New and Unread Tree-Mails
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Name: Elizabeth Ann Arbor, Michigan (Zone 6a)              arctangent Jan 16, 2021 6:01 PM CST |
| Bittersweet Sight Colchicum autumnale, autumn crocus, signaling the end of another year in the garden. They're like a floral bookend to the growing season, which began with the first true crocuses of spring.  Here's the full shot from which I took the banner.  I'm not sure what the insect visitor is in the bloom on the left. Some kind of fly, I think. I post high resolution photos (nature, travel, and other subjects) on smugmug https://arctangent.smugmug.com... |
Name: Rj Just S of the twin cities of M (Zone 4b)     crawgarden Jan 16, 2021 6:18 PM CST |
| Beautiful banner Elizabeth! Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. |
Zone 5   Fleur569 Jan 16, 2021 9:28 PM CST |
| Love the crocus not only for their diminutive beauty and the way you've captured their beauty for the banner. "Unfortunately the Autumn Crocus is highly toxic and can cause severe vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver and kidney damage, and respiratory failure." (per Google) Not from which you want to take the saffron. |
Name: Laurie southeast Nebraska (Zone 5b)     lauriemorningglory Jan 16, 2021 9:44 PM CST |
| Lovely! Do you grow these in your garden, Elizabeth? I've been thinking about trying them for a little end-of-the year bloom. Approximately when do they bloom? Is there anything else that blooms at the same time? |
Name: Frenchy Falls Church, VA (Zone 7b)            Frenchy21 Jan 16, 2021 11:14 PM CST |
| Pretty banner Elizabeth! |
Name: Elizabeth Ann Arbor, Michigan (Zone 6a) arctangent Jan 17, 2021 7:01 AM CST |
lauriemorningglory said:Lovely! Do you grow these in your garden, Elizabeth? I've been thinking about trying them for a little end-of-the year bloom. Approximately when do they bloom? Is there anything else that blooms at the same time? No, I don't grow them. Around here they seem to bloom anywhere from late September through mid October, depending on the year. Lately, with the wacky weather patterns, bloom seasons for almost everything can vary by several weeks. Currently Ann Arbor is listed as zone 6a, though not so long ago it was in zone 5b. Bearing Fleur569's warning about toxicity in mind, I'd encourage you to try some of them. One of the places I see them growing is on a wooded hillside at Hidden Lake Gardens which hosts a large collection of hostas that are planted among cultivated or naturalized woodland spring wildflowers like bloodroot, trillium, wild ginger, Dutchman's Breeches, etc. In such an environment, they're 'the only game in town' when they bloom. There may be a few hostas still in bloom, but they're pale in color. So the clumps of autumn crocus provide lovely oases of color in a sea of green. The point is, they seem to tolerate a fair amount of shade and to grow happily, say, around the bases of trees. Quite a few sun-loving garden plants that have been blooming all summer (the usual suspects) are still in bloom when the autumn crocus blooms, and continue to bloom up 'til the first frosts, and some hydrangeas are still going strong at that time of the year. There are a few autumn blooming trees, of course, most notably Seven Son Flower tree, Heptacodium miconioides, and some wildflowers (now routinely cultivated) like goldenrod and asters, that bloom from late summer through the fall season. Mustn't forget dahlias, either, as late bloomers. But I don't know any other flower that begins its blooming season as late as autumn crocus. I'd love to hear about other people's experiences in this regard. Always eager to learn more about the natural world.  I post high resolution photos (nature, travel, and other subjects) on smugmug https://arctangent.smugmug.com... |
Name: SoCal Orange County (Zone 10a) Lazy Gardener or Melonator  SoCalGardenNut Jan 17, 2021 11:01 AM CST |
| Just beautiful! I try to grow everything, sometime not successful. |
Name: Laurie southeast Nebraska (Zone 5b) lauriemorningglory Jan 17, 2021 6:24 PM CST |
| Thanks, Elizabeth. Thought I might try them among some short ornamental grasses to provide a little color---though they might prefer a little more moisture than the grasses. I have October Skies aster, which blooms in October, and the pink of the colchicums would probably look good with the blue of the aster. |
Name: Elizabeth Ann Arbor, Michigan (Zone 6a) arctangent Jan 18, 2021 5:18 AM CST |
Thanks to everyone who left  's,  's, and lovely comments. All are much appreciated.I post high resolution photos (nature, travel, and other subjects) on smugmug https://arctangent.smugmug.com... |
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