Northern Shade Gardening

Crocus vernus ‘Silver Coral’ (large Dutch crocus) are a bright white crocus with a strong contrasting purple base. I find they make a nice bridge between purple and gold crocus, flowering after the early snow crocus. They are hardy in zone 3 and return after cold winters. I have had some in my garden for awhile, but the ones in the photos were additional ones added last fall in between some perennials.

Crocus vernus ‘Silver Coral’ flowers showing purple base

Here you can see the deep purple base on the goblet of the ‘Silver Coral’ flowers blending into the stem. I’m not sure of the origin of the “coral” part of their name, but you can see how they shine when the light bursts through them, which might be the “silver” part of their name. There are bright gold ‘Yellow Mammoth’ crocus behind them, and different purple crocus in the other direction. The white colour of ‘Silver Coral’ helps tie them all together.

Crocus vernus ‘Silver Coral’ with white flowers

The translucent petals give them a delicate appearance, but these are another crocus that do just fine in zone 3. Like the other Crocus vernus, they open after the earlier Crocus chrysanthus (snow crocus), while their bloom time overlaps with the later ‘Yellow Mammoth’, which are the last crocus to flower in my garden.

Crocus vernus ‘Silver Coral’ with purple striped crocus behind

These white crocus blend wonderfully with the purple crocus, and their purple base brings a subtle coordination. The hint of purple at the bottom is similar to the colour at the base of the striped crocus behind them. ‘Silver Coral’ are about 10 cm tall (4 in), just a little shorter than the other Crocus vernus, and the flowers are a little smaller, even on the established ones. The ‘Silver Coral’ flowers are about 3 cm (around an inch) across.

Crocus vernus ‘Silver Coral’ with Crocus vernus ‘Pickwick’ behind

‘Silver Coral’ is paired with the purple striped ‘Pickwick’ here. You can see a few of the ‘Yellow Mammoth’ crocus that are part of a much larger group extending to the left of the picture.

Crocus vernus ‘Silver Coral’ with ‘Pickwick’ and ‘Yellow Mammoth’

‘Silver Coral’ is winding through the other crocus in the photo above, joining the purple and gold crocus. There are lots more purple and gold crocus extending in each direction as well as behind. In early spring I’m always glad that I added more crocus the previous fall, as their exuberant beauty is so wonderful in the garden. The Crocus corms are easy to fit in between perennials, and add so much colour while the more timid perennials are barely putting up new shoots. ‘Silver Coral’ are a nice crocus if you are looking for a larger white one that has a little hint of extra colour.

There are more photos of Crocus vernus from previous years in this article.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ flowers with light shining through

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ (large Dutch crocus) have a very beautiful two-toned mauve colour combination on the flowers that make a wonderful display in the spring garden. They mix beautifully with other purple flowers, and make a strong contrast to the gold crocus. These were new to my garden last fall, and I’ve been very pleased with them. I can recommend them for your garden down to zone 3.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ with petals folded up

When folded up, the petals appear pale, and while pretty, they don’t hint at the beauty that will appear when they unfurl. Each morning, when the temperatures are cooler or when it is cloudy and the light is low, the flowers are folded up tight, nestled in the striped foliage.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ large Dutch crocus

Then when the sun warms up, they unfold to show their pretty colour scheme. Once fully opened, they hide most of the leaves. The petals are narrower than other C. vernus, so you can see between them, but they produce many flowers per corm, so they still make a full display.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ flower 6 petals

The six petals of ‘Vanguard’ alternate between light mauve ones and pale silvery gray ones on the outside. This gives them a slightly shimmery look, which stands out more than the solid coloured crocus. It is an attractive pattern that adds some sparkle to the early spring garden. The darker purple petals fade to the light silver gray colour at the edges.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ flower petals glowing

When the sunshine hits the flowers, they glow and light up the garden. In the picture above, you can see the translucent quality of the petals, giving them an ethereal beauty. Despite its delicate appearance, ‘Vanguard’ is hardy, and survived a long zone 3 winter very well. All of my crocus do well here, and come back just about as strong the next year. However, I haven’t had any spread much yet.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ flowers from above

In this shot you can see the pattern of 3 inner petals and 3 outer petals. On the inside they are all a similar light mauve colour, with faint striations of darker colour. The bright golden stigmas and anthers providing a contrast to the purple.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ flowers coming up through fall leaves

The great thing about crocus is that they will come up through anything in the garden. These crocus are rising up through the fall leaves, which I hadn’t got around to lifting yet. The crocus don’t mind, and flower just as cheerfully, even if the gardener is behind schedule. :) They look very natural emerging from the tree debris. This part of the garden has mainly deciduous trees, so the sun loving crocus get the spring light before the new leaves fill in.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ flowers

