Life

Best of the bunch

Crocus

In March, crocuses open their flowers to the strengthening sun and, while their flowers may not last long, they provide a dazzling sight planted in drifts through spring grass or under large deciduous shrubs with white snowdrops or early narcissi. Large-flowered Dutch crocus such as C. vernus subsp. albiflorus 'Purpureus Grandiflorus' also work well naturalised in gravel and look good in pots.

Their flowers open wide in the sunshine to invite pollinating insects.

Corms should be planted from autumn to early winter in clumps of 20 or more bulbs, or in much larger drifts, spacing the bulbs irregularly, around 3cm apart, at a depth of around 10cm.