I quit buying bulbs from big box stores a long time ago due to more than half not being what was advertised.... Many also resent being in packages so long, especially if they are not really bulbs or are planted at the wrong time of year. Most true bulbs need to be planted in the fall. They need winter in the ground. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, Dutch and reticulata iris should all be planted in the fall. Lilies aren't as dormant and should be planted immediately or they dry out and die. Many plants labeled lilies are not really lilies and do not like to be bare rooted and packaged.

Is the reason for digging to keep them blooming? This Sat I will be with a bunch of folks who grow daffs to show and will try to remember to ask about the 3 year digging rotation schedule that so many try to follow. If I remember correctly, it had to do with them needing to be lifted/dug so the surrounding soil in the holes could be amended. Over time, the blooms, of some cultivars anyway, will decrease in size if they do not have proper nutrients. I'm not sure, but lack of good nutrients 'could' also affect the bloom color. Don't hold me to that though as I will try to verify that. Usually too, when daffs are planted for growing and showing, I 'think' no more than 3 bulbs are planted, spaced out in a hole. That allows the bulbs to multiply without becoming crowded, thus smaller bulbs, and smaller blooms, or no blooms at all if they are entirely too crowded. Some daffs are a lot more prolific than others and seem to multiply a 'lot' more than others. In my opinion, Ice Follies is a great prolific daff. On the other hand, 'Mount Hood' still has the original patch I planted with fewer and fewer blooms. I wonder if they are crowded or if they are lacking nutrients. Some cultivars are just by nature bigger bulbs, so it could possibly be that they are crowded, regardless of how many were planted in each hole and how they were spaced. Do you plan to dig them next year? I'm not suggesting that diggings one's daffs every 3 years is for everyone, because I don't see it as necessary at all, unless one is considering entering them in competition. As far as the FAQ go, I feel they are to be geared toward the casual gardener, growing daffs, or whatever for their own enjoyment in their gardens. Sue

Nancy, I hope you like my seeds, and no, we haven't gotten anything back yet. If I were stuck like that on a big swap, I'd be tempted to buy $15.00 worth of seed and split the packs and fill the remaining envies just to get them out of my hair. She must have an iron constitution! (Don't anybdy misread that, I am actually not in any hurry to get the seeds excpet I am always excited to see what I'm getting) You probably already know a lot of this, but regarding your paperwhites, I have some ideas from an article I wrote for the Daffodil Newsletter I hope you don't mind me sharing. You know how they can get awfully tall and flop over in an unattrative way riiiiight when they are starting to bloom? I have 2 tips you can use to keep them shorter and have what I call a "higher bloom to foliage ratio". (Meaning it looks like there is as much flower as foliage.) 1. Put a teaspoon of gin or vodka in the water when you start them. That is misleading because you just "put some in" according to how much water is in there. 2. Put them in a dark chilly room, closet, basement or garage to root. Make sure they are dark and it is chilly. I think they root in a week and they bloom in 2 weeks after that, but you can hold them a month or up to 3 months if it's dark and chilly. 3. Instead of putting them in a low saucer or dog dish-shaped thing with rocks, put them in a clear (or colored) glass vase. You need to put about 5 bulbs in your purse or pocket before you go shopping to make sure they will fit inside the base of the vase. I use the cheapest ones I can find from Goodwill where they cost about $1.00 each and are shaped like a hourglass. It's sort of cruel because I stuff the bases full and the recipeinet have a devil of a time getting the bulbs back out. The vases are hard to find at Goodwill this time of year because smart alecs who hear the tip run out and buy everything they have on the shelves. Put your bulbs, nose up, in the base and if you think it's too tight a fit, just rotate one or two bulbs because they are never perfectly round and if it's close, you can usuallyjam themin. I'm going by memory, but I believe a Dutchman once told me the bulbs never get any larger, only smaller. When you add water, the skins of the daffodils will stain the water in an unnattractive way, so do an overnight bulb presoak so you don't have skins falling off -- it keeps the water much cleaner, but is messier to put together. The foliage can get 18-20-" tall, so look at your vase and decide if you need the vodka or gin. You might not. The side walls of the vase will keep the foliage upright and look very cool. The roots will show through, but you can leave them as-is or add rocks. Keep the water just above or just touching the basal plate (the base) of the bulb and never let it get dry. Once they start rooting, they will elevate themselves, and if you flub up on the water it won't be the end of the world. They do well in regular household light, but that makes them eventaller as they reach for the light, so truly, consider those vases to corral the foliage. You can put a pretty ribbon around them if you get the hour glass shapes, or scotch tape 2 contrasting ribbons to the other shaped vases. Lime

Well, my two Quitos arrived today, just days after I placed my order. Both bulbs were in excellent condition with good roots and were expertly packaged! Last year's Ruby Meyers yielded Rio Negros and they were in very good condition too. I wonder what surprises await us next year when we once again try for the seemingly unobtainable Ruby Meyers! Donnaâºâº