These are seeds I am attempting this season (not all from NARGS): Allium wallichii 143 Anemone macrantha Anemone rivularis Antennaria microphylla Aquilegia caerulea Blue Star Aquilegia flabellata Aquilegia flabellata var. pumila kurilensis Aquilegia kuhistanica Aquilegia vulgaris(wh var. foliage) Arctotis sp. / Blue-eyed Daisy Bukinczia cabulica 546 Calliandra eriophylla /Pink Fairy Duster Calodendron capense African Cape Chestnut Campanula thrysoides Capsicum annum Black Pearl Ornamental Pepper Capsicum annum Jigsaw Chaenomeles japonica var. alpina 'Pygmaeus' 694 Clematis mandshurica 756 Cosmidium burridgeanum Phillipine Cyclamen coum Cyclamen purpurescens 927 Datura sp. triple yellow Delosperma bosseranum Delphinium pylzowii 986 Desmanthus illinoensis Dianthus myrtinervis Dianthus nardiformis 1033 Digitalis ferruginea Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. bailey 1172 2 packets Echinocereus reichenbachii var. perbellus 1173 Eleutherococcus senticosis 1188 Erinus alpinus Eritrichium canum Eryngium bourgatii Escobaria missouriensis Plains Pincushion Fritillaria aurea 3274 Fritillaria collina 3276 Fritillaria crassifolia ssp. kurdica 1317 Fritillaria pallidiflora 1335 Fritillaria pudica Fritillaria pyrenaica 1339 Fritillaria pyrenaica 1383 Fritillaria raddeana 1340 Fritillaria recurva 1342 Fritillaria rhodocanakis 1343 Fritillaria rhodocanakis 1344 Geissorhiza bracteata 1372 Geissorhiza heterostyla 1373 3 packets Gentiana algida Gentiana cruciata Gentiana puberulenta (JC) Gentiana puberulenta (OH) Gentiana sino-ornata 1408 Gladiolus atroviolaceus 3548 Gladiolus geardii 1509-06 Gladiolus palustris 1510-06 Globularia trichosantha Globularia valentina 1473 Haquetia epipactis Hermodactylus tuberosus 07XX249 Hieracium mixtum 1574 Hymenoxys scaposa Impatiens namchabarwensis Ipomea Keiryv /Japanese MorningGlory Ipomea quamoclit Ipomea Wine and Roses Iris aphylla Iris chrysographes Iris chrysographes x I. bulleyana x self 07SB134 Iris delavayi x I. bulleyana seedling 07SB137 Iris gracilipes 07CR031 Iris gracilipes col. Japan 4264 Iris japonica ex China 07CR032 Iris koreana 1677 Iris koreana OP 07CH046 Iris odaesanensis 07CH048 Iris odaesanensis 1687 Iris setosa 07TR204 nice clear pink Iris setosa 07TR205 6 fall type Iris setosa ex Sakhalin Island 07TR189 Iris suaveolens 07DB016 Iris suaveolens 1702 Iris tectorum Sun Moon Lake 07CR043 Japanese Roof Iris Iris unguiculares 07MS234/mix clones Iris vicaria 1764 Lallemantia canescens 1752 Layia glandulosa 1761 Lilium candidum Madonna Lily Lilium davidii var. wilmottiae OP Lilium formosanum Lilium formosanum x L.'Black Beauty' HP Lilium lankongense Lilium lankongense x Lilium lophophorum Lilium mackliniae Lilium mackliniae 1831 Lilium mackliniae 2150-05 Lilium maculatum var. wilsonii HP Lilium martagon (HP)white x gold 1842 Lilium martagon 'Terrace City' OP Lilium martagon var. album 1847 Lilium martagon var. cattaniae 1848 Lilium michiganense col.St.Louis Co,MN Lilium michiganense HP lilium philippinense Lilium philippinense HP Lilium pyrenaicum 3384 Lilium sargentiae Lilium sp. ex China Lilium speciosum var. rubrum Lilium speciosum var. rubrum x L.philippinense HP Lilium superbum col.Mercer Co.,PA Lilium Voltaire Mix (Trumpet) Lilium x marhan OP Lilium x 'Super Tsing' OP Ludwigia alternifolia /Seedbox Lunaria sp. Machaeranthera tanacetifolia Tahoka Daisy Maihuenia poepegii 1946 Melanthium virginicum Bunchflower Momordica charantia Snap melon Nomocharis aperta 2071 Nomocharis aperta 2072 Nomocharis farreri 2074 Nomocharis pardanthina Ocimum basilicum /Indian Sweet Basil Olsynium(Sisyrinchium) douglasii Pink Grass Widow Opuntia imbricata Opuntia imbricata 2101 Pediocactus simpsonii (CO) Penstemon cyaneus Penstemon cyaneus Penstemon ovatus Penstemon rupicola col. Oegon 4369 Phyteuma scheuzeri Phyteuma scheuzeri Phyteuma spicatum var. nigrum Polygonatum kingianum 2411 Pulsatilla georgica 2518 Pulsatilla pratensis col. Sweden 4560 Rabdosia longituba(Plectranthus) Trumpet Spurflower Ranunculus gramineus Salvia austriaca Salvia nubicola Salvia subrotunda Scilla greihuberi 3473 Scutellaria baicalensis/Baikal Scullcap Stachytarpheta jamaicensis Purple Porterweed Stewartia pseudocamellia Japanese Stewartia Styrax americanus Kankakee form Syneilesia aconitifolia 2905 Syneilesia aconitifolia 2906 Trichostema dichotomum Tropaeolum perearinum Veronica schmidtiana About 20% of Lilium martagon (HP)white x gold 1842 came up hypogeal immediate!