This picture shows some of the surrounding crocus in this bed, with ‘Vanguard at the centre. To the left are crocus that have been here a few years, and to the right are some of the new additions planted last fall.  ‘Vanguard’ started blooming a little bit earlier than the other Crocus vernus, but lasted just as long as them.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ with crocus remembrance behind

With their soft mauve and light silvery gray colour, ‘Vanguard’ looks great combined with many other crocus. In the photo above they are mixed with  some other large flowered Crocus vernus ‘Striped Beauty’ to the left and the deeper purple Crocus vernus ‘Remembrance’ behind. You can see how both of the other crocus have more rounded, wider petals, forming a goblet shape, while ‘Vanguard’s petals are more slender.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ with Crocus vernus ‘Pickwick’ behind

Here ‘Vanguard’ is paired with Crocus vernus ‘Pickwick’, another purple striped crocus and the white Crocus vernus ‘Silver Coral’ at the very back. ‘Vanguard’ matches well with ‘Pickwick’, which has white petals with lots of purple stripes. The two have similar colours, but in different patterns for a subtle variation.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ with other crocus in garden

In the shot above you can see how well they coordinate with all the other white and purple crocus. The purple striped ‘Striped Beauty’ are to the left, another striped crocus, ‘Pickwick ‘, is behind, and a solid crocus, ‘Remembrance’ is in the upper left. At the back right are some mostly white ‘Silver Coral’, which have a strong, deep purple base to their goblet.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ in back with Crocus tommasinianus ‘Whitewell Purple’ in front

In the picture above, Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ is paired with Crocus tommasianus ‘Whitewell Purple’. Although they look good in this shot, with the darker ‘Whitewell Purple’ in front of the lighter ‘Vanguard’, I can’t really recommend ‘Whitewell Purple’. Of course all crocus look beautiful, and ‘Whitewell Purple’ is extra early, an excellent trait, but it was very short blooming compared to the other crocus.  Also the flowers are nice, but with their very narrow petals they don’t have as much of an impact. There are many early C. chrysanthus’ that I like better. ‘Vanguard’ did look great with them, though, when the blooms times overlapped.

Crocus vernus ‘Vanguard’ showing mauve and gray petals

I’ve been very pleased with how well ‘Vanguard’ has done in the garden, and how it forms a nice bridge for the surrounding crocus, helping them all coordinate together. I do recommend this crocus for its beauty, large flower size, length of bloom, and ease of combining with other crocus.

crocus bulbs planted in lawn

After a long winter,  pretty flowers are  popping up where I planted the Crocus corms in the lawn last fall. The early crocus look even better than I anticipated. The bright petals add beautiful colour to the dull, brown grass. While most of the yard still wears neutral winter colours, the vivid crocus patch is a refreshing start to the garden. I’m very happy with the bright effect, which makes me smile every time I look out the window.

Crocus chysanthus flowers in lawn

Most of these crocus are very early blooming, so the foliage should get enough energy to replenish the plants and die back naturally before the lawn needs cutting. As you can see in the photos, the lawn hasn’t even greened up yet. The Crocus chrysanthus and Crocus sieberii are the first to bloom in my garden, while Crocus x tommasinianus ‘Yalta’ flowers later. If ‘Yalta’ takes too long to die back,  since there is only a small patch in the lawn, I might move them into the garden where they can flower next year with the later blooming C. vernus.

crocus bulbs in lawn with petals folded

Even when the petals are folded up in the early morning or on a cold day, the flowering crocus are still decorative with the patterns on the outside of their petals even more visible. Since there were still freezing temperatures and the odd snowflake a week ago, they folded up and waited for warmer times.

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Romance’ planted in lawn

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Romance’ is a particularly attractive yellow crocus. The soft yellow petals alternate with ones that have a slightly  silvery sheen. The subtle variations are a nice effect, and this is now my favourite yellow crocus. These are larger than Crocus ‘Cream Beauty’, so they make a better show. ‘Romance’ is extra early, and after 7 months of snow early flowering is a very desirable trait. I highly recommend these if you are looking for an early yellow crocus.

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Romance’ soft yellow

‘Romance’ have their petals mostly folded up in this picture, showing off the alternating darker and lighter petals, and the almost silver gray tone to the lighter ones. With the flower petals upright, they look as if they were carved out of butter for a table centrepiece.

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Prins Claus’ with Crocus ‘Romance’ behind

Here are the purple and white Crocus chrysanthus ‘Prins Claus’ flowering in front of ‘Romance’. These charming bulbs really glow in the sunshine. The crocus get a sunnier spot in my lawn and in the garden, as they don’t appreciate the shade and don’t open much in the shadowy areas.

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Prins Claus’ bulb flowers from above

Looking down from above, Crocus chrysanthus ‘Prins Claus’ have mostly white petals, but the few flowers with closed petals show the purple design on the outside.

