 |
| Sternbergia lutea |
Snow predicted (again!) tonight, but the last week Indian Summer returned and yesterday was almost hot--November 9! How astonishing that bulbs can make it through such weather--providing a colorful finale to the season (just as they usher it in again in not too many weeks from now!). My sternbergias are not the massive clumps I see photographed in Greece this time of year--but they come back reliably nonetheless...
 |
| Crocus speciosus |
This time of year, every blossom is precious. And we have time to linger over each one!
 |
| Crocus speciosus |
It's so inexpensive and easy to grow, one sometimes almost forgets that it's the biggest and most lumious and most indispensable crocus!
 |
| Crocus speciosus |
Same clump later in the day, from above...we do have time to linger over the few plants in bloom!
 |
Oxalis melanosticta 'Ken Aslet'
|
This gets bigger each year: inspired me to buy 50 more South African bulbs (
Moraea, Ferraria and
Romulea) to test for hardiness...
My dinky plants of Cyclamen cilicium are pitiful compared to Bob Nolds' or Mary Hegedus: they'd do better if I didn't keep digging them up by accident when they're dormant!
 |
Crocus thomasii
|
 |
| Crocus medius |
Commercial stocks are said to be infected with virus--which may explain why my dozen bulbs are now one clump.
 |
| Colchicum procurrens |
A tiny colchicum I obtained from Jane McGary years ago gets better and better each year...
 |
| Colchicum cilicium? |
The late season biggies are confusing to me: I need to map and label things better!
And so it goes, another year of flowers is slowly petering out. Back to bark, berries, branches and brandy!
I'm amazed at how late your Sternbergia is! Here it's a clockwork September bloomer. I'm grateful every year to the iris acquaintance who gave me a dozen bulbs almost 20 years ago at a convention; they've increased very slowly, but they have at least not gone the other direction. Crocus are only a vicarious pleasure via your and Bob Nold's photos; squirrels frenetically burying black walnuts and acorns here would lay waste to them.
ReplyDelete