On 15 Nov 2013, at 9:49, Ina Crossley wrote: > Eventually I may have some more tulips which will grow here, particularly a > red one. Or not. Perhaps that "red one" is Tulipa sprengeri. It's something of a weed, in that it self-sows quite freely. Downside, which other tulips may share in: it takes about seven years to flower when grown from seed. It's a beautiful flower, but if you grow it, eventually it will start to turn up in unexpected places. There are photos on the wiki. There's a refinement in sowing that may help with tulips (also with fritillaries): Insert the seeds into the sowing medium on edge with the hilum at the bottom. (Hilum: the point at which the seed was attached to the ovary.) -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Z. 7-8, cool Mediterranean climate