Fall gardens don't have to be devoid of blooms

If you've planted spring-blooming bulbs for years, you may have wondered at those lurking in the front of the catalogs with notes to order early and "plant immediately." Even though these are relatives of spring-blooming bulbs, they pop out their flowers in September, and really need to be in your garden, not in their shipping box.

Bulbs that flower in fall, but look like spring, make most of us do a serious double-take. Consider colchicum, for instance: it produces white, pink or deep lavender flowers in September and October. Flowers resemble small tulips rising leafless, directly out of bare ground. Some are a flurry of petals (Colchicum autumnale 'Pleniflorum'), while others (Colchicum 'Giant') show two-toned petals. The most common here are Colchicum 'Waterlily,' with 6-inch flowers opening a bit like a waterlily, and Colchicum autumnale 'Album,' which is a shimmering white. Colchicums look stunning emerging on the edge of asters or with the foliage of fall chrysanthemums. Once they've settled into the garden, the corms multiply nicely and return each fall with sumptuous flowers.

Colchicum corms are irregularly shaped and large — half the size of a fist. Sometimes called 'Naked Boys' because their leaves don't appear until spring, they thrive in well-drained soil. Colchicums can even bloom without soil. In autumn nursery displays, they sometimes flower while sitting on counters or in boxes. "Plant me please," they seem to plead. One caution: Colchicums contain a poison — colchicine — used medically. All parts are toxic.

Fall crocus also bloom in the September garden. The true fall crocus grows from a thumbnail-sized corm looking exactly like the crocus planted for spring bloom. But these have a trick: they bloom within weeks of planting, and like the colchicum, should be put into the ground as early as possible in late August or early September.

Look for sky-blue flowered Crocus speciosus. One of my favorite autumn scenes is this open, 4-inch blue flower with yellow poplar leaves falling around it like gold coins.

Exotic saffron

Want to impress your friends? The best garden trick of the fall, for adventurous cooks, is to buy and plant fall-blooming saffron (Crocus sativus). The name "crocus" means saffron in ancient Chaldean. Prized by the people of the Mediterranean, it yields only one ounce of spice from 4,000 flowers. So now you know why your kitchen saffron is expensive.

The bulbs aren't particularly expensive, and they grow well here. About a dozen will give you the saffron for one batch of paella — and bragging rights with your friends. Planting and harvesting, while labor-intensive, are simple.

Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Plant a dozen or more saffron crocus about 3 inches deep and 2 inches apart. Water well. Within four weeks of planting, blue flowers will emerge.

When they are fully open and extended, take tweezers and pull out the long bright-orange stigma — each flower has three. You'll have no trouble identifying these even if botany's a mystery. The brilliant color will tip you off. Lay them gently on a paper towel to dry, and you'll have saffron. Commercial harvesting also requires hand labor, and saffron is often dried over very low fires when grown in Spain and Iran.

These magical crocus produce leaves after the bloom; they may not revisit next year, depending on how warm the site is. A hot south-facing slope with no extra summer water will give you the best chance for a return crop. I plant them yearly for the sheer tickle of harvesting the precious spice.

Order from catalogs now; putting it off will mean no fall-bloomers in your garden. Your order will be shipped early and separately from the later bulbs like daffodils and tulips. Good sources are Brent and Becky's Bulbs (www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com) or John Scheepers (www.johnscheepers.com).

You'll also find excellent bulb selections at local independent nurseries after Labor Day. I've often found saffron crocus neglected in its box because its abilities weren't known. Go for it and tell your neighbors, or keep the secret to yourself!

Garden expert Mary Robson, retired area horticulture agent for Washington State University/King County Cooperative Extension, appears regularly in Practical Gardener and in our Saturday home section, digs. Her e-mail is marysophia@olympus.net.