European Gardening: Crocosmia has started to bloom........., 1 by wallaby1

wallaby1 wrote:
Hi Mark, I have checked my crocosmia and there's quite a few flower buds, the first close to opening. They probably like this cold weather, and being drowned briefly!

I for one am learning to appreciate the humble crocosmia more, I have heard so many people slam it and to be honest for a start I was thinking of getting rid of these 'originals'. However, having moved them to a suitable spot where they really do look lovely hanging over the water, and absolutely stunning with the evening sun shining through them, I have come to the conclusion that they are a very garden worthy plant. Nothing else would look so good with the ferns and ivy that is in the same place, it completes the picture perfectly.

Gladiolus, hydrangeas, dahlias, crocosmia, they have all suffered from slanderous slanging, and why is this I do wonder? I think it's because our parents had them and we don't want to be like our parents, that is old!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh well, we get there, sooner than we think. Time to rejuvenate our thinking, and those who do not appreciate the efforts of a fellow DGer and wish to slang off the plants should perhaps try starting their own thread to do that and stop hijacking this one! I would like to see Mark's crocosmia, and don't really want to see the thread run on and on with this type of talk.

That said, swear at me all you like, I can take it!

Here is a pic of the flower buds, it doesn't look like C. x crocosmiiflora to me. It has a delicate flower and graceful, drooping habit. The base in bud is a deep yellow, turning to orange with a reddish tip and the flowers are fairly small. The bracts are a pinkish purple, the colour on my screen is fairly true but they do glow a little stronger in the sun. A gem!