Agapanthus - seed-grown hybrids Dahlias - our soil doesn't warm up fast enough to get them growing quickly, so they flower late if left in the ground. They flower faster if they are started inside. One of the species, D. merckii, was successful for a long time but its spot became very shady. Eranthis - this died out in an unwatered area but has survived in a watered place. I think it would like more moisture, and then would seed. Galtonia viridiflora - this one is seed-grown and in an area that gets watered, so it survives. The G. candicans that died were from purchased bulbs and planted in an unwatered area. I think I should try some more Galtonias from seed and water them. Gladiolus - big summer-blooming hybrids do fine left in the ground. I've had no success with the G. nanus hybrids - the little ones sold in the fall. Leucojum autumnale has sweet tiny pink flowers, but I didn't move it fast enough from the monocot seedling bed and suddenly huge clumps of dierama engulfed the Leucojum. (well, it took a couple of years.) Lilium szovitzianum has been growing since '76. I kept trying to get seed from it and it wasn't till quite recently that I found that lilies won't produce seed when self-pollinated. I am now growing some seedlings so my poor old plant will have a mate. ===================================================================== Do well, and increase enough to give a small piece to a friend: Crocosmia - I have a small collection that I brought from England. A long time ago I made the mistake of buying a mixed package - one of those cellophane packs with a coloured picture that garden centres hang on racks in the spring. One was very vigorous - it would have made a good lawn - just leaves, but it might have had a flower every year or so. I managed to get rid of it before I started buying good ones. Ranunculus ficaria Brazen Hussy and a few other named ones - such a glow when they flower early in the year - these might prove too vigorous in moist conditions, but they don't stay above ground very long. Trillium albidum, hibbersonii, ovatum, rivale, tschonoskii. Actually, these don't seed anymore as the deer eat them (except for hibbersonii which is too small to be noticed, and this is the exception to the gifting - it has taken 20 years for my single seedling to increase to three). Tritonia disticha rubrolucens with its graceful stems of pink flowers does so well that I am growing a lot more species from Silverhill seed. ============================================================= Do well in moist gardens, but not here: Cardiocrinum Zantedeschia aethiopica ================================================================= -- Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada maritime zone 8 cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually) sandy soil