Skip to main content

Featured

The Garden House (Devon, England)

The destinations are beginning to blur but looking at the tour guide booklet, I see that we are now in Plymouth. Today, we visited two gardens designed by Keith Wiley.  The first is The Garden House , where Wiley worked as Head Gardener for 25 years (from 1978-2003). The 10-acre estate was purchased in the 1940s by former Eton schoolmaster Lionel Fortescue and his wife Katherine. It was formerly home to the  vicars of Buckland Monachronum. The Fortescue's renovated the gardens and ran a market garden business and raised cattle.  The remains of some of the original buildings in the vicarage still stand in the garden and serve as a romantic backdrop in the Walled Garden - I loved the way they had massed ferns together. Just stunning! Surrounding the walled garden and venturing out away from the house are more naturalistic plantings  - Today, the head gardener is Nick Haworth, who was previously head gardener at Greenway , which we visited earlier.  Keith Wiley lef...
2 comments
Read more
Labels

Planting Autumn Crocus (Colchicum)


I don't believe I have ever grown autumn crocus (colchicum - I love to say that word) -  although we did inherit one when we moved into this house. I moved it, and apparently it did not like that because I never saw it again. I have always wanted to grow it, but I always think about it at the wrong time of year. Plus, I never see it at nurseries (not even at Yard N' Garden Land). When a friend offered me some, I said YES.

She gave me one special one called "Waterlily" and several that I guess we would call the  "average one". 

'Waterlily'

The question then was where on earth would I would plant them. I read that they are nice in grassy areas so I then decided to plant them along the grassy pathway in front. (This pathway is about to become a gravel pathway as I am refusing to water it daily. Michael wins this battle and gets to do the "told you so" dance.)

I decided to tuck the primo one at the corner of the path next to this pot.


Digging the hole and adding some compost. I'm planting these about 4-5 inches deep.





I put the other bulbs in other spots along the path, as well as some in the back garden. 

I expected it would be next year before seeing blooms but I read that they will bloom 4-6 weeks after planting. That is a pleasant surprise!


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
Email Post
Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 14, 2025 at 7:28 AM

    I looked up the Colchicum 'waterlily': apparently it's has the double pink bloooms, while ther others are single pink. I planted mine among black mondo grass. The black and pink looked quite striking together.
    When happy, the bulbs multiply readily.
    Chavli

    ReplyDelete
  2. tz_gardenAugust 14, 2025 at 8:07 AM

    I love crocus, especially that they show up when not much else is going on. Please let us know if the 6 week info plays out. Chavli's combo sounds gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kris PetersonAugust 14, 2025 at 9:24 AM

    I used to see the bulbs offered in local garden centers but they haven't been available here for a long time. I hope you get your September surprise!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 14, 2025 at 11:49 AM

    oh good lord, I just dug up and tossed out about 40 of these because they spread by rhizome in addition to bulb multiplication. They were starting to take over. (yes I'm in the couve) If I'd known anyone wanted them, I'd have saved some-they looked a lot better than those you just planted. I took them out because they fall all over everything around them and then the leaves slooowly go yellow, meanwhile, the blooms only last a few days and then collapse. Maybe you'll do better with them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousAugust 14, 2025 at 1:21 PM

      Oh funny! You are the second person who has told me that they are rampant. I may end up with more than I'd like.

      Delete
  5. JerryAugust 16, 2025 at 2:28 PM

    Echoing what others have said - the regular ole pink ones bulk up rapidly. Not my favorite, but I am always reminded that fall (and rain) is on its way when they begin to bloom. Tough as nails. Awesome with neglect. That's worth something.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment