I am particularly fond of Crocus pulchellus, with dainty pale blue flowers enlivened by a golden ring in the centre. It is persistent and vigorous here, growing well in thin turf under trees and is even self-sowing quite well in my parents' lawn. The white form is lovely and I particularly like of the almost grey - or mother-of-pearl -clone 'Zephyr', though I think this is a hybrid with C. speciosus. It gives white seedlings like C. pulchellus 'Albus' though. Hybrids with C. speciosus are inevitable if the two are grown together and these can be very attractive. There's a large patch of a clonal one in the garden at Colesbourne Park that has obviously been spreading about for decades (pic on my blog). These hybrids tend to be more the size, shape & darker colour of C. speciosus but have a less divided stigma and the white anthers of C. pulchellus, usually with some yellow in the throat. Jim McKenney is right to say that there is a difference in timing between clones in Crocus speciosus. Those planted in my lawn here, bought in from a Dutch supplier as C. speciosus, are very late (just getting going now) and rather pale - I'd prefer them darker and earlier. I am dubious that the various cultivars offered are really what they purport to be, but at least they give some variation. John Grimshaw Visit John Grimshaw's Garden Diary http://johngrimshawsgardendiary.blogspot.com/ Dr. John M. Grimshaw Sycamore Cottage Colesbourne Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 9NP Tel. 01242 870567