Focus on the Crocus

Rotary International in Ireland
Hi Everyone,
Well, WE
DID IT!!
Top District in the crocus stakes - by about 10 miles! We ended up with orders for 411,000 bulbs. (in 2nd place is District 1030 with 330,000
bulbs)
Look out for the next edition of Thanks for Life News (T4L News) - D.1160 is promised headlines. Bulletin is out now.
Today, I feel the way I imagine Bob Gelgof felt after Live Aid. Whilst he spent the day shouting: "Send me your f……g money!!", I hope I came
over as a little more restrained! Not a lot…but a little!
The credit for our success lies firmly at the feet of our marvellous Clubs and their willingness to make instant decisions on their respective levels of
participation. (see spreadsheet attached)
At no point was any Club / individual pressurised to participate - all orders were place willingly.
We started very late in this project - as I explained in my original e-mail on 17th July, D.1160 and some others were mistakenly omitted from the
original circulation list - and, in less than 3 weeks, we surpassed all other RIBI Districts. We can all be proud of our achievement. Well done!
Stats:
61 of our 74 Clubs placed orders (82.5%)
averge order - 6,738 bulbs
average over all 74 Clubs - 5,541 bulbs
biggest order: Newtownabbey with 25,000 bulbs
2nd biggest order: Limerick Shannon with 15,000 bulbs
Planting instructions & suggestions attached.
Once I learn exact delivery costs, I will invoice each Club. Please, don't send cheques at this point. You rarely hear that said in Rotary - certainly,
I've never said it before! - so make the most of it. It will probably never be said again!
I plan to have ALL orders delivered to Slieve Russell Hotel on the Conference weekend, thus minimising delivery costs. (If, for any reason, your
Club wants the bulbs delivered earlier or to a different address, please drop me a line and I'll organise it. There will, of course, be an extra delivery
charge)
A box of 5,000 bulbs weighs 16Kg (8 bags of sugar, in old money!) and is 24 inches x 12 inches x 8 inches (again, in old money!) If your memory
lets you down, your child/grandchild will tell you what that means in centimetres!
I would ask that each Club picks up its box(es) over the Conference weekend.
If, as a Club, you decide to mass plant the bulbs, please drop me a line. All things being equal, and weather permitting, Andy Cameron - District
1160's own Waldo Pepper! - will take some aerial photographs in February and you might well see your efforts displayed in "COGS", "Rotary
Today" or even "The Rotarian" (I'm determined to get a D.1160 article in "The Rotarain" at some point)
Special thanks to DG Wes (used his influence as Numero Uno!), DG-E Barney (e-mailed all Clubs), DG-N Jack (stood in for AG Rick Considine,
who is on holiday), DRFC Caroline (coordinated the orders) and, most of all, the 8 x AGs (all played a blinder!)
On behalf of the Thanks for Life Committee (Bill Armstrong / Ethna Fitzgerald / PGD Sean Doyle & myself) I congratulate everyone who
contributed to the success of this project.
Hopefully, this effort will translate into greater giving next February and we can fulfil our obligation to the Polio Eradication Challenge within 201011.
Now, there's a challenge if ever I heard one!
Cheers.
PDG Howard
T4L Coordinator (D.1160)
Regional Rotary Foundation Coordsinator (Zone 17)
RIBI Foundation Committee Chair 2009-10
PolioPlus Coordinator, Zone 17 2006-08
Planting the letter ‘R’ as a logo
It was decided to plant this in crocuses, namely Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’. The flower colour is ruby-purple, the flowering
height is 10 cm, and, depending on the location, the flowering period can begin during the second half of February.
Directions for creating the logo:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Mark out the logo in the grass with canes.
Then remove the grass down to a depth of 5-6 cm.
Loosen the surface somewhat and level it.
Along the contours of the letter, place the crocus corms 2-3 cm apart, following the contour line carefully.
Make sure that the noses of the corms are pointed upward.
The remaining crocuses should be strewn uniformly within the contours.
The sods can then be replaced.
Slowly run a grass roller over the surface so that the letter is once again the same height as it was before.
All of this should be done in mid-October.
The number of corms size 5/up cm required per m² is 200.
After flowering, mowing must be postponed for 5-6 weeks.
At that time, fertilizer (12N-10P-18K) should be applied to ensure proper flowering next year.
PS: If the sods cannot be removed without much damage to them, the letter can also be sown with a perennial grass seed. In this
case, fill the letter with soil and then sow the grass seed.
This should be done immediately after planting the corms.