Hello, I am a life member of the NALS and have grown true lilies for many years in the San Fernando Valley. Lilium henry is probably the easiest to grow and ramps at my house with sandy soil, amended with humus, and only some dappled shade. Longiflorum also does fine. Surprisingly, formosanum is not really happy. My own strain of formo-longi's does great as well as my many bulbs of (Louise x henryi). The Pink Perfection strain (a complex of regale, centifolium, sargentiae, and sulphureum) also does well. Why grow wallichianum or philippense when longiflorum does so well!! I have tried candidum, but surprisingly it languished. The American hybrids -- mentioned by one posting -- all quickly failed, including the species humboldtii and ocellatum. I have not tried speciosum but believe it could do OK. I am trying to acquire the following species, as I think they would do OK here: sargentiae, sulphureum, speciosum gloriosoides, and brownii. I have sent some acclimated seed to the NALS seed exchange for spring, 2006, mailing, and you might watch for it. Let me hear if this info has helped. Thanks, Philgardener.

Hi Elsa, While I in general agree with the sentiments expressed in the article I wonder how much of the authors "conclusions" were instead (poorly researched, if at all) pre-conceived ideas. For example the author writes: "Most recent hybrids tend to blur ubiquitously: large, upward facing, rigid, stocky, scentless, differing from one another only in tint." Scentless??? Unlike modern hybrid roses (many of which have minimal scent) hybridization in "modern" lilies has not resulted in decreased scent. Instead, scent in lilies is a function of which "old time" or species lilies were used in the hybridization. After all many species are scentless naturally - including some of those cited in her article! For example, Lilium Superbum, Pardalinium, and Tigrinium. Stocky??? A curious statement considering that most "modern" Oriental and Trumpet lilies get 4' to 6' tall and "modern" Orienpets get to 9' and taller!! Upward facing??? I guess the author has missed out on Casablanca - a VERY well known outward facing modern oriental hybrid and the large number of downward facing highly recurved lankongense hybrids from The Lily Garden, and the Longiflorum - Oriental easter lily shaped "modern" hybrids. (All scented, by the way.) It seems she is talking mostly about hybrid asiatics, which like the species asiatics are not scented. Asiatics bloom at a different time from the other lily divisions and thus are not competitive with them, (as long as your garden is large enough to accomodate both). While I love species lilies and have every one cited in her article (and many others), I find this article to be full of gross oversimplifications and inaccuracies. One example, the author writes: "With great regret Ive given up trying to grow Madonna lilies (L.candidum). Pure white, enormous, ... Perhaps our New England soil is too sour, or bulbs nowadays compromised." While the Madonna Lily (Lilium Candidum) has growing requirements different from other lilies, if those are understood and met, it grows quite well. I currently have a large patch of them grown from seed. Also, while it IS pure white it is certainly NOT enormous, (even if compared to other species lilies rather than hybrids). It gets about 3' tall and has relatively small (though lovely and beautifully scented) blossoms. Furthermore, the lilies she cites are in no danger of disappearing. With the exception of Lilium Superbum (which is more easily found from native plant nurseries than lily bulb sellers), every one of them can be found from a number of outfits, including the much maligned large Dutch growers. They are also MUCH more affordable than from the nursery cited in the article. So Elsa, by all means get yourself some species and heritage lilies - they are lovely! But don't feel that the only way to do that is from nurseries that specialize in only them (read $$$$$) or that they are the only type of unique, beautiful, and scented lilies. There is a wide variety of shapes of blossoms, sizes, colors and scents among hybrid lilies, modern and heritage. Off my soapbox now! :) -Helen

Hmmmm... I didn't know Mr. Ed included freebies in the species orders. And I didn't order this year though it was tempting. I have seed for probably half the lilies on the list so I'll go that rout. In the meantime... from Scheepers I ordered OT Satisfaction and L. sp. album (to mix with the rubrums, of course). I've added to my order from Buggycrazy: a couple of pardalinums (lol), Green Goddess, Late Pink oriental, and Yellow Henryi (citranum). From the regional (PNWLS) I've ordered Cathedral Windows, White Henryi (original clone), and oriental Summer's End, which I already have but want more. It's my best oriental. From McRae's contributions I ordered several tetraploid trumpets and a couple of the asiatic mix, which are actually seedlings from the hybridization program of Dr. Chris North (he hybridized for downfacing lilies, frequently using L. lankongense, then naming them after his family members). My crystal ball tells me I will be doing a lot of digging in the near future!