One of our most eagerly-awaited moments in the gardens at Fearrington each Fall is the re-appearance of the Colchicums. These delicately-toned and delicate-seeming Fall bulbs signal for us the end of a long, hot summer and the return of cooler days ahead. While members of the Lily family, Colchicums are in fact, poisonous to critters, and thus quite deer-proof. The large, goblet-shaped blooms emerge from the ground like magic each September, and flower leafless for weeks before dying back and finishing their show. In the Spring, deep green, Hosta-like leaves appear in their place. Coming in a variety of colors, from purest white to rosy and lilac, Colchicum prefer rich, well-drained soil and partial shade. Here at Fearrington, we like to tuck them under the edge of shrubs and along pathways, where their appearance will surprise and delight passers-by. An added plus: many varieties are fragrant as well!
Like the Autumn crocus, with whom they are often confused, Colchicums need to be planted very early in the Fall, so we plan on adding new varieties in mid-summer, when we place our Spring bulb orders. While their shapes and colors echo those of the Spring crocus, we find that they complement beautifully the russet and jewel tones of Fall and and so we take great pleasure in finding new ways to combine them in our autumn gardens. Colchicum, along with the other Fall-blooming bulbs, such as Lycoris, Cyclamen, and Autumn crocus, have allowed us to greatly expand the experience of Fall in the gardens at Fearrington.