Crocus for Georgia (USA) , was In bloom now

Eugene Zielinski eez55@earthlink.net
Wed, 07 Dec 2005 19:10:43 PST
I've not seen any crocuses here in Augusta.  From what I've read, the
crocus that does best in the south is the spring flowering C.
tommasinianus.  Scott Ogden lists a few other species in his book, Garden
Bulbs for the South.
I did see a nice substitute for crocuses in a lawn in North Augusta (which
is across the Savannah River in South Carolina.) -- Ipheion uniflorum, in
colors ranging from white to blue.
Even though I haven't lived in Georgia that long, I'd like to comment on
Georgia soils.  There is a geological feature called the Fall Line that
runs from Augusta to Columbus.  Immediately north of this line is the
Piedmont, and the soils there are primarily that famous red clay.  South of
the fall line, however, is the coastal plain, and the soil there is quite
sandy.  So, not all Georgia soil is clay.  In fact, if my map is correct,
less than 50% of Georgia has clay soil.  (This is somewhat moot to me,
since my garden consists of a number of pots, many with acquisitions from
PBS.)

Gene
Eugene Zielinski
Augusta, GA - of course

> Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2005 11:29:15 -0500
> From: "Jim McKenney" <jimmckenney@starpower.net>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] Crocus for Georgia (USA) , was In bloom now
> To: "'Pacific Bulb Society'" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> 
> Steve Burger and I are at opposite ends of what can be seen as essentially
> the same growing zone. He's at the far southern end where summers are
hotter
> and bitter cold in the winter is briefer, but otherwise I'll bet our
growing
> conditions have a lot in common. Undisturbed, un-amended soils here are
> often red clay, and during the summer they eat bulbs voraciously. It's
worth
> noting that there are very few true bulbs in the native flora. 
>  



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