Joe Shaw reminded me (I am the neglectful plant-promiser) about the Maihuenia in my rock garden. You wouldn't think a little bulb scape could come up through the dense, low mat formed by this cactus, but every year a Bloomeria crocea flowers there, having arrived, I think, when I incorporated old potting soil in the rock garden bed, as I often do. In nature, many bulbous plants take advantage of cacti and spiny shrubs for protection from grazing animals -- especially useful since so many bulbs grow where humans have introduced goats and sheep. In California, some survive only by cohabiting with poison oak. A seriously spiny plant of even moderate size can be a little refuge for the last survivors of a population of palatable bulbous species. In the garden, this can offer protection from deer and rabbits. In addition, once a dog has stepped on a mat of Maihuenia, it'll never go that way again! However, the tolerance of gardeners for spiny plants varies; I resisted all cacti for a long time because my mother collected them and grew them in a raised bed around our patio, where they were sure to stab playing children. And yes, there are cacti that can stand 45 inches of rain a winter, and freezing, if given extreme drainage. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA