I am in the process of buying Dutch bulbs. I am looking at pictures of Dutch iris which come in unusual colour combinations (brown and purple) as well as pretty pastels. I can remember buying them years ago, on more than one occasion, but none persisted. I assume they bloomed at least once, but they didn't make an impression on my memory, so I don't think they lasted long. Other bulbs I bought at the same time (25 years ago?), like various scillas, anemones, hyacinths, some of the tulips, still come up every year. I know why some bulbs didn't survive (narcissus bulb fly, rodents eating crocus, inkspot disease of reticulata iris). Is there some reason the Dutch iris wouldn't persist? They are really cheap to buy, so the Dutch must find them really easy. -- Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada maritime zone 8 cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually) sandy soil