For years I've unsuccessfully attempted Cyclamen purpurascens here in Victoria, BC and can finally report some success. I understand C. p. to be largely a plant of Central Europe: Czechia, perhaps Slovakia and Poland, with populations in northern Italy as well. In captivity, so I have read, it thrives in Chicago gardens, but here in Victoria the combination of bone dry summers, dripping wet winters, and (in my own garden) heavy, poorly drained soil has caused seedlings to repeatedlybtake one look around after being planted out, then depart for the heavenly compost pile. Until now. My house has a small masonry planter to the right of the carport, perhaps 3' long front to back, 1' wide, and 2' deep. Its purpose appears to be to prevent cars entering the carport from taking out a support post on the front right of the entrance. There is narrow roof extension over that planter, and it gets little direct sun, being north facing and shaded from the west by a large Cedrus deodora. The planter is filled with reasonably well drained soil, and gets watered regularly during our summer drought. As I write, three specimens of C. p. are flowering in that planter for the secnd or third year in succession. One of these came from the late Daphne Guernsey's garden, the other two are seedlings. Essentially, that small planter enjoys a climate with an annual precipitation pattern exactly reverse to Victoria's, dryish in winter (thanks to the roof projection), moist in summer. In addition it's in deep enough shade that the soil is not overheated by the sun in summer. Note that the temperature regime in that planter is Victoria's usual mild maritime climate; summer temperatures rarely over 75F, winter temperatures hovring day and night around 42F, with occasional excursions to below freezing. Luck? Probably. Skill? No, just dumb luck finally siting C. p. in the one spot in my garden suitable for it. Others in Mediterranean climates may want to emulate the conditions my C. p. have; success may yet be yours. Questions and comments welcome, as always, but please reply publicly via the mailing list, not privately. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Z. 7-8, cool Mediterranean climate