A fine pot of the spring flowering, pale lilac, species crocus, Crocus paschei, was exhibited at the Iris reticulata show by Sue Bedwell, taking first place in its class.
The flowers have a distinctive yellow throat and orange stamens. These ones had luminous petals with delicate veining, but the flowers can sometimes be a darker shade of lilac.
You might wonder why I do not have pictures of the irises to show. Good question. I did manage one:
If you fancy the challenge of growing irises from seed, I noticed that the British Iris Society’s seed list has recently been opened up online so that non-members can purchase spare seeds following the annual members’ exchange. I imagine there will be restrictions on which countries the seeds can be sent to.
Check out the seed list here (an email is given for enquiries) or follow the society on Facebook.
Shared for Cee’s Flower Of The Day.
Susan Rushton 
So stunningly beautiful…and wonderfully photographed.
Thanks, Judy.
Those are beautiful. I don’t believe I have ever seen any.
I don’t think they’re widely available.
Luminous indeed. They look as though they might come with dimmers. There is real joy in this image!
I know what you mean. They have a sunshine character.
You got me thinking (as usual). Not sunshine: moonlight. That’s what they reminded me of but I couldn’t place it! I think it’s the subtle lilac in the white. Another prop for Midsummer Night’s Dream!
I was thinking of their sunny white centres, but moonlight works for me too.
I love plumerias
The scale of the picture is a bit misleading. It’s a species crocus, but I like plumerias too!
Such pretty crocuses – the contrasting colours are stunning. As is your photo.
The stripes are so pale you almost think you’ve imagined them.
Beautiful iris.
The irises were lovely and beautifully staged in the double pots. I was there at the wrong time when a gentleman was taking pictures, and though I loitered hopefully, there was too much garden to see.
Your usual good photography
Thanks, Derrick.
Bright and snazzy! How jaunty they look.
And eager for something, too.
The flowers’ arrangement are soothing and pleasant to the eyes. Beautiful.
It’s a lovely little cluster of blooms.
Lovely crocuses! I like the new look for your blog; it’s very clean, and the body text font is very easy on the eye. And the picture at the top is very colourful, and tells the viewer what to expect.
Thanks for such an encouraging comment. I appreciate it!