The joyous and satin petalled Crocus

Another early bloom is the joyful Crocus, which emerges even through a light snowfall.

5 Crocus facts

1. The delicate looking Crocus can emerge through snow, enabled by a waxy cuticle to its leaves and flowers.
2. The crocus has long been a symbol of youth, cheerfulness & glee.
3. The flower is said to have been used by ancient Greeks to ward off the fumes of liquor by weaving the crocus flower into wreaths for the head
4. Various versions of Greek myths tell of Crocus, a young mortal, but all the stories end with him being transformed into this cup shaped flower
5. The spice Saffron is from the Crocus Sativus, (a different species to the ones in your garden!) & is the world’s most expensive spice. Saffron based pigments have been found in the prehistoric paints of 50,000-year-old cave art found in modern-day Iraq