Comments on: Colchicums are beginning to emerge

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:53:05 +0000

The melancholy comes a bit earlier, with the blooming of the goldenrod, the first signs of color in the trees, and first dip of nighttime low temps into the 40s (48.4F [9.1C] on 14 Aug). I get depressed thinking about all the garden chores and projects that never got started, or that show signs of never coming to completion.

The colchicums give me something to anticipate, and a reason not to give up–quite yet.

By: M Sinclair Stevens (Texas)

M Sinclair Stevens (Texas) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 03:54:38 +0000

So you’re getting your first whiff of fall, too. As Annie in Austin said, this was our week for oxblood lilies. For us southerners, the sight means the excitement of new beginnings…because fall is the beginning of our gardening year. Do the colchicums give you a sense of endings…a bit of melancholy?

By: Annie in Austin

Annie in Austin — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 22:30:59 +0000

Colchicum used to say ‘September’ to me, too, Kathy- back when I lived in Illinois, but here in Austin it’s the red Schoolhouse lilies that pop up in similar fashion.
As a greedy gardener, I’d like to grow them both, of course!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

By: kerri

kerri — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 19:07:54 +0000

How nice to see the colchicums again Kathy, but yes, it’s that time of year again….already! It sure came fast, didn’t it?
I’ve been itching to move some plants and now maybe with the bit of rain we’ve had, I can begin. Gotta do it…now or never!
I hope you’ve had a good gardening summer

By: Don

Don — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 04:03:22 +0000

You know, I saw some pictures from A Brit’s garden, who grew a wide variety of colchicums in pots… it started me thinking about putting the bulbs in pots and sinking them in a bed by themselves for the spring, until the foliage finishes its dying swan act, then plunging the pots in regular perennial beds so they bloom there in the fall. I suppose that’s too much work; maybe i’ll think about it some more after I finish my spring weeding.

By: Mr. McGregor's Daughter

Mr. McGregor's Daughter — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:07:46 +0000

Thanks Kathy! I am a member of AHS, so I’ll look for the article in the next mag. Keep an eye on the mum, they’re stealthy expansionists.

By: Kylee

Kylee — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:46:50 +0000

No sign of the colchicums here yet.

But I DO have a good excuse for not moving or planting things yet. (See my post for today entitled, “Excuses, Excuses.”)

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:24:32 +0000

Don’t dwadle is right. You have great insite from one gardener to another. I look forward to seeing more.

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:37:27 +0000

Carol and Ellis Hollow, most of my colchicums haven’t made an appearance yet, either. This is just the trickle before the flood.

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:34:07 +0000

Mr. McGregor's Daughter, I can't say I've ever had another plant crowd out my colchicums, but I only have one mum and it is twice the size it was last year, so maybe it's only a matter of time. If you look through my colchicum category in the sidebar, many of my previous posts discuss location. The short version is, I like to plant them in front of catmint, daylilies, and shrubs, and amongst ajuga and other groundcovers. Look for my article on colchicums in the upcoming (September/October) issue of The American Gardener.