Alberto's comments about varieties of Leucojum autumnale are very interesting. I grow vars. autumnale, oporanthum and pulchellum here (in name at least, although the sources were reliable) and they all flower at the same time, give or take a few days, and without leaves, which follow shortly thereafter. Flowering appears to be stimulated by watering in September, which also presumably drops the compost temperature in the pot. I keep them dry in the summer. Bulbs outside have done very badly. A large clump flowered beautifully a few years ago but the leaves were completely trashed by snow and ice (not cold air) and the bulbs died out soon after. In answer to Jane's question - I grow and flower Sternbergia candida reliably outside, but it isn't totally hardy here. Last year I lost 2 of 3 bulbs in one spot, but the third made 4 or 5 good-sized offsets. J. Dr John T Lonsdale, 407 Edgewood Drive, Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, USA Home: 610 594 9232 Cell: 484 678 9856 Fax: 801 327 1266 Visit "Edgewood" - The Lonsdale Garden at http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/ USDA Zone 6b