Monday 9 March 2015

Crocus - the Tulip wannabe?

So today we're battening down the hatches ready for these storms that are supposed to be hitting us overnight and tomorrow. Already the wind is picking up and I'm finding myself looking out at my garden more and more as it starts to whip through - the damage from the last storm has been recified but I don't want to subject it to another onslaught.

I'm happy to report though that I am now quietly confident that the Yucca which had its root snapped during the last storm is looking like it is going to survive.
I really did have my doubts because the main root was snapped to halfway though but we staked the Yucca up using a scaffold pole, insulated all round the base with straw held down with slate and the Yucca appears to be thriving (if not a tad wind burnt).


I grew Crocus in pots last year and left them in my polytunnel pretty much forgotten about so I was really surprised to go in there a couple of days ago and find them flowering their little socks off despite my neglect. I bought them in doors onto the kitchen window whereby they very quickly seemed to wilt and as I've never grown these before I'm not sure if this is normal or whether they didn't like being looked after - ungrateful so snd so's.
Anyway with the weather outside being naff for a change (yes I joke. Not about it being naff but about it being for a change) I decided to get to grips with an Olympus bridge camera that I got for xmas 2 years ago after much moaning to MrTG that I desperately needed one (I've used it about 4 times...including this time).
As it turns out my Nikon Coolpix camera that is only 2 years old has finally given up the ghost. It's been repaired 3 times under warranty but I'm not paying for this new needed repair (dropped it in the pond for literally 1 second) so I figured I should get used to this Olympus bridge camera.
It has some really weird and strange functions and I can't imagine why a person would need to use them but I thought I'd try a couple of them:

Here's the reflection setting






I kind of enjoyed playing with that setting, it made the Crocus look so arty.

This next setting is called starburst I think and it adds a sparkle to the white highlights

The next two are just the usual P setting meaning that I could set all the white balance etc.


I'm not actually a fan of Crocus - they look too much like a Tulip wannabe to me, so I suspect these bulbs will all be planted out once flowerng is over along with some Iris retuculata in pots that seems to be determined not to flower despite producing lovely foliage.

2 comments:

  1. I think crocuses prefer to be cool so maybe would maybe liked to stay outdoors. The reflection is a strange mode maybe if you took a scenic shot it would emulate a reflection in water. I quite like the starburst.

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  2. I'm glad your yucca made it! Those are interesting camera settings. Those last two are so pretty! I actually like crocus more than tulips, I think because they blooms so early.

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