Frans Roozen
Technical Director
International Flower Bulb Centre
T: (0031) (0)252 628962
M: (0031) (0)6 51198021
PS Pre-shipment the bulbs will be stored at a temperature level (no lower than 17 c ) for optimum planting condition. When the
cartons are delivered to Districts/Clubs they should be stored in a cool place and they should be opened to allow air movement (air
circulation is more important than temperature at this point).
Planting the Rotary Wheel / logo
We are planting a purple crocus variety called Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’. The flower colour is purple, the
flowering height is 10 cm, and, depending on the location, the flowering period should begin during the second half of
February, but may need to be forced if excessively cold.
To create a compatible yellow contrast we (IFBC) recommend the botanical early flowering mini trumpet Narcissus
“Topolino”.
Directions for creating the logo:
1. Mark out the logo in the grass with canes.
2. Then, either remove the grass ‘cut-outs’ to a depth of 5-6cm for the crocus and 10 cm for the narcissi to create a
series of beds, leaving 10cm’s between the colours, or excavate the inner wheel, except the 6 green triangles
and centre circle to an even depth of 10cm.
3. Loosen the surface somewhat and level it.
4. Along the crocus contours / boundary lines neatly place the crocus corms 2-3 cm apart to create a neat boundary
line.
5. Make sure that the noses of the corms are pointed upward.
6. The remaining crocuses can be spread uniformly within each bed (2,3,4,5 & 7 of the diagram) at the rate shown
below.
7. The narcissi should be planted 5 cm apart neatly along their boundary lines in areas shown as 1, 6 and 8 of the
diagram with the balance for each sector spread uniformly in the void.
8. Leave a gap of 10cm between the crocus and narcissi boundaries to create clear lines of demarcation.
9. Fill in the beds with top soil.
10. Slowly run a grass roller over the surface so that the beds are level with surrounding grassed area.
11. Rake and sow the ‘beds’ with perennial grass seed. Lightly re-roll and sprinkle a little top soil over the grass seed.
Water in if necessary.
12. All of this should be completed by mid-October, if possible.
The number of crocus corms size 5/7 cm required per m² is 150. The number of narcissus size 10/ up cm required per
m2 is 100
Post flowering
Mowing of the area can be undertaken some 5-6 weeks after flowering. At that time, scatter slow release fertilizer (12n10p-18k) to ensure proper flowering next year.
Bulbs numbers – see diagram for key to areas
Plantation Rotary Logo
25 square metres (5mx5m square)
Bed No.
Area
Quantiy
Variety
Colour
Height
Flowering
1
8 m2
800
Narcissus Topolino
yellow
15 cm
Feb/March
2
2 m2
400
Crocus tommasinianus Ruby Giant
purple
10-12 cm
January
3
2 m2
400
Crocus tommasinianus Ruby Giant
purple
10-12 cm
January
4
4 m2
800
Crocus tommasinianus Ruby Giant
purple
10-12 cm
January
5
2 m2
400
Crocus tommasinianus Ruby Giant
purple
10-12 cm
January
6
10 m2
1000
Narcissus Topolino
yellow
15 cm
Feb/March
7
1m2
200
Crocus tommasinianus Ruby Giant
purple
10-12 cm
January
8
1 m2
100
Narcissus Topolino
yellow
15 cm
Feb/March
Total amount Narcissi
1900
Total amount Crocus
2200
Frans Roozen Technical Director International Flower Bulb Centre T: (0031) (0)252 628962
Contacts for Britain in Bloom Coordinators who may be used by Rotarian lead people.
