Garden Design 101: Crocus, a Perfect Excuse for Color - Gardenista
Garden Design 101: Crocus, a Perfect Excuse for Color - Gardenista
Photography by Britt Willoughby Dyer for Gardenista.
Crocus is the essence of spring: diminutive and pure of color.
Crocus tommasianus is an early crocus and naturalizes well among other spring plants in grass.
The easiest way to enjoy a lawn of delicately colored, yet hardy crocus is to buy a bag of 100 Crocus tommasianus and scatter them in rough grass, or across an area that will not be trodden on regularly (i.e. : not on the grass by the front door, like mine).
Crocus growing by a path. There are so many beauties that you may wish to keep your favorites nearby where they will be seen every day, for example lining a much-used path.
A crocus opening in the sunshine. They were also cut for this purpose (in small quantities) and placed in an old scent bottle or sherry glass.
In her book Vita Sackville-West’s Sissinghurst, Sarah Raven catalogues Vita’s favorite Crocus chrysanthus, while adding adding her own, including: ‘Spring Beauty’, (lilac) ‘Advance’ (mauve and yellow) and ‘Snow Bunting’ (white with a splash of yellow).
Crocus among last season’s leaves. C. chrysanthus ‘Snow Bunting’ was a favorite of Christopher Lloyd at Great Dixter and grows there in scented colonies across the Dixter meadows today.
Crocus tommasianus mingling with Cyclamen coum in a rougher part of the lawn. Between the earliest bulbs and high summer there is ample opportunity for other meadow flowers such as ox-eye daisy and cow parsley to set seed.
Crocus opening in the sunshine. Get more ideas on how to plant, grow, and care for various bulbs and tubers with our Bulbs & Tubers: A Field Guide.
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