SNOW CROCUS - A VERY EARLY BLOOMER

SNOW CROCUS are cute little cup-shaped yellow, white, purple, lavender, or bi-color blooms.  Even though they are short--only 3-5 inches--they pack a powerful color spot in the early days of spring--so early that the reason they are called snow crocus is that they start blooming while the snow is still on the ground!  They are a bulb (CORM) that you want to plant in the fall, and now is the perfect time to get them in the ground.  Plant the small little corms anywhere where you will be able to see these bright, low-to-the-ground, blooms.  Rock gardens, edge ways,  or even naturalizing in your lawn are great places to plant them.  But be advised if you plant in your lawn, you don't want to mow your lawn until the foliage turns yellow and dies back--and this is hard to do.  Where I've seen naturalized crocus that looks best is in sparse lawn.  A sparse lawn will also prevent the dying out of the corms.  If they do die out, though, just replace them--they are inexpensive and easy to take care of.  They multiply annually, and are extremely hardy.  Plant the corms 3-4 inches deep and 3-4 inches apart.   When they become too crowded, it's easy to dig them up, after they have bloomed, and divide and replant them in in other areas of your garden as well.  They do very well in sandy, or gritty soil, that is well-drained.  They don't do well in clay soils or real moist conditions, though.  I always love it when they start to bloom-signaling the end of winter and the very beginning of spring!