Crocus sativus will produce more flowers next fall, if the foliage is exposed to maximum sunlight and remains green as long as possible. You didn't indicate when they bloomed, but the foliage will usually last for 4-5 months afterward(about mid-winter here). I don't think you need to be concerned about temperature, as long as it is above zero degrees, they should be fine. Some references list their hardiness as -30°F, others at -20°F., with a thick layer of mulch(4+"). You might consider using some heating tape (the type used for wrapping pipes to prevent freezing) and burying it a couple of inches deep in the planter's soil, for use on extremely cold nights. It is fairly inexpensive, available at most HD, Lowes & Hardware stores and operates for pennies a day. I grow a number of fall blooming bulbs, including several species of Crocus and enjoy them immensely! Good luck! :Rb

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.

All I know is that the light purple ones are the type used for the saffron. I had originally bought some and was shipped a variety that had no aroma or taste when I picked the stamens. The crocus blossoms I originally had, were very hardy and bloomed in fall with multiple blooms, which is not common to the Sativus strain. I contacted the company (White Flower Fram) I bought them from and was told they had a mixup. The following fall, I was shipped another batch and these started to show green shoots the following spring, then the rabbits, or other rodents got hold of the greens and chewed them all to the soil level. Since then, I have not seen a single crocus emerge in the planted area and must assume that my $30 plantings were destroyed. I don't plan to try again, due to the way these grew for me, unless I build some kind of metal screened cage that covers the whole crocus bed and protects it from any chewing animal. A couple of choices below, but most are sold out now, and will not come back into stock until the fall when they start shipping again. http://www.bloomingbulb.com/XQ/ASP/ProductKey.492/bulbs.Saffron%20Crocus/flower.Sativus/QX/cartProductDetail.htm White Flower Farm in CT carries them in the fall too. Bulb Mart in Ohio is selling them in eBay right now too.. I have seen a price there of $8.99 for 10 bulbs. They show a dark purple/blue color in their photo, and I have even seen a few white ones. But in any event, the Sativus is the strain you want. Good luck.. Here is a link that might be useful: Blooming Bulb

One of my garden blogging friends harvests the saffron with tweezers! Her garden blog is "Fairegarden" linked from my blog. I'll see if I can find her article. She lives in the mountains of Tennessee. Cameron