Dear all:
If you go to John Lonsdale superb site you will see fantastic
images of my namesake and of Rolf Fiedler.
As for their perennial roots, in nature they survive the summer
with slight moisture, of course they must not be watered like tomatoes!!,
particularly in hot climates or they will rot. It is just a matter of not
letting the main roots dry off or the bulbs will have to waste precious
energy every year to have them formed again. I have received plenty of
comments over the years on how a little summer water put the plants back to
their normal profuse flowering.
Regards
Alberto