The alliums are starting to flower, including the western species. The brightest one in the bulb frames, and new to me, is Allium scorzonerifolium ssp. xericense. I bought it as a bulb from Monocot Nursery last year. The flowering stem is about 16 inches (40 cm) tall, topped with an inflorescence of fairly numerous florest of good size, very bright clear yellow with a little darker yellow in the center adding depth to the color. They are about the color of Calochortus monophyllus and C. amabilis, which are also in flower here. I assume from the name that this is a summer-dry species. Its foliage is already withering, much like some of the brodiaeas (more on them in a later message). Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon