Sunday, March 23, 2008

Easter Crocus

The purple crocuses are blooming.

Every year when the purple crocus
bloom I think of saffron.

I do not know if these are saffron crocuses or not.
I want to grow saffron.
I want to learn how to harvest and cook with saffron.
I would like to dye some raw silk with saffron.

Just the word, "saffron" brings visuals of romantic places.

Happy Easter.

20 comments:

Cheryl said...

Beautiful crocuses, I so wish that I could grow them here. Rabbits love them, so I have given them up.

I make a lovely rice dish using saffron, the colour is so beautiful. I buy it in Spain when we go on holiday.

I am so glad you had a wonderful time at the spa and that you are home safe and well.

Q said...

Dear Cheryl,
Do you know if the crocuses I pictured are the saffron crocus?
If they are I want to save the stamens.
I would really like to learn how to cook with saffron. Perhaps you would share your recipe! It is a beautiful colour.
I did have a great time and am back home full of energy and creative ideas. I love having desire!
Hugs,
Sherry

smilnsigh said...

Ohh happy sigh... Your crocuses are blooming!

Anonymous said...

Sherry,
your crocus shown is not the
domesticated saffron crocus C. sativus an autumn-flowering perennial plant unknown in the wild, and is a sterile triploid mutant of the eastern Mediterranean autumn-flowering Crocus cartwrightianus.
According to botanical research, C. cartwrightianus originated in Crete, not—as was once generally believed—in Central Asia.
I don't know, if you can buy the saffron bulbs in the US, but you can search in the seesd catalogues.
cheers Gisela
...it is snowing in Toronto

Lisa at Greenbow said...

You talking about Saffron reminds me of a line in a song, I can't remember the artist that sings it but the line is "I'm just wild about Saffron, she's just wild about me"...

Chrissie said...

Your crocuses are beautiful. We didn't see ours this year :-) Very interesting about the saffron, let us know how you get on.

Q said...

Dear Mari-Nanci,
I have hundreds of crocuses! There are yellows and whites, lavender and purples! Some spots have giant crocuses others tiny ones! I do love them. Often in the winter I will do forced crocuses in crocus pots. After they are finished indoors I will plant them in the gardens. It takes a couple of years but for the most part they will come up and bloom. I slowly have begun filling different flower beds with them. Last year I planted the window boxes with crocus bulbs. Very pretty for Easter. Once they were finished blooming I let the foliage ripen off and I planted the bulbs in a flower bed.
The crocus are my first flowers every spring!
Sherry

Mary said...

I've never seen more beautiful crocuses. The purple is wonderful!

Q said...

Dear Gisela,
Thank you! I appriciate your research. I did not think my crocus were the saffron ones. I wonder this every year and never have known for sure. I will see if I can get some saffron crocus.
Maybe not native to my area but if I can grow saffron I would love to!
It is cold here too. Hope your snow is no bother and only nice moisture for your April gardens!
Cheers,
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Lisa,
LOL!!!
Yes, I remember this song, "Mellow Yellow" by Donavan! I am mad about saffron too! (Quite rightly) I might add!!
So fun. I was singing this song as I posted...
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Chris,
As Gisela so nicely let us know the saffron crocus is different than the spring blooming crocus. I will see if I can order some bulbs and begin a saffron spot near my rosemary.
Saffron is a beautiful colour too1
Sherry

Deb said...

Our first home had crocus planted all around an apple blossom tree in the front garden. Each year the crocus would bloom & it would snow! Your crocus are a gorgeous shade. I like the idea of dying raw silk.

Q said...

Dear Mary,
Thank you. I think they are very pretty. These are in a flower bed under a Dogwood tree. The ground cover for this bed is Sweet Woodruff. It blooms white. I also have daffodiles and muscari in this bed.
Spring! Parade of flowers and joyful songs....
Sherry

Karen Owen said...

Sherry, beautiful photo! Hey, even though you shouldn't eat the stamens, maybe you could experiment using them for dying or staining fabric or paper.

Karen

meggie said...

Your crocuses are just beautiful!

Q said...

Dear Deb,
Such a beautiful memory!
I am going to try and do something this year with the stamens after the crocuses are finished blooming. The colour is fantastic!
I wear 100% organic cotton or silk. Thus when my clothes are worn out I still can use parts of them for crafting! Learning to do dyeing has been on my list for years. It will be fun!
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Karen,
I agree! I will try this year to do some dyeing. I like the ide of paper staining too.
Thanks,
Sherry

Q said...

Dear Meggie,
Thank you!
I am pleased the rabbits and the deer have not eaten them this year. Maybe the Hawks hunt often enough that the rabbits are staying away from the house flowerbeds!
I can see I could use thousands of crocus bulbs. I think I will pick a flower bed and fill it than move to the next bed. I have missed the flowers.
Sherry

Jeanne said...

All of your postings are glorious and full of sunshine and love and beauty~
Thanks for the beauty and YOU~
Love Jeanne
X0X0

Q said...

Dear Jeanne,
You are so fun!
Thank you for your kind support.
Sherry