Crocus Bulbs Despite their diminutive stature, the Crocus is renowned for its hardiness and ability to naturalize. In the days of the Roman Empire, the Crocus was a status symbol amongst the nobility. Thousands upon thousands of Crocus were harvested for the costly saffron they contained to delight festival guests with its' pungent fragrance when strewn over the floor. Now, you needn't be a Caesar to enjoy the merits of the Crocus but we do recommend planting for visual rather than herbal purposes as it takes more than a thousand blooms to produce one ounce of saffron.

What could be more charming than these little Easter egg flowers which push their petals upward through ice and snow to herald the coming of spring? Though commonly classed as a bulb, they are actually a corm and should be planted at a shallow depth, no more than 2-3 inches, point side up. They need well-drained soil, like good sun and look terrific sprinkled in a lawn. By the time you need to mow the grass, they will be finished blooming. In fact, we've seen messages like SPRING and PEACE planted out in Crocus in lawns!

Crocus come in the nicest colours - white, sunny yellow, lavender, true purple, and a delightful purple stripe. All have green and white striped grass-like foliage. Some mammoth varieties are on the market, but they remain happily diminuitive. It is good to keep in mind that different varieties have different bloom times and by careful choosing, you may expect a succession of Crocus flowers over a period of many weeks. Plant in fall for spring pleasure!