Do you have a picture of what they look like in bloom? I would love to see it.

It a bit hard for my simple digital camera to show small crocus blooms scattered around the lawn (one reason I want to plant them more thickly), and it has been a while since I posted a picture, but I'll give it a try.

http://h1.ripway.com/cavebear/Crocuses070322.JPG

I have a better close-up of one patch. It's in the lawn, but in a corner where the leaves blow in...

http://h1.ripway.com/cavebear/CrocusBocquet.jpg

They seem utterly happy there. It was only a few bulbs originally, but the patch grows larger each year.

Oops. Sorry, I forgot how to do it right. My bad!

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You can still buy crocus, tulip and other bulbs on eBay. Type in "flower bulbs" to search.

Before I planted all bulbs in fall I sprayed them with Bonide Repels All which doesn't specifically list squirrels as one of critters it deters but might be worth a try. I also got medium guage steel wool and stretched it around bulbs to deter diggers in case the nasal irritation of spray didn't work. I did this to crocus bulbs even though everything I read said critters wouldn't bother them but I wasn't taking any chances.

It was extra work and I certainly didn't plant nearly as many bulbs as you do but might be worth a try. Squirrels here have seeds to keep them busy that are scattered for birds to eat. They haven't even dug in the 8 containers of bulbs I planted up.

Like I said...they have enough other dining options for eating but they're probably "playing" with your bulbs which makes the "why" of it a moot point in trying in stop them!

Now that bulbs seem relatively safe from critters for the winter I'm grappling with how to keep rabbits, groundhogs and chipmunks from eating bulb greenery before anything gets to bloom! I included tulips regardless of the fact that everyone told me it's a losing battle to try and keep critters away from them. Haven't had a tulip in years but it's worth a shot...of all kinds of repellant sprays.

Yardenman, I think that Newbie in NJ could be on to something: I have had the squirrels dig up lots of bulbs - not only crocuses - and they don't eat them. They are just strown all over the beds where they freeze and turn to mush. I was really furious when I first discovered it. I hope some will make it through the winter!

Wildlife! Can't live with it - or without it LOL.
Marianne

Check out this photo I found on Photos.com:

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Closeup:
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I keep this around for inspiration. I would love to plant crocus on this scale someday.

Yike! There are crocuses and there are CROCUSES!

One option I have heard of that may work: plant bulbs under those little plastic baskets used for selling berries. Just place the Crocus where you want them, place the baskets upside down over them, and fill in the holes.

A note re. repellents: I had an extremely nasty reaction to a latex spreader-sticker used in a repellent that kept
ME out of my garden for a long time. The critters it was supposed to repel of course ate every single leaf I missed...

Those purple crocus are just perfection, Yardenman!

Ladychroe, thanks for sharing those super crocus photographs you found. I upped the zoom level and can see people looking over the fence just amazed at the vision they're beholding.

If you're in Jersey @ Zone 6 you must be feeling the chilly winds today too and have some "spring envy" when looking at the sun in these pics. I know I am even though we haven't had a speck of snow yet.

I am. The weather went from sunny and 45 to windy and 28 with snow showers in the matter of a few hours.