I have been ordering a large number of bulbs from VE every year. Lilies from this supplier are not always true to name, though, but that's all right with me, because I wanted a large collection of Lilies for cut-flowers. The bulbs are huge and the customer service is exceptional. Can't beat the price either. And I have not had any problem with virus with VE's bulbs ---so far.

It will be a little while yet, but I will be enjoying the honey scent of the Tithonia before the summer ends! I just transplanted the little guys into a community pot... there are about half a dozen seedlings. As they outgrow this pot, I'll move them to the garden. Our weather has been so goofy, that things I would normally already have in flower are just now beginning to grow beyond the 3" and 4" pots I place them in as seedlings... it's been a weird year, weather-wise! I just hope everything makes it to bloom size before fall! I know I don't have to send you anything, Cindee... you constantly tell me that! But I like to return favors, and you've been so wonderfully generous, and you've got me started on such wonderful new hobbies, like orchid growing, for instance! You know what they say... "Do Unto Others As You'd Have Them Do Unto You!" And by gosh, I'm going to do unto you... so you at least can open a gift box and smile, knowing the person who sent it chose it and wrapped it with friendship and care! Opening care packages and seeing the surprises within, sent by my dear friends, is something I enjoy so very much! How can I not return that favor?!! :-)

Hi All, I just tried scaling last spring. And what I found by accident and then confirmed on a website, was that when you scale oriental bulbs in the spring you don't need to vernalize the bulblets (a cold period) to get them to leaf out. I used the loose scales of my spring ordered Triumphator that seemed to have some basel plate. I planted each in small pots with the base of the scale in the soil and the tip sticking out. I checked the scales every now and then and as the bulblets got roots I carefully picked them off the scale and planted them in another pot. I returned the scales to their pots so they could grow more bulblets. The bulbets shortly leafed out and grew throughout the rest of the summer. By the time I was done I had about 20 small Triumphator plants. I got Martagon before I decided to try scaling "for real" and planted the loose scales in the garden next to the bulbs. (I figured they'd either grow or not.) I dug them up later - and they had little bulbets attached to them. I then did the same as for the Triumphator and grew a few more bulbets but they weren't leafing out. So, I refrigerated them for ~4 weeks and they leafed out fine. As for the main topic of this thread, I buy a minimum of three bulbs of each type. I'm too afraid that if I buy only one and something happens to it, (slugs, dog, husband) that it will set me back an entire season on that variety. And I can only kill the slugs! :) -Helen Here is a link that might be useful: Good Scaling Instructions

Have you tried Park Seed & Wayside Gardens? They are both here in Greenwood, SC where I live.They sell nice size bulbs, have a guarentee.Ive gotten alot of nice & different varieties from them,maybe not the newest varieties,In fact 10 years ago before the war (nasty divorce) I had a huge bed w/ 70 different varieties of asiatic & orientals.I got awarded my "garden" in the divorce, the judge laughed, said he'd never had someone ask for all their plants as a settlementand trade antique furniture for them... I had 1000s of different daffodils,Allium gigantiums.. anyway... 3 weeks later, after I had big beds dug in my moms back yard to hold til I found a new place that wasnt an apt., I went over there w/ a truck,wheelbarrow etc. & the EB (Evil buzzard) had gotten on his tractor and plowed up everybody in every bed I had & I had alot.... but thats OK, cos Ive since met a real man and we're building one bed at a time .. and Park at Festival of Floweres time here, end of June has a HUGE bulb and plant sale, lillies for 10 -25 cent a piece ,YES, bulbs that go for $5 -10 in the catalouge... but, check them out and if your in the area check out thier garden shop.big discounts all the time...... Judy