Transaenk Ulster/ Antrim Borough Council Colin McElrath 028 0446 3113 [email protected]
Ards Borough Council John McConnell 028 0182 4014 [email protected]
Armagh City & District Council David McKee 028 3752 9625 [email protected]
Ballymena Borough Council Denise Reynolds 028 2563 3930 [email protected]
Ballymoney Borough Council John Michael 028 2766 0227 [email protected]
Banbridge District Council Eric Morton 028 4006 0604 [email protected]
Belfast City Council Alex McNeill 028 9032 0202 [email protected]
Carrickfergus Borough Council Stephen Daye 028933 56039 [email protected]
Castlereagh Borough Council Billy Torrens 028 9049 4500 [email protected]
Coleraine Borough Council Paul Jess 028 7035 1718 [email protected]
Craigavon Borough Council Joanne Graltan 028 3831 1681 [email protected]
Derry City Council Danny McCartney 028 7126 1112ext223 [email protected]
Down District Council Damien Brannigan 028 4461 0800 [email protected]
Dungannon& South Tyrone Robert Mcminn 028 8772 0390 [email protected]
Fermanagh District Council Gerry Knox 028 6632 3533 [email protected]
Lame Borough Council Chris Hogg 028 2826 7413 [email protected]
Limavady Borough Council James McArthur 028 7776 0305 [email protected]
Lisburn City Council Brian Porter/ Roy Hanna 028 926 00801 [email protected]
Magherafelt District Council Brian Kissick 028 7939 7979 [email protected]
Moyle District Council Dawn Raferty 028 2076 2225 [email protected]
Newry & Mourne District Council Tom Daly 028 3031 3233 [email protected]
Newtownabbey Borough Council Margaret Lindsy 028 9034 0045 [email protected]
North Down Borough Council Ian Beaney 028 9127 0371 [email protected]
Omagh District Council 028 8224 7859 [email protected]
Strabane District Council Malcolm Scott 028 7138 2204 [email protected]
Banbridge District Council Eric Morton 028 4006 0604 [email protected]
Enquiries on this briefing: DG Roger Percival, [email protected]
Mobile: 0780 110359 Home: 01423 560889
T4L / Focus on the crocus – planting guidance
For those turning their thoughts to the practicalities of planting some of those 3 million
bulbs we are collectively ordering, here are some web links to guide you.
I am aware from some enquiries
received, however, that the generic
advice doesn’t necessarily cover
some of the finer, technical
questions asked of you.
If you are struggling to respond to a
query why not drop a line to Sophie,
in the first instance who will consult
with the experts at the Dutch Flower Bulb Centre
(IFBC) and get back to you. Just email
[email protected] and include Rotary in the subject
line or visit www.thebigbulbplant.com
Alternatively contact Rtn. Graham Carter. (Brentwood a` Becket RC D1240) who understands these
things and is keen to help Phone: (M) 07850 604670 Email: Graham [email protected]
Here’s a list of helpful links to sites
Simple generic bulb planting guide from GeeTee Bulbs http://www.gee-tee.co.uk/planting-guide.htm
A basic video guide from the BigBulbPlant http://www.thebigbulbplant.com/news/view/youtube_post/
http://www.thebigbulbplant.com/inspiration/view/
Planting crocuses in general – IFBC
http://www.prod.bulbsonline.org/ibc/us_en/publiek/collection.jsf/bulbs_gardening/spring-bloomingbulbs/crocus
More specifically - our bulb - the Crocus tommasinianus – IFBC
http://www.prod.bulbsonline.org/ibc/us_en/publiek/flowerbulb.jsf/bulbs_gardening/spring-bloomingbulbs/crocus/Crocus-tommasinianus.html
Planting methods - IFBC
http://www.prod.bulbsonline.org/ibc/us_en/professional/collection.jsf/Information/landscapinginformation/planting
Planting time and planting depth – general guide
It is important to plant flower bulbs at the right time. Flower bulbs that bloom early (from January to
March) should be planted in September/October. A general rule for the planting depth is to plant the
bulbs at a depth at least twice the height of the bulb (a minimum of 5 cm / 2 inches). Not planting bulbs
deep enough results in poor rooting that leads, in turn, to an uneven emergence of short spindly plants.
Planting too deep can result in rotting as well as late emergence.
Hope that helps,
Stephen, D1260
FOTC/guides/sms/july2010
Focus on the Crocus
Club
North Down
Dublin Central
Bray
Belfast West
Comber
Bangor
Mallow
Tralee
Mullingar
Sligo
Londonderry
Glanmire
Clonmel
Athlone
Cork Bishopstown
DunLaoghaire
Naas
Kilkenny
Coleraine
Limavady
Dungannon
Belfast East
Belfast
Lagan Valley
Newry
Ballymena
Ballymoney
Antrim
Lisburn
Lurgan
Newtownabbey
Frank Arnold
Portlaoise
Verity Swan
Dublin
Omagh
Monaghan
Strabane Lifford
Armagh
Portadown
Dublin North
Youghal
Cookstown
Larne
Cork
Cork Douglas
Navan
enniskillen
Carrickfergus
Wicklow
Newbridge
Tullamore
newtownards
Contact
Number of bulbs
5000
5000
5000
5000
6000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
10000
10000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
25000
5000
4000
5000
5000
5000
10000
5000
10000
5000
5000
10000
10000
5000
10000
10000
5000
10000
10000
10000
5000
1000
5000
Sam McCrea
Wes/Howard
Bandon
Fermoy
Limerick Shannon
Dublin Fingal
Waterford
Limerick thomond
Galway
Galway Salthill
Ballina
Castlebar
Eamonn O Raghallaigh
Total
5000
5000
5000
5000
15000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
5000
411,000