Crocuses have long been associated with love. Legend has it that the Greek God Zeus and Goddess Hera loved each other so passionately that the land where they lived burst open with the flowers. This conjures up images of the beautiful swathes of this exquisite, jewel-like plant which carpet our woods, parks and gardens every spring. Crocuses are thought to have been sent to Britain from France in the late 16th century by Jean Robin, a director of gardens in Paris. Today there are over 70 species of crocus and, due to their popularity as a decorative bulb, there are hundreds of cultivars, all flourishing in the free-draining soil and warm spring sunshine which mimic their natural habitat on the alpine slopes of southern and eastern Europe.

The best known to most of us are the spring-flowering Dutch crocuses – descendants of Crocus vernus – which have bold, goblet-shaped flowers in purples and lavenders, sometimes with eye-catching streaks of bronzes and golds. Crocus tomasinianus, which includes the rich purple flowers of 'Whitewell Purple', is one of the earliest spring-flowering varieties. The plant's slender tapering petals open into flat starry flowers, displaying bright golden anthers as they enjoy the warmth of the spring sunshine, only to tuck themselves up again in the evening. The colours of Crocus chrysanthus, and its many varieties, are regal golds, yellows and shades of gilded cream, such as the delicate 'Cream Beauty', together with softer, tinted shades of lilac blue, such as the shimmering 'Blue Pearl'. Autumn, too, has its crocus treasures, including Crocus sativus, which is famed for being the source of precious saffron.

HOW TO GROW
Crocuses can be propagated from seed or bought as bulbs. Plant spring-flowering bulbs during the autumn and autumn-flowering bulbs during the spring in any soil, provided it is well drained, about three to four inches deep and four inches apart. To ensure strong stock, the flowers and spiky foliage should be allowed to die right back, which is a good excuse to delay cutting the lawn if you have planted them among the grass and wish to encourage naturalised colonies. Indoors, crocuses can be grown in decorative pots, in water-filled crocus vases or quite simply on a bed of water-soaked pebbles, though the bulbs will be of little use the following year.

SAFFRON
The three stigmas inside the deep-purple petals of the autumn-flowering Crocus sativus are collected and dried to create saffron. For centuries, this precious and expensive substance – one ounce requires the stigmas from more than 4,000 crocus flowers – was prized for medicinal purposes and used to dye clothing a golden yellow. Today, saffron is still used to add colour and flavour to Spanish, North African and Middle Eastern dishes. As this crocus needs warm summers to ripen its corms, it's not easy to grow in cooler climates, but the bulbs can be bought from specialist suppliers, see right.

WHERE TO BUY THEM
Broadleigh Gardens, Bishops Hull, Taunton, Somerset TA4 1AE, (01823) 286231.
Jacques Amand, The Nurseries, Clamp Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 3JS, (020) 8420 7110.
Petersham Nurseries, off Petersham Road, Petersham, Richmond, Surrey TW10 7AG, (020) 8940 5230.
Crocus sativus can be bought from specialist suppliers only in the UK, listed by the RHS.

WORDS AND STYLING JACKY HOBBS
PHOTOGRAPHS MICHELLE GARRETT