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Prins Claus’ white petals with purple outside

When ‘Prins Claus are fully open they appear mostly white. With that hint of purple, these bulbs pair up well with other purple crocus, or give a hint of contrast next to yellow crocus.

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Prins Claus’ petals closed

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Prins Claus’ petals folded showing purple patches

The dark purple patch of colour on the outside of each petal of  ‘Prins Claus’ is mostly noticeable when the petals are folded up first thing in the morning. The warmth and sunlight later on coax them to open fully.

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Prins Claus’ with Crocus sieberi ‘Tricolor’ behind

Here are some ‘Prins Claus’ flowering in front of the purple and yellow Crocus sieberi ‘Tricolor’. You can see the silver stripes down the centre of each crocus  leaf in this picture. Although those beautiful flowers get all of the attention, the grass like foliage with the zippy silver stripes is attractive, too.

Crocus sieberi ‘Tricolor’ flowers mauve and gold

Crocus sieberi subsp sublimus ‘Tricolor’ have an especially appealing colour combination. Don’t tell the other crocus, but these are my favourite of the new crocus bulbs I tried this year. The combination of a medium purple colour with the yellow ring really catches your eye, and the white band between them makes the colours stand out.

Crocus sieberi ‘Tricolor’ flowers folded up

Crocus sieberi ‘Tricolor’ with petals folded

Even when the  ‘Tricolor’ flowers are folded up, they are charming with their colourfully banded popsicle appearance. Here you can see how the colours really pop out with the transition between purple tops and yellow bottoms on each petal. ‘Tricolor’ has the prettiest folded colour of all of my crocus. The bulbs look especially lively against the background of the dreary grass that hasn’t come out of dormancy yet.

Crocus sieberi ‘Tricolor’ flowers from above

This shot shows the cheery colour of ‘Tricolor’ flowers when they are open. The purple colour on each ‘Tricolor’ petal intensifies at the edges. The bulbs bloom at the same time as ‘Romance’ and look good contrasting with the butter yellow Crocus ‘Romance’.

Crocus sieberi ‘Tricolor’ flowers

Here’s another group of ‘Tricolor’ in the grass, showing the yellow bee in the middle, and the white separation. I highly recommend these bulbs for an early pop of colour.

Crocus ‘Yalta’ flowering in lawn

Crocus x tommasinianus ‘Yalta’ is the largest of the crocus in the lawn, and the last to bloom. Their two toned purple colour combination is very attractive. The petals have a longer and narrower shape than the other crocus. They are a cross between the large C. vernus and C. tommasinianus, so they bloom later and larger than the C. chrysanthus.

Crocus ‘Yalta’ bulb flower in lawn

This photo shows off the alternating dark purple and light silvery purple petals of ‘Yalta’, which are very appealing. This is another standout, and my second favourite purple crocus after ‘tricolor’.

Crocus ‘Yalta’ in lawn

I didn’t plant as many of the ‘Yalta’ in the lawn, as I only found a smaller number of the bulbs. Aren’t those alternating dark and light petals good looking? Whether closed or open, the blooms are still beautiful. I’m going to plant more of them in my garden with the larger crocus next year, if I can find them in the fall.

white crocus flowers planted in lawn

These mislabelled white crocus are pretty, despite the fact that they were supposed to be Crocus ‘Spring Beauty’, which are a dark and light purple colour. There is no trace of purple on them, but they still look good in the lawn. I’m going to look for ‘Spring Beauty’ again next fall, as I was looking forward to them.

mislabelled white and yellow crocus in lawn

This combination of two mislabelled bulbs turned out quite pretty together. The smaller yellow ones were supposed to be ‘Gipsy Girl’, which are yellow with small maroon purple stripes on the outside , but there is no hint of stripe and they look more like ‘Cream Beauty’. They are short and sit quite close to the grass, barely showing any  leaves.

crocus planted in lawn

Here’s another view of part of the bulb lawn. The whole crocus planting is about a 2 m (6 ft) by 3 m (9 ft) oval. It turned out so good, I’m going to expand it next fall with more of the early crocus. They are such a respite from the dullness of the dormant grass, old leaves, and maple keys in the lawn, and were the first flowers this year. It was easy to plant them, as I just dug up  30 cm by 30 cm (1 square foot) patches adjacent to each other in the lawn, put a group of 20 or so bulbs in, and put the sod back over top.  You can see photos and read more about planting the crocus in the lawn last fall.

crocus flowers blooming in lawn

Despite the fact that these crocus are flowering in May in my yard, these are actually early crocus. It’s just that we had an extra long winter this year, which makes them an even more welcome sight. After many months of snow, there’s nothing like a yard full of flowering crocus to cheer you up and get the gardening season off to a good start. The bees appreciate the early flowers, too, and these have been buzzing with visitors.