The aim of the blog is to share our knowledge of what to plant, what is flowering and what you should be doing to prepare for the next planting season!
Learn about Crocosmias
Perennial crocosmias range from the bright canary yellows to the flashy tomato reds. Plant them bursting out of a group of quieter colours or in a subtropical border packed with hothouse colours. The bulbs freely increase and the flowers can be used for cutting.
Recommended varieties
Some people still refer to crocosmias as montbretia. This name comes from the French botanist Monsieur de Montbret, but the correct term is definitely crocosmia from the Greek krokos, meaning saffron, and osme meaning smell, alluding to the saffron scent given off by the dried flowers when placed in water.
Besides the old favourites, new hybrids have burst on to the scene in the past 20 years. When using the more electrifying colours, place them with care so you get full value and they don't clash with their neighbours.
C. 'Lucifer': one of the most popular crocosmias because of its flame-red flowers that appear on gently arching stems. These contrast well with the fresh green, sword-like foliage. It has great vigour and produces imposing clumps in the late summer border. Awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
C. masoniorum: has upright-facing blooms of rich vermilion-orange but a new form, with pale yellow flowers, was found at the Garden of Rowallane in County Down, Northern Ireland. Named 'Rowallane Yellow', it's available only from specialist nurseries but is well worth tracking down. Both have been given the Royal Horticultural Society's AGM.
C. paniculata: the largest of the species, which can grow 1.2m (4ft) high. It's also one of the first to flower (in orange), often appearing in June. And afterwards, the seed-heads give extra interest.
C. x crocosmiiflora 'Emily McKenzie': has large bright red blotches on a dark orange background.
C. x crocosmiiflora 'Star of the East' produces the largest flowers. Its star-shaped apricot blooms have six regularly spaced, broad petals. This is one of the latest to flower, and often blooms until October. As a general rule, the varieties with large flowers, such as 'Star of the East', are the least frost hardy.
Cultivation
Plant the bulbs in well cultivated to soil at a depth of 8-10cms and 8cms apart. Ensure the soil is well drained and if you have heavy soils such as clay, add plenty of humus and a handful of grit to the holes before planting. Plant in full sun or dappled shade.
Flowering
When bulbs start to flower ensure that they are kept well watered but do not over water. During the flowering period feed them with something like Tomorite (dilute in water) or blood and bone meal sprinkled on the surface and watered in. Let the leaves and flowers die back naturally and only remove when brown.
Over wintering:
Once established, crocosmias require only the minimum of care, but in cold areas it's worth covering plants with a deep mulch of well-rotted compost or straw in winter. Please note that crocosmias are excellent at naturalising so can be left undisturbed for many years.
Tips
Plants that aren't flowering freely can be divided in the spring. Split them into small clusters and replant in soil enriched with compost, and give a sprinkling of general fertiliser.
