First Crocus of 2012 on balcony 11-01-2012

Pretty colour.
Added to GoYpedia Balconies. :o)

you beat me Balcony, shoots are showing so not long to wait.

Lovely colour.

Thanks, TT. :-))

Bampy they surprised me as well! I say 'they' as today I've seen another open but without the stripes. I've also seen more in people's gardens & a place on the ring road where the council planted great groups of them donkey's years ago! Only the yellow ones are open at present - wherever I see them.

Thank you, Lulu! There will soon be many more!

thats nice to see.. :)

sparrows like to nibble the yellow's around here !

Thank you, Holly! :-))

The Sparrows don't seem to touch them around here though I've heard other people say the same as you.

you must have 'posh' sparrows B ;-))

Funny what birds will eat! I was reading about soft fruits a little while ago & they 'chant' the 'mantra' about protecting them from the birds - yet on the allotments Gerry has, (mine doesn't count as it has nothing at present), the birds never seem to touch his Gooseberries, Blackcurrants/Berries or Strawberries & there are always plenty of Blackbirds/Robins/Sparrows that follow us around. The Blackbirds/Robins in particular are always close by when I'm digging & will jump down & pick up worms that are invisible till you see them squirming in their beaks!

The Pigeons are another story! They destroyed my Peas last year & they were growing amongst Sweetpeas as well! As we have no Brassicas they don't bother us. I did cover the few plants of Broccoli a fellow allotmenteer gave me. But a stray Brassica seedling grew for a time which I ignored. Twice the pigeons stripped it down to the bare midriff veins & twice it recovered, third time unlucky!