I found both the Nerine and Hymenocallis bulbs at Meijer's... they had a spring bulb display, and these were among the choices... the Nerine was just a single bulb in a bag with a photo of the bright pink flower, and the description/name said "Nerine Bowdenii". I've got it potted since it's just a single bulb... I'd have to dig it from the garden in fall, anyway. Other display choices included things like Glads, Dahlias, Cannas... mostly tender bulbs and rhizomes. I chose the two types above, plus a bag of 25 little Oxalis corms. We also grabbed a few packages of the green and white flowered Glads. Those should be very pretty! The Oxalis will be potted up in groups of 5 in hanging baskets, and at least one of those baskets will be a houseplant! We'll probably sell the others. I just wish they would have had "garden amaryllis" among the display choices, but Sam's Club is the only place I've seen those... and I don't want an entire package of 14 bulbs, or whatever the box count was. Can't wait to see what your Nerine looks like! They are probably identical to mine, but you never know! Yours will most likely show a bit different due to the difference in environments.

Once I made a deal with a neighbor like that. I dug up her whole garden. Mind it it was HUGE. But at the end, when I removed all the tulip bulbs I could find, she poured them into two separate, equal sized containers and gave one of them to me. Half of her all of her bulbs became mine... She wanted to get the bulbs from her property because they have started to disappear and not to flower anymore. When I dug up everything and moved everything around, even though I removed ALL the bulbs I could see, the lot was full of blooms following year. She also planted her bulbs in new areas on her property by just digging a trench and pouring the bulbs in there not caring. I, on the other hand, planted them all around the house in perfect lines one by one for tedious hours. I could not believe my eyes next year. There were varieties, colors, shapes that we have never seen before in her garden. I was so glad that I spent a week with digging in her garden. I was a kid... Kids do things adults wouldn't do anymore. I don't know if I'd go out and dig a garden 2 feet deep for bulbs for a week in the middle of Summer. :o) Hell, I am not even willing to walk the dog... I became so lazy that it hurts. :o) But I run downhill to the mail box when my bulbs arrive and drag it up with me. If it were an amaryllis lot full of bulbs, I would probably dig though. You only dig them when they start to withdraw, so it is the time around now. The weather is great. No scorching Sun, no burning heat. Then plant all my bulbs in front of the house. :o)

So this is normal that the bulbs are trying to bloom early? I also have poppies coming up. They're on the protected side of the house and didn't feel the frost. I have crocus coming up and anemones. I lived the last 13 years in the mountains, I never got to see the bulbs until Jan for crocus and so on for the rest. I have brand new daylillie "bulbs" that I planted and expected them to just veg there until spring and they are also actively growing on top and a couple are putting out little tiny fans. Just as everything else is dying out for winter this is very nice to have something else growing and this is usual then? I also have dafodils, tulips and narcissus and iris planted, do you know if they'll pop up early then too? What a nice Christmas bonus indeed:) I have little white stakes sprouting all over my yard because I'm still planting other things and don't want to plant on top of the bulbs. Thing is the writing wore off the markers also and have no idea what is what until the plant comes up:) Leslie

Frank, the list only seems big because it includes everything. I was surprised, too, when I decided to make it, but I think most people on this forum have wayyyyy more than me. Mine is really a little colllection and mostly common stuff. I would love to send you plumie cuttings but mine are way too small. I lost a whole bunch of them in winter 2010/2011 and only have four tiny ones remaining. I guess I should really update the list to include only stuff I can trade. My apologies! Carol