March of the Crocus

The best and worst thing about crocus is their ephemeral nature. But I don't mind their two week performance, or even their quick-wilt on those too-warm days. It's the corms! Because they are small and close to the surface, the squirrels get to them and with every plant I move in spring or fall, I take a few corms. Chopped up or left on the surface, they don't have much chance to return. So, for the many that I have planted over the years, what comes up year over year are less and less crocus.

These I planted in the side yard last November. I bought C. Tommasinianus, the anti-squirrel crocus, from Scheepers. They don't look all that much like the photo in their catalog. They also don't look much like the other C. T., 'Lilac Beauty,' that I bought from them last fall. I planted both in the side yard, and some in the front- but so far not seeing the qualities I saw in the catalog photos.

The unamed stalwarts, or what's left of them, from my first spring bulb planting, fall 2004.

These too.

And this one. Very few of these left, maybe just three.