Jim, I have heard comments from folks such as Mark McD that some of the later flowering fall crocus can be frustrating because they often (?) don't really get going until winter has had a couple of early flings and they can be buried in early snow and/or frozen. In 7 + years here this has not been a problem, just the very tail end of them occasionally gets hit, and that is after established clumps have been in flower for up to a month ! One of the joys of crocus is that, even though individual flowers can be ephemeral or weather damaged, a decent corm will send up a great succession of blooms. With our weather patterns here, which come and go quickly, this means you always get a decent display at some time from each species. I suspect you should do fine where you are as I think winter comes later than in the far NE ? Yes, the current regulations, especially as imposed in the past 12 months, can be problematical and have caused a number of knee-jerk responses from Societies which, whilst understandable, are very frustrating. Other individual suppliers choose not to go down the route of phytos, but the Czech sellers I mentioned do send phytos. I hope common sense prevails this year and an import permit replaces the need for a phyto from the exporter. This does, as you say, encourage illegal imports, although crocus are neither triffids or kudzu. J. Dr John T Lonsdale 407 Edgewood Drive, Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, USA Phone: 610 594 9232 Fax: 801 327 1266 Visit "Edgewood" - The Lonsdale Garden at http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/ Zone 6b