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October 2, 2007

Naked ladies? In this weather?

I flipped over my Matthew Rice calendar to October the other day and it reminded me of another thing I’ve been slacking on.

Colchicums. Fall crocus. Or, if you prefer, “naked ladies,” from their habit of blooming in the fall, long after their spring foliage dies back (don’t cut it back, I’m told).

They look just like they sound — spiky white or pale purple blossoms. Singles or doubles. Bloom in the fall.

Matthew notes they’re toxic to cows. Not a problem in my neighborhood. Web sources say they’re toxic to people too, if eaten. Not a lot of people going around eating crocus in my neighborhood either though. So I think we're good.

(If I were a really pompous person, I’d tell you the first time I saw fall crocus was in the Boboli Gardens in Florence. I watched a tourist, old enough to know better, pick every single one on the lawn upper garden, below the Neptune Fountain. But I’m not that … Oh. Too late!)

Anyhow, if you want some, you should order the corms immediately from your favorite source. They’re shipping now.

Or wait another year.

Posted by Paula Constantine  at 3:20 PM | Permalink

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