Jim Waddick asked for inspiration. I’m not sure I can offer inspiration, but I can offer some diversion. The transition from summer into fall this year has been one of the oddest I’ve ever experienced. We went almost overnight from unseasonably (and long continued) heat, humidity and drought to cloudy, unseasonably cool, rainy days and nights. Early in the fall the leaf color was unremarkable, but now at the end of November maples and oaks are putting on a glorious show. By now we’ve had a killing freeze. The foliage in the top of the crepe myrtle tree was killed before it colored this year, but the live foliage within the canopy of the tree is slowly building up a bright glow. When the fall foliage of this tree is in full color, it reflects a soft, warm red light into the nearby rooms of the house. The freeze put an end to Tricyrtis in this neighborhood – most were caught in full bloom. The crocus season continues, but the timing seems odd this year. Crocus tournefortii has been in bloom for weeks, longer than any other autumnal crocus here. As one flower fades, another appears to replace it. Crocus cartwrightianus has also provided secondary blooms and a prolonged season. Crocus longiflorus and C. medius are now finally blooming, and C. oreocreticus has come in just as the last of the related C. asumaniae have departed. Crocus thomasii continues to bloom very fragrantly, and a white flowered form of Crocus pulchellus opened today. Some late planted Crocus speciosus also are in bloom. This year the flower color of Crocus longiflorus is much darker and richer than before – it’s very beautiful. Crocus longiflorus is noted for its scent; but its scent is nothing compared to the scent of Crocus oreocreticus. The scent of Crocus oreocreticus reminds me of that of C. thomasii but without the pronounced hyacinth quality of that species. Several other crocus have sprouts up at ground level (for instance C. serotinus sorts), so the next few weeks also should be interesting. Scilla lingulata cilioliata is also blooming and putting up foliage. This is a newly acquired plant from Jane McGary (the source over the years of most of the crocus mentioned) and I’m not sure what to expect of it. It will spend the winter in the protected cold frame. In late summer 2006 I received a small start of Iris iberica elegantissima from Janis Ruksans. The plant grew well but in May of 2007, at about the time I should have been putting on the covers for the summer, I got busy and forgot to do so. Strong rains soaked the iris bed at that time; I put the covers on immediately, but the damage was done. Several irises rotted, including the terminal, large sprout of Iris iberica elegantissima. I checked the plant several times during the summer, and was encouraged to find that the rhizome still had solid parts behind the rotten tip. Then sometime in the early fall new foliage began to emerge. The plant now has a small but lively tuft of foliage above ground. Next year I’ll try not to be so careless. Another lesson learned: once again I've done in, or almost done in, a plant of Crocus variegatum. This one also came from Ruksans last year. It made very good growth and entered summer dormancy seemingly in fine condition. I checked it several times during the summer and had nothing but great expectations. The last time I checked it, in late summer, I made a nasty discovery: most of the corm had withered up. It had been kept as dry as I can keep anything, so rot in the usual sense was not the culprit. Let's call this "dry rot". The foot of the corm (in this case, only about a half inch long) was however still sound but flaccid, so I put it in a zip lock bag, gave it a spritzing, and put the bag into the refrigerator. Over the next few weeks, it firmed up. By now, a nice sprout has appeared. So I get another chance with this one. But I'm really not sure how to avoid making the same mistake again. Iris unguicularis bloomed in early November, just in time for me to brag a bit at the early November meeting of our rock garden group. But there has been no sign of flowers since. Oxalis purpurea ‘Garnet’, which emerged with green foliage weeks ago, has finally turned purple (or whatever that color is). It intrigues me that each year Ian Young in his Scottish Rock Garden Club Bulb Log reports early bloom (i.e. in the fall) from Narcissus cantabricus. So far this species has shown no inclination here to bloom so early. I’m still obsessing over how much water the fritillaries should have both while in growth and while dormant. I have not been giving them enough while they are in growth: I get good bulb growth but no increase. And I need to finesse the summer moisture situation: this year I fried F. caucasicus, although the others seem to be OK. Several months ago a friend gave me a great rarity: a nice fat division from her clump of Asphodelus acaulis. For now I’m growing this planted into the ground but in the cold frame, although the plant from which mine was divided has been growing outside here in the greater Washington, D.C. area for several years. My plant has already produced several handsome small rosettes, each made up of a dozen or so narrow bright green leaves. Will I get to see the pink flowers next year? I’ve know about this plant since 1965 when I purchased a copy of Anna Griffith’s A Guide to Rock Garden Plants, but I never expected to actually have it in my garden. I think this plant ultimately came from Jane McGary. If you don’t know it, check the wiki: it’s a real charmer, nothing like its tall relations: http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/… The garden here has long been in its "tight real estate" phase: there's really no more room for new plants, but I continue to acquire them. In response to this shortage of space, I'm trying something new this year. Instead of giving each taxon its own container, I'm going to mix plants in one container. And I have a method in this madness: each pot will contain one ariod, one amaryllid, one liliaceous plant, one irid and so on. That sort of combination should make for easy identification of the various elements when the time comes to separate the bulbs. I'm going on the assumption that plants of different families will not have precisely the same nutritional requirements and thus not compete so strongly as closely related plants might. I'm also toying with another outside the box idea: next year, after the frits bloom, I might sow grass seed in their pots. The rapid growth of the grass will help to take up excess moisture in the pots. After the grass gets started and the frits begin to yellow off, I'll simply allow the pot to dry completely and allow the grass to die. I might even burn the tuft of dry grass. Comments, anyone? Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where the temperature tomorrow is predicted to be close to 70º F My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/