On 31 Mar 03 at 8:55, Jane McGary wrote: > ...I have given up on trying to grow purchased bulbs of it > [Fritillaria imperialis], which always decline rapidly once > planted here.. The late Doris Page, a guru to several generations of gardeners here, used to say that crown imperials required quite a lot of potassium. And Doris was a true professional horticulturist who knew her stuff backwards and forwards, so goosing your crown imprerials with added potassium is an experiment worth trying. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate on beautiful Vancouver Island