> >Blue Dicks, which we now call Dichelostemma capitatum but which in the past >has been called Brodiaea capitata and B. pulchella, is in bloom now in my >protected cold frame (which might as well be the open ground this year - it >has not been closed in months). This is a favorite. > Hi Jim: D. capitatum has been hardy here out in the garden. In the GH, it bloomed for well over three months (and set some seed), starting in mid November. I put a few in a pot to bring to the sale table at the local NARGS meeting in Raleigh this coming weekend. Tom Stuart, a friend from up north, is speaking about rockery ferns, so I'm making the trek. Brodiaea stellaris is now in bloom, a favorite. In my experience, Brodiaea require no special treatment. Well drained mix (Bio-comp with extra perlite or Pro-mix with extra perlite or sand), dry from late spring till mid September in the frost free GH with a piece of twiggy "pea brush" stuck in the pot for support. Best, Mark Mazer Hertford, North Carolina USA Zone 7b-8