I purchase bulbs mostly from John Sheepers/Van Engelen, high quality bulbs, excellent service and reasonable prices. Have also ordered bulbs from High Country Gardens and Bloomin Designs Nursery and was pleased with the quality and service. Two orders of bulbs from WFF produced opposite results. Bulbs of Fall-flowering Crocus were very good quality and every one of them bloomed, but their advertised mix of several species, produced only two species and only 3 bulbs of one of those. A second order of Sternbergia lutea was a disappointment. From an order of 25 bulbs, only one produced a bloom the first year and none the second year. Only about half produced foliage last year. I no longer order from B&B Bulbs. My last order was for a large quantity of spring-flowering bulbs to be used as a fund raiser for my garden club. We agreed upon a ship date in late September (confirmed in writing) and when they didn't arrive on time, a call to them revealed that they had arbitrarily rescheduled shipment for late November, the recommended planting date for my Zone, they said. At my insistence, they agreed to ship the order "as soon as possible", but they still arrived too late for the sale. I also detest having a charge placed on my CC the moment I place an order. They claim that is to "reserve" your bulbs. How can one "reserve" bulbs that they don't have and won't receive for months! MO

There are a few of the (much tougher) species tulips you might like to try. Firstly, the tiny t.humilis, in various colours. Taller, but lovely with blooms which open flat like little flying saucers - tulipa clusiana, aka the lady tulip - pink and white or pale yellow and soft red. T,Tarda - small yellow and white, very easy and will increase T.batalini - my favourites (apart from sprengeri - more later) - lovely glaucous foliage and pale yellow or apricot blooms - very reliable T.praestans, t.hageri, t.vvedensky (sp?) - all reds and oranges - often multi-headed, larger fatter leaves T,urumiensis - a tiny bronze and pale yellow. T,albo-caerulea - expensive but unique blue and white blooms Finally, my favourite (and last to bloom) the lovely t.sprengeri. These use root droppers to dig themselves 14inches deep into the soil and have tiny bulbs - unlikely to be eaten and are the only tulips which will grow in some shade. A lovely woodland clearing specimen. I find that the species tulips, as long as they get good drainage and a dry baking in summer, are totally reliable, easy and are often less devoured by other rodents....as well as being more interesting and unusual than the garden tulips (although I grow many of both).

If it were me: I'd remove the weed cloth now. I've not seen it do anything good for the development of a good soil structure in clay. Gravel: I'd be thinking a mix of sizes rather than a single screen size. My preference would be for 2,5,7mm which can be useful when it gets dug through the soil/clay. As I'm using it as a mulch I wouldn't put it on any thicker than 2". Less could be better.(Sand is a no-no. It's like uncreamed butter and sugar in an angel cake...). As I'm planting into clay, and if I didn't have too many bulbs, I'd dig out circular shapes for my patches of colour to the depth for my zone and a little extra. Into the extra I'd put a layer of about an inch of the 2mm grit so the roots can get started into a better-drained area. If I could, I'd get a grit that stood out in colour from my soil. Later, when I come to lift the bulbs, I'd be able to see when I've 'hit bedrock' and I'd know to move carefully so I didn't harm my bulbs. Because I'm wanting to improve my soil over time, I'd add some agricultural lime - about an ounce to the square yard. Once I'd covered my bulbs I'd ensure that I stayed off that ground to prevent it from compacting. That's particularly important over times in the year when it's wet. The sad-looking bulbs: I'd plant them up in containers and I'd plant them quite shallowly. Barely covered, and in a free-draining mix - even 50:50 small grit and potting mix with no peat. I wouldn't want the water to stay close to them and I'd want whatever roots they can produce to have lots of encouragement to forage. (I'd even rescue the ones I tossed and give them a go, too.) Those containers I'd put where they get not much more than a couple of degrees of frost, moderate water, and good sunlight. A bit later on, when I see green noses above the soil/gravel (yes they DO come up through gravel) I'd feed them at the prescribed amount with either some potato or tomato food - powdered so it slowly breaks down, and lightly stir it in to the surface of the soil/gravel. Just once. With the damaged bulbs - some might flower. Some will die. Some might only put up leaves and split into smaller bulbs. Which is fine, because I can grow on those daughter bulbs for a year or two to give me 'free bulbs'. Any with streaky leaves I'd dig up and burn because they might have a virus and I'd rather be safe than sorry. All it needs is one travelling aphid and it could spread. No thanks. And next year, when the bulbs are finished for the year, I'd be putting my grass clippings onto the garden strip with a light sprinkling of lime, followed by as many autumn leaves as I could scrounge. Welcome mats for the earthworms. As an aside - if you do use the smaller grit sizes you can plant into it. The small 'johnny-jump-up' pansies, florists' anemones, verbascum, dianthus-pinks, linaria, eschscholzia, and a good range of other annuals will grow there - especially if you can provide some water over the summer. They may not be huge/lush but they will be sturdy and colourful. When it comes to weeding over the gravel (yes you DO have to weed...:-( ) use a two-tine hand fork or weed hook rather than anything conventional. If you use a knife, that will work, too. Forget spades - and rotary tillers. They're often not good for the health of the soil structure on clay.

that's a very interesting subject. i have mostly tropicals indoors and some go out to ultra bright NE balcony outside. lots of variegation. i think indoor culture is quite different from outdoor and season to season and latitude - just all very complicated! what i found is that a lot of time recommendations for these plants are from southern growers ... for outdoors! (FL). bright shade in summer in fl = bright dappled sun on the window sill for me in NYC. seasonal light differs a lot too. so while i put my plants in some early sun, NE bright shade(no sun) outside in summer, in winter they stay in dappled sun west window or even full sun west. one example is crotons: early summer outside in 3-4 hrs of sun cooler temps is great! but then they really color up in october too - no direct sun, 60-65F. while hot temps over 80F and direct hot sun in july -aug totally bleach out the leaves. but indoors west partial 3-4 hr sun in winter does wonders for them. caladiums are similar to that. they green in too much shade and bleach out in too much hot sun. while take 4-5 hrs of direct eastern sun indoors in summer. i have many more: stromanthe triostar, alocasia african mask, etc - that are strictly indoors. they are supposed to be in bright shade only, but i keep them all in dappled , even direct early/late sun to maintain color/good growth indoors in winter and sheers filtered sun in summer.