If there’s a natural threat to crocus it’s squirrels and other rodents. The hardware cloth works as a barrier. I grew 10 bulbs in a window box and 10 in garden beds.

There's treasure buried in the deep soil of Sequim - crocus sativus bulbs. They grow the flower that makes the most expensive spice in the world - saffron.

But the flower has struggled with a changing environment. Recent surveys, which record sightings in 1km (0.62 miles) squares, show that prior to 2003, the Nottingham Spring Crocus was recorded in ...

The flowers that produce the coveted spice saffron are edible - but you must know the basics of plant identification to discern them from other species first.