This Crocus tomassinianus, is our favourite, and the best early insect friendly flower to bloom in our garden. Usually beginning around Valentin’e Day and continuing for 6 weeks or so, this year it started about 5 weeks early in the first week of January. There are few insects around now, but if you look closely at the tiny fly on the top tepal (petal), you can see lots of orange pollen grains on its legs, so even these tiny flies have a valuable role in pollination. But there are so few around, if you want good seed set, you can artificially pollinate with a small paintbrush. As with many flower groups, many hybrid Crocus aren’t as attractive to insects, and may indeed be sterile 17/02/02