The woodland, or early crocus, is a welcome sight in late winter. Blooming during Feb-March, the backs of the flowers are silvery lilac and open wide on sunny days to reveal a deeper shade of lilac within – in the cultivar ‘Whitewell Purple’ the colour is deeper as the name implies.

This is the easiest crocus to naturalise as it will self-seed readily. Also the best for planting in lawns. It is more tolerant of shade than many of its counterparts, so is a good choice for woodland areas. It will also be a magnet for insects active early in the year.

All crocus corms are attractive to squirrels so plant them 10cm deep in the autumn and cover with a patch of wire mesh before backfilling with soil or turf. The crocus will grow up through the mesh quite happily and soon you’ll have lots of them popping up in your garden.

Crocus tommasinianus is easy to establish in grass. Shown here at Fletcher Moss Gardens, Didsbury, 6 February 2020