One of the first flowers to bloom in early spring is the spring flowering crocus. Sometimes they don’t even wait for the snow to melt and can be seen poking through the last remains of winter. The flowers are easily recognized by their six petals which form a cup shape. The flowers come in varying shades of purple, yellow, and cream and the thin, grasslike leaves have a silver vein that runs through the centre of it. Crocus plants are short, only growing 8-10 cm tall making them ideal for rock gardens, borders, and edges. They also look good planted around the base of trees and in mixed flowerbeds, around other shrubs, or for naturalizing.

Crocus flowers are grown from a bulb that is planted in early fall. They need to be planted early enough in the fall, to form a good root system before the frost sets into the ground. They can tolerate different soil types providing it is a well drained soil. Plant the bulbs in a sunny to partial shade location. One thing to keep in mind when planting the bulbs is that because they bloom so early in the spring they can be planted under deciduous trees and shrubs and still get enough light because the trees/shrubs will not have any foliage. For the best affect, plant crocus bulbs in groups of seven or more. Plant them, pointed end up, at a depth of 10 cm and space the bulbs 3-5 cm apart. For good root development, sprinkle some bonemeal in the bottom of the hole before placing the bulbs in. After covering the bulbs with soil, give them a good water and place a marker in the area. Once planted they can provide years of beauty with very little care. When a crocus has finished blooming the foliage has to die back naturally, as this is the time when the crocus is producing the needed energy to form next years flower. The flower along with the needed nutrients is being formed as the foliage is dying back. Once the foliage has died back it can be removed, when it it easily pulled out of the soil. Crocus bulbs can remain in the soil for many years but when you notice that the flowers are becoming smaller it is a sign of overcrowding. A crocus bulb will form many small bulbs, and over the years they will become crowded, resulting in smaller flowers. This is because the bulb is actually a storage house for the flower and the needed nutrients, and if the storage house becomes small there is not enough room for a large flower. This why when purchasing bulbs, you always want to pick out the biggest bulbs. The best time to dig up crocus bulbs and separate them is in early fall. Use a fork or shovel and carefully dig around the area where the bulbs are. Try not to damage any of the bulbs as these will need to be tossed out as well as any bulb that seems diseased. After the bulbs have been separated the bulbs can then be replanted, giving you even more flowers to enjoy.

Spring/early summer flowering bulbs such as crocus, tulips, daffodils, snowdrops, alliums, scillia, hyacinths, etc are all planted in the fall and are now available at the garden centres. They are a good investment for the gardener because once they are planted, they will come back every year as well as multiply and give years of enjoyment.