I went through my galanthomania phase about forty years ago. I eventually ended up importing plants (pre CITES) in the green from Mr. Mars of Haselmere (an early incarnation of Avon Bulbs). I think I paid about $5 for a single bulb of 'Lady Elphinstone' (since lost) - back then a lot of money for me. I never experienced more than a light infection by the white disease: my snowdrop collection has never numbered more than two dozen bought varieties. But I chose well and got what I still think of as satisfying, representative variation. Thanks primarily to CITES, the US is experiencing extreme galanthopenia. At this stage of my life, I'm actually trying to ease myself into galanthopenia. I'll keep two sorts only in numbers: 'S. Arnott' and Galanthus nivalis. Each of these will get a bed about 20' x 3' or so and there will probably be winter aconites with them. One of the beds will have an overplanting of Begonia grandis - this is a great plant for such a use because it emerges so late. At one time I contemplated a comparably big bed of Galanthus elwesii, but that one is so variable that mass plantings lack the uniformity I want in such a planting. The other snowdrops I have now will be clumped here and there around the garden. Well, that's my plan: let's hope it soon moves beyond the dream stage. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.021954º North, 77.052102º West, USDA zone 7 My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ <http://www.jimmckenney.com/> BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org /<http://www.pvcnargs.org/> Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/ <http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/>