Travis asked, "My question: What bulbs like growing in troughs? Do bulbs dwindle if they aren't refreshed every few years (by dumping the contents and adding fresh growing medium)? Ian grows Galanthus and Tecophilaea in troughs. Anyone else grow bulbs in troughs? " Growing bulbs in troughs is a good compromise between putting them in the open ground (where predators may eat them) and growing them in pots (where they may not have adequate root room). Fertilizing them is necessary; some growers use bone meal, but if any animals (dogs, cats, raccoons, coyotes) have access to the troughs, you are better off with a soluble fertilizer such as Miracle-Grow Blossom Booster (lower nitrogen) applied at half strength in fall and spring. Renewing the soil does not have to be done as often as in pots but I would recommend it at least every four years. Adding prilled lime (Cal-Pril) to the mix will boost nutrition for most bulbs, since like me Travis lives in an acid-soil and rock area. Keeping Galanthus in troughs is a way to segregate special, expensive forms and rare species, and permits easier ways to shield them from bulb fly. Tecophilaea is a good subject for a trough because (1) it grows better with adequate root room, and (2) it flowers best if grown close to the limit of its cold-hardiness rather than in a frost-free greenhouse. If you keep your troughs small enough, you can move them under protection during severe cold spells. You can also cover them easily with a frost blanket such as microfoam (Reemay is not adequate). Making troughs on a base of a styrofoam fish box, as mentioned, is a popular way of creating containers that are not too large or heavy to move, although they are more fragile than the traditional hypertufa trough. Another option has been devised at Wild Ginger Farms by Truls Jensen and PBS member Emma Elliott; they use deep, sturdy "propagation flats" from Anderson Company, which are small enough to move (if you're as big and strong as Truls, anyway) and offer adequate root room for small alpines and bulbs. I recently planted up several of these with alpine seedlings. More information on troughs is available through http://www.nargs.org/ and the many articles on the subject that have appeared in rock and alpine gardening society journals over the years. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA