What can you scrounge locally (even fossicking where the fly tippers work their foul habit)? Old paint pails with BIG holes for drainage (thumb-thick and about five of them) would give you your depth and the handles made shifting them relatively easy. Which would be useful as Saffron grow better if they're repotted annually - and have a rich mix with excellent drainage. If the plebeian past of old cleaned paint pails is a bit much then making a surround of recycled planks, refreshed with some paint, would disguise them and would hide the pot feet or the pebbles you stand the pots on to help them drain well. You'd probably get five to a pot. That would take you about 3.5 40L bags of potting mix. Less, if you plan to add sharp grit, about 3-5mm diameter, to the mix. I don't think I'd go for a washing machine bowl. They tend to have peculiar drainage problems (but that might just be me). And old tyres in stacks aren't as clever as they're made out to be. :-((( Old wooden boxes lined with thick plastic (such as the potting mix bags opened out and suitably holed) are a possible, if you can get them, and might even be 'art-y'. Or ancient polystyrene chilly bins/eskies - whatever it is you call those things with handles for taking drinks and ice-packs to the beach. And remember that they need a dry dormancy (although that might not be a problem with the heat waves the UK has been enduring in parts). As you have a reasonable number of bulbs you might want to risk a few in a shallower container, too. Just to see if you get flowers AND healthy bulb increase. Hope they do well for you. Those sharp orange-red tassels are something I look forward to each year. Pretty as.

Check out my swap page--I have a number of unusual plants available--yellow clivia, miracle fruit, etc. Thanks! --Rick in CT

Hi! I do not have bulbs to trade, but I do have seeds. I have home grown Serrano, Ghost (Bhut Jolokia), Wiri Wiri, and Scotch Bonnet peppers. All have produced and given me nice peppers I have used. They were open polinatd, but only those peppers were grown so I assume they lost no heat. Hand dried I can give quite a few, so if you want 10 seeds or 50, just ask. I also have a couple year old seeds of other plants if it interests anyone. Onion flavor chives, California Wonder 300tmr Bell pepper, Salad Blend, Spinach, Vates Non Heading Collards, Garlic Chives, and yellow crimson watermelon. A few bulbs will be appreciated a lot. As well if you have any experience with it what is your best advice to grow it in containers here in central florida.

They are planted within my woodland garden area so they are planted with ferns. Eventually, I plan to plant them in a woodland setting with edible spring ferns because I love fiddle heads. Perhaps in our climate think more about companion planting than "cover" cropping. Why? Because you want something that "shows" the crocus when they bloom! They are beautiful - so a decides plant, or something that declines a bit in the fall would be a nice companion. Also something that will not smother, cover or crowd the bulbs out (which means most traditional ground covers are out).