Dear Bill and Diane and all, There hasn't been much response to Diane's suggestion about our compiling data about how long it takes to grow a bulb from seed to flowering. I too keep records of my successes and failures. I suspect there are members of us who would have different results. I remember on the IBS forum that Bill R. and Will Ashburner had a list of one year from seed that I came in on late in the game and I saw things on that list that I couldn't get to bloom in one year and was impressed with their skill. In the last few years I have learned enough that I am improving, but suspect I have a very long way to go. I would find Bill's information very interesting if he wants to share it. I found the data base Jim Shields compiled a number of years ago of Jack Elliot's experiences with seed fascinating, partly because of when he started things, but also because it showed what he had success with and what he didn't. I have had bloom from some South African glad species from seed in two years. Others are years old, with still very tiny corms and showing absolutely no interest in blooming. I think Diane's idea is a good one. We could compile the results and put it in our newsletter. I know many of us are very busy trying to repot things right now so I have tried to think of a way we could get this data without making it so complicated we wouldn't get very many people to participate. So this is what I have thought might work. How about if in the next few weeks anyone who is willing to share with the group reports of any species of geophyte that he or she has gotten to bloom in one year or less. Just report the name of the plant and your location. We'd give it several weeks so people could look things up and would be willing to take the data later as well. If that works, we can then work on from one to two years and so on. You'd expect some things on the first list might also be on the second. What does everyone think? Is there any interest in this? I suppose we could start with seed that never germinated. I'd be interested in compiling a list of that too, if only to reassure me I am not alone and as a way to get others who were successful with the same seed to tell us what they did. Mary Sue