I have a friend whose very ill at the moment and has been "tidying her affairs". Prior to her getting ill she had said I could have some of her saffron crocuses. She asked me to have them all because she knows I'll use them, enjoy them and actually know what they are unlike her family.
So I went over today to dig up the 2 clumps of them. She's never lifted them or divided them at all...
It's not a good time of year to do it. We were going to leave it until after they had flowered this coming Christmas, but obviously that's had to change. (She's not expecting to return to her home and her husband (20 yrs her elder) has had to go into hospital whilst a place in a care home is found for him.)
Because they had mint growing in with them, I had to extract the crocus bulbs and divide everything up. I honestly don't know how many bulbs she has given me, but it has to be more than 300. They're are so many of them.
So this (I've highlighted the saffron crocuses behind the narcissus & to the side). 1 bulb typically produces 3 or 4 very thin blades for leaves (similar to a cross between grass and chives).
Became this
They're lying flat because I watered them. I was actually running out of planting space and had to plant them much closer together than i wanted them. Hopefully they'll perk up in the next few days. They won't flower for another 4 or 5 months. A lot of the bulbs are immature bulbs needing to grow but they should soon settle in.
What I haven't told hubby is that 6 months ago I placed an order (and paid for) 60 commercial saffron bulbs for $125. In these parts you can pay $45 for just 9 bulbs. (don't ask how I know!)
It is incredibly kind of her. She tells me she's just happy someone wants something from get garden. Talking with my other neighbour, I know there are plenty of us who would like to have some stuff from her garden.
