Crocosmia........ Its nearly time.

Last post 17-04-2009 1:59 AM by poppikin. 81 replies.

• 28/05/2008 10:15 PM	In reply to
  Mr_Crocosmia Location: Lincolnshire, Untied Kingdom Joined on: 22 May 2008 Posts: 67	Reply | Contact  Phot's_Moll............. I am not a believer in 'THIS SHOULD BE PLANTED WITH THAT' type gardening. If I like a plant, I plant it anywhere with anything. Crocosmia seem to go with any planting........ This is a pic of the very top of the garden where we have the greenhouse......... What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back, with a hinge in it.

• 28/05/2008 10:26 PM	In reply to
  Mr_Crocosmia Location: Lincolnshire, Untied Kingdom Joined on: 22 May 2008 Posts: 67	Reply | Contact  This I think is a lovely photo.......... What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back, with a hinge in it.

• 30/05/2008 10:39 AM	In reply to
  Mr_Crocosmia Location: Lincolnshire, Untied Kingdom Joined on: 22 May 2008 Posts: 67	Reply | Contact  This one is called 'Harlequin'. What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back, with a hinge in it.

• 30/05/2008 10:41 AM	In reply to
  Mr_Crocosmia Location: Lincolnshire, Untied Kingdom Joined on: 22 May 2008 Posts: 67	Reply | Contact  'Krakatoa'........... What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back, with a hinge in it.

• 06/07/2008 08:45 PM

  In reply to

  Foxnfirefly Location: Virginia,USA Joined on: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 207

  Reply | Contact Hey, Mark, I still love and have some crocosmias, but they aren't as lovely and showy as yours yet!!  The plants I got this year  aren't taking off  and the ones that have returned from last year.......well, I only have "George Davison" that is  getting ready to bloom right now, but didn't get much bigger than last year.  The new "Emberglow" is browning in the stalks suddenly.  I am wondering if it's the heavy wet soil, because we have been having so much rain lately.  The others are just stalks and no stems, yet.  Is "George Davison" the earliest bloomer?  Most others don't bloom  till August, right?  Can crocosmias flower in their first year from division?  All of my new crocs were small and haven't grown much, so I think they are first year plants. Those are great pictures!!!   I always get wistful and anxious over my meager collection when I see those shots of yours......What's blooming  now??

• 07/07/2008 10:23 AM

  In reply to

  Crocosmia_Lady Location: Caistor, UK Joined on: 07 Jul 2008 Posts: 1

  Reply | Contact  Hey DAnn, Hello, well I guess we shall answer this here too... Emberglow is browning more than likely because it is too wet.They do NOT like wet heavy soils!! They like to be moist but not soggy... You may try to trim all brown off of them and if they are floopy then trim all off to 1/2 inch high. Most important is to get the soil lightened up....We use a mixture of 2/3 compost to 1/3 mini bark chips in all our pots. It is free draining and the plants love it!! Your crocs may need to be lifted and compost worked well into it to get it lighter or just pot them up and do not stand them in drain trays. Some of the Crocosmia we divided last fall and are for sale are getting ready to bloom and others the corms were small so it will be next year before they bloom. George Davison is not one of our early bloomers...Last year it was Cascade and this year it is Woodside Select and several others. They ususally start blooming in mid July with the peak here being late August, it depends on the weather...   Lauri   Hello

• 08/07/2008 04:39 AM	In reply to
  Foxnfirefly Location: Virginia,USA Joined on: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 207	Reply | Contact Hello, Lauri, Thanks for the information.  I did improve the soil when I planted the Emberglow in the ground.  But it has been continually wet, with no drying out and the humidity has increased.....  I think it best to grow them in pots here so the water can run out rather than seep deeper into the ground and bog them.

• 22/07/2008 05:31 PM

  In reply to

  Graham Rice Location: Northamptonshire and Pennsylvania Joined on: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 1,119

  Reply | Contact Here in Pennsylvania I've been growing a croc called 'Distant Plant' from Seneca Hill Perennials (http://www.senecahillperennials.com/index.php?page=plants-b-c - scroll down). It's claimed to be hardy in our cold winters here. They came across it, unnamed, and after a year or two gave it its name. And so far it's re-appeared after two of our cold winters (zone 5b - 0F last winter, I seem to remember), and expanded. It's just coming into bud. Any croc experts know if it's an existing variety?

• 24/07/2008 06:29 PM

  In reply to

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 3,125

  Reply | Contact Sorry I can't answer your question - but I have a question of my own which perhaps you or Mr Crocosmia can answer? Mine are just starting to bloom and we have HUNDREDS! We are in 'the frozen North' (that's Northumberland in the UK) Further back in this link, it said that Crocs do not like damp conditions - ours are marginals in the pond!! They are ridiculously healthy so I wonder why that is? I will post a piccy tonight to see what you experts say, like you Graham, I don't know what variety mine are, but they also survive extreme temperatures!

• 30/07/2008 12:01 AM

  In reply to

  Love in the garden Location: Shrops Joined on: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 8

  Reply | Contact Hi, I'm relatively new to making my own garden but Crocosmia 'Lucifer' was one of the new additions this year for me.  I chose it because my parents live in S.Ireland & it grows wild on the ditches there & makes a fantastic display when driving on the lanes, especially when combined with driving towards a huge sunset on the way home for tea!  I love it & would be quite happy to fill a huge area with it but I know that it spreads itself quite well.  My 'Lucifer' is out now & I don't know if it was the right thing to do but it's been well fed to produce the blooms.  Good luck & enjoy!

• 13/08/2008 07:58 PM

  In reply to

  Ariadne Location: Contemplating on the compost heap Joined on: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 75

  Reply | Contact I adore crocosmia. I have lovely "Lucifer" planted with dark red Cosmos, deep orange/red Gladioli, purple-leaved Cotinus & Bronze Fennel. The bed looks fantastic despite a little recent wind-damage. In another bed I have various shorter yellow/orange crocs with, Dahlia "Bishop of Llandaff", yellow/white Glads, Choisia "Sundance", Coreopsis & Helenium (both yellow). The bed looks like sunshine even when the sky is cloudy & miserable. Your photos are wonderful. Sitting, spinning threads of stories & weaving the colourful strands of life.

• 15/08/2008 08:32 AM	In reply to
  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 4,547	Reply | Contact I thought the ones that grow 'wild' in Wales and Ireland and thrive in damp conditions were Montbretia? Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 15/08/2008 10:32 PM	In reply to
  Mr_Crocosmia Location: Lincolnshire, Untied Kingdom Joined on: 22 May 2008 Posts: 67	Reply | Contact  That 'Distant Planet' one could be Crocosmia 'Marcotijn'. It is one of those plants that multipies very quickly and is a weed if you let it go. Saying that though, it is quite a pretty plant. What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back, with a hinge in it.

• 15/08/2008 10:36 PM	In reply to
  Mr_Crocosmia Location: Lincolnshire, Untied Kingdom Joined on: 22 May 2008 Posts: 67	Reply | Contact  Phot's Moll................... you are right, it is Montbretia!! But it is crocosmia x crocosmiiflora. Montbretia is an old name for crocosmia, hardly used any more except by old people!! LOL What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back, with a hinge in it.

• 16/08/2008 09:54 PM	In reply to
  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 4,547	Reply | Contact  What'ya trying to say??? (tell me if I'm over-reacting) Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.