The crocuses have not been seen since last spring and are now past due in the garden.
Generally just a few inches tall, they were last seen along the front walk, in the nearby lawn, and around the trees approximately one year ago. Colors of blooms include dark purple, light purple, white, and yellow.
Evidence that they are due to return, in the form of a few small leaves poking up through the mulch, has been sighted, recorded, photographed, and inspected.
Should you see any crocus blooms, please approach slowly and with caution in case any brave bees are buzzing around them, as can happen in the spring. Also be aware of gardeners in the nearby vicinity who may pounce on them with cameras and garden journals, should any show up.
Repeat, this is an APB for missing crocuses. All patrols please be on alert. Pictures to help identify the missing crocuses include:
Most recent sprouts (from a week ago):
An actual crocus blooming a year ago on February 9, 2008.
If we don’t see crocuses soon, we may have to broaden our search for Spring in general.
Ha! I found out what what happening to some of mine. The cat has taken to sitting on them. (could be worse I know…)
I am so looking forward to them, I hope the few that haven’t been re-purposed as cushions come up soon!
Carol, I don’t usually have problems with missing bulbs but I have some strange holes appearing in the compost of some of my pots. Could some mice have decided that the bulbs are easy pickings in this cold, for us, winter? Some crocus bulbs are coming up but I think they have a preference for tulips. Only time will tell.
Best wishes Sylvia (England)
PS I have a guest post up in http://www.tulipsinthewoods.com today
Those crocus can still be considered lie-a-beds. They had that blanket of snow on them so long they haven’t fully awakened yet. Patience Weed Hopper.
Oh, they’re trying, you can bet on it! If it’s as frosty there this morning as it is here, then they’re sensible to stay buried a while longer. Mine are nowhere to be seen! I hope yours turn up soon 🙂
I’ve been finding lots of rabbit droppings under the bird feeders. It made me think of you. How’s that for a compliment? 🙂 They must be very hungry. I hope they stay away from our veggie garden come spring!
LOL, I’m so used to you making up acronyms that I was caught unawares by you using a standard one! I wish it were time here for crocuses, but it’s not. It’s been so much colder this season, maybe they’re just wanting to hide under the cover of soil for a while longer.
When you find yours, please send search parties to my garden. I don’t even have any grassy leaves yet.
This is a serious situation here. Hope you locate the missing crocuses soon!!
Hopefully they just haven’t chosen to awaken from their winter’s nap Carol!
Check in your neighborhood, Carol. Scratching my head one spring, I discovered rascal chipmunks & squirrels re-planted my crocus bulbs 🙁 in nearby lawns and gardens, delighting my neighbors 🙂
So many rodents love crocuses . . . we might have a murder on our hands.
Uh oh, this sounds bad. When I saw your title I thought maybe you had seen them this year, then they disappeared. Something is shattering the flowers on mine. They are dying a natural death, but something is taking the whole flower tip off and throwing it aside. Who would do such a thing? Boo.
Frances
Winter is causing slow starts on everything. A few of mine have been flattened by the dogs, but they’re hanging on.
So on the other site of the ocean, they are missing too?
Last year, I took the first picture of a crocus on February 2nd, and soon there were others following.
This year, the first crocus opened on February 14th around 11.00 AM (no kidding), but she hasn’t got company yet.
Everything is sooo late this year!
Here in z-7 I’ve got one (1) yellow crocus, of the 100 I planted last fall. I think they are slug-a-beds because of the cold! The other possibility is that they were eaten by starving squirrels and in that case, I can’t feel too bad about it because our acorn crop failed totally last year. Much as I yell and shake my fists at the squirrels, I do enjoy their antics but this year we have none. Not one. I hope some show up later in the year.
I found my first little stems last week – still no flowers yet! Doesn’t seem quite like spring yet, here in zone 6!
I’ve seen no evidence of vole or mole tunnels where these are planted. I think it might be the colder weather we had this winter set them back. They are definitely later this year than in past years.
Thanks all for commenting. We might have to form a posse if they don’t show up soon!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Don’t fret! They will show up when the time is right.
Carol, we can always count on you for a hilariously creative post. You certainly march to your own drummer. :} Most of us would have posted that we weren’t seeing any crocus, but you found a way to say it that brought me a good laugh. Thanks!
(static) Carol, do you copy? (static) Suspects seen in mouth of squirrel, intersection of First and Main, heading West. All officers in pursuit. (static) Roger that?
I saw one tiny, tiny tip of a snowdrop Monday but now it’s snowing again, so no action here. I’m betting it’s just going to be a late start for many of us with such a cold and snowy winter.
They are coming! I will see many at the RI Spring Flower Show tonight! Stay tuned for pictures. I will send some color your way.
Hi Carol;
A couple years back my neighbor returned from winter vacation in Florida. He is a retired priest and he leaves here the day after Christmas and returns the first of April. He had been back a couple days that year when he came over and asked if I had planted any crocus in his lawn. I thought it was an unusual question but then looked around our gardens and crocus in their usual numbers were lacking.
The abundance of crocus across the country road was the work of chipmunks that love the bulbs and stockpile them where it’s convenient. Under and around large white pines was apparently a better place from a chipmunk’s perspective than in our gardens. As spring advanced, it became obvious that we needed to replant come fall.
George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
http://thevermontgardener.blogspot.com
Carol,
You are an inspiration!!!