Variations on a Theme

One of the great things about raising plants from seed is that you sometimes get to see the genetic variability of the species.  Much of what is available in commerce is produced by vegetative increase through various horticultural techniques.   Success (and profit) is determined by speed and cost of making more and producing lots of identical plants.   This is less important to plant nerds like me who revel in difference!    I recently showed the almost white flowered variant of Crocus goulimyi, here you can see the purple form and a very nice bicoloured form too.   The bicoloured ones also have considerably larger flowers.   There's another interesting variation here too.  Crocuses do things in threes.    Two whorls of three petals  and three anthers but inn a seasonal mutation, one flower has two whorls of four petals and four anthers.  This happens very occasionally in any species but next year the plant will revert to type.

After a lie in, I've had a lazy day ... at least by my standards.   Laundry - a long prewash soak in soda crystals and detergent for Jamie's bedlinen, long overdue a change.   :-( My fault, took my eye off the ball on that one.   Some admin, a trip to the post office and an hours work this evening when I was feeling  a lot less washed out than yesterday.   The headache has receded too and hopefully another good sleep will be restorative.   It will need to be, another member of staff at work is off after feeling unwell.   More cafe work ahead for sure but with the end of the season only weeks away, the pressure will be off soon.

In other news, Bella came over for a visit while Jamie was busy - hah was to be shopping but they fell asleep :-)   She missed him and was repeatedly looking to the front door but did eventually settle with me and Meg in the sofa where we were all a bit dozy for a bit.