There's the critical difference, Jim...you got yours from a reputable nurseryman; I got mine from eBay :-). But that may actually be a key factor, because when I buy bulbs on eBay I often look for the ones people describe as having a 40-year (or 80-year) history, i.e. bulbs that they're thinning from their gardens. These are, somewhere else, the "keepers", and even though they're never from a climate like mine, I can assume that they've endured a wide range of ups and downs over the years. If nothing else, buying on eBay is good sport, plus an occasional virus-infected plant...but you could get those from a "reputable" grower too. Stuff happens. Ellen -----Original Message----- >From: "J.E. Shields" <jshields@indy.net> >Sent: May 7, 2011 9:57 AM >To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> >Subject: Re: [pbs] Hardy Nerine bowdenii > >Ellen, > >Good luck with the bowdenii! I've mentioned before that I played with >bowdenii in the garden several years back. Partial, limited, success. > >I got 40 bulbs of a clone that survives the winter outdoors in the ground >in Aad Koen's nursery in the Netherlands. (etc) Ellen Hornig 3712 Co. Rt. 57 Oswego NY 13126 Phone: 315-342-5573