Fall Crocus - Colchicums
Don’t have any? You’ll want to run out and get some. These glorious fall crocus are bass-ackwards. They send up leaves in the spring and bloom in the fall; the complete opposite of regular crocus. They also are a bulb, just like the spring crocus.
When everything is winding down at the end of the summer and the smell of autumn is in the air - all of a sudden, you’ll see these gorgeous delicate blooms poking their head up between your summer annuals.
Colors? - there are several - I have pink, purple and white - and their bloom time is late September in NJ and they bloom for about three weeks - from start to finish. Nothing is more fanciful than to see these beautiful flowers.
They also remind me of my days as a child. My paternal grandmother was an avid gardener - we had peonies and rhubarb and lily of the valley and so much more - the best that I remember though were the fall crocus. She had a bed that lined the driveway - not much else in this one patch at this time of the year - but the rows of fall crocus made such a stunning display. Every time, I see my own colchicums blooming - I smile and think of her. I hope my own granddaughters do the same of me someday.
So, read up on these great bulbs and make sure you add some to your garden for next year. You’ll forget all about them until, all of a sudden, voila! There they are!
