purple petal.
I guess I never saw Crocuses before these & the orange ones at Olivia`s place.
I`ll have to see if there are any in my neighborhood. A very beautiful flower & you`ve captured that quality they have, very well.

olivia said...

Hi IVG, FAR, Head.

IVG, these are gorgeous photos. The really show off the beauty of the flowers! You and Fernymoss have certainly figured out that new camera ... well done! :)

I love those buttery yellow ones too -- and you're right. They do look like they have the IBs of tulips ... wow!

Spotted the little gaffer too ... ;) It's so, so nice to see spring popping up w/ plants and insects.

boran2 said...

Wow, these are gorgeous crocuses. Mine are puny (and rather dull) by comparison.

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Howdy Folks!
Told you there was a lot of purple coming your way this week, but these are some of the most striking yet ... those flaming IBs amaze me.

Yep, the little gaffer is in the bottom shot on the inside of the petal, pretty easy to pick out eh? :-)

Head, I'd imagine that with your climate, if crocus grow at all, they would be very early there because they really need a very cold period underground for several months ... but I bet some of the Autumn Crocus (Colchichum) might grow out your way as they usually come up in October... If you do find some of these though ... shoot 'em!

B2, I think all crocus all gorgeous, even the itty bitty ones!

O ... thx for the props, but give us the summer and flowers to really learn how to use that thing! Just think of the hibiscus now... hehe. Start haunting the nurseries for one for your garden, heh.

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Ok Head, on second thought ... yes, you could grow them in CA but you'd have to force the bulbs inside in pots (refrigerate for a certain amount of time) then expose to warmth and light. They'd bloom for you that way ... the rub: the bulbs are pretty much shot after forcing and are pretty much compost at that point. Why we don't force bulbs after our one experiment with it years ago.

Knucklehead said...

Aha, so that`s what was in my friend`s freezer. Tasted like crap. I chopped them up like garlic cloves & ruined a perfectly good sauce.
I should stay out of the kitchen.