Stephen wrote, >I joined towards the end of 2011. Is the membership valid a calender >year from the date one joins of is renewal required Jan 1st? Answer: Stephen joined in November 2011, so he doesn't have to renew until January 2013. People who join after October 1 are considered to be paid through the following calendar year, but thereafter they need to renew each January. For example, someone who joined in July 2011 needed to renew in January 2012. This policy has to do with the mailing schedule of the print newsletter, which is the largest ongoing expense paid for by dues. > >Secondly, I was lucky enough to come across a group of Bolander's >lily setting seed in September in Josephine County, OR. It seemed to >me it was certain to be Bolander's as it was growing in full sun on >a serpentine ridge.. > Does anyone have any tips as to the raising of this species from > seed? How long until the seedling bulbs are potted individually? > What are some dangers to be on the look out for? Seed to flower years? > I haven't succeeded in flowering Lilium bolanderi, which is notoriously difficult outside its native range, but I have raised plants that lasted about 4 years. My advice is not to disturb the seedling bulbs for two years, and when you do move them on, take the whole ball of soil from the seed pot with as little disturbance as possible and put it right into a larger pot, unless you have a large number of small bulbs. Note that plants often seen on serpentine (ultramafic rocks and their soils) do not require this type of soil; they are tolerant of it and are thought by some botanists to grow there by preference because many other plants can't tolerate the high level of magnesium, so there is less competition. Another theory is that the unusual mineral composition helps the plants resist disease. I don't know if either of these theories has been scientifically tested. Serpentine is common in the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon. Jane McGary Membership Coordinator Portland, Oregon, USA