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Flowering now, from Rimmer deVries' seeds donated to BX454 (spring 2019) - Clivia Sahin Yellow.  Of the five seeds I received, three have made it thus far.  This is the first to flower.

Yes, I will cross a few (that is my plan, at least).  It may weaken the bulb, but if I can repeat this growing success then I feel it is worth taking the risk.  I have found it always a risk when crossing lily species in their first year of blooming as they can be short-lived thereafter.

Diane - thinking back, I didn't do anything particularly special.  I recall that the seeds germinated fairly quickly and easily, and I grew them on in the small pots they were planted in until the foliage died back in the fall, when they were potted up into bigger pots.  I did keep them in a frost-free greenhouse, which I think was important, as these lilies have a short winter-dormancy.  This was the same in both winters, where they were back growing again by January or thereabouts.  Of the dozen or so seedlings I have only four will flower this year, so these four are the pacesetters and the majority, I expect, will flower in their third year.  Hope this helps.

Lilium speciosum var. gloriosoides flowering now, from seed planted March 2021. 

Lilium dauricum

 and Itoh hybrid peony 'Cora Louise'
 

Two pretty lilies flowering for me in the PNW: [i]Lilium apertum[/i] and [i]Lilium mackliniae[/i].  Both are quite hardy and persistent here provided they get good drainage.
 

It is daffodil season presently on the Skagit flats - about 8 miles south of where I live.  The Skagit Valley is a major commercial bulb growing area for daffodils and tulips; 500 acres account for 75% of US production.  These are photos taken yesterday, as the daffodils are in full bloom.  Tulip season will start in later-April.  (Contrary to what I understand to be common practice in The Netherlands, bulb growers here let the daffodils and tulips bloom right to the end of their blooming season before deheading.)

During the winter, the Skagit Valley is also home to many thousands of migrating Snow Geese and Trumpeter and Tundra Swans that overwinter here.  These are some of the last big flocks of Snow Geese remaining; they will all depart very soon for their long migration north to their summer breeding grounds on Russia's Wrangel Island.

I was wondering whether there is any merit or interest in starting a "The Bulb Garden Follow-Up" thread the same way as we do "Bulb and Seed Exchanges" or "Current Photographs"?  Topics from the December 2022 issue could be "Gone But Not Forgotten", "Crostus spectabilis" and "Arisaema" and the Forum contributions posted there could prolong and widen the discussion of the published articles.  

I greatly enjoyed Bridget's article on Arisaema, and I am at the Beginner stage, and would welcome prolonging the discussion of this.  Likewise with Jane's article; I'm located about 250 miles north of her and am always interested in bulbs that grow well in the PNW.

Just a thought; what do others think?

Steve

I can attest to Oca being very tasty.  Robert was kind enough to send me some tubers earlier this year. I had them growing both in tubs and in the ground.  The ones in the ground, in somewhat poorer soil, produced larger tubers than those in the tubs.  But the soil in the tubs, supplemented with alpaca manure last Fall, was probably richer than the Oca preferred for tuber production as they did produce very lush above-ground growth.  (My wife has alpaca and their poops ("pellets") which are low in nitrogen can be applied directly to the soil without prior composting.)

The Oca, when roasted, have a nutty, slightly citrussy taste and are quite wonderful.  The Oca keep well, and we'll certainly be planting some of our harvest again next year. So, thanks, Robert!

Earlier today Robin wrote:

R Hansen via pbs (Fri, 02 Sep 2022 08:10:46 PDT)
For all of you who grow Lilium formosanum, I get the distinct impression that they are self-pollinating? Or am I wrong? I understand nearly all or all lilies are not self-pollinating but would dearly like to know if any are.
Robin Hansen

There has been some discussion of this topic on other lily forums in the past, particularly those species that set seed apomictically.   My understanding is that lilies are not self-fertile, but several lily species are prone to apomixis, which is different to being self-fertile as apomictic seed development does not involve fertilization .  Lilium regale and candidum are prone to this (L. regale famously so), and I believe that L. formosanum is too, particularly as other respondents to this discussion have noted that they have obtained seeds from nursery-supplied bulbs which almost always are from cloned stock.  Other species prone to apomixis include L. pumilum, martagons and also sometimes - so I understand - L. michiganense and canadense, though these last cases may be due to some environmental stress factors. 
Hope this helps.
Steve Willson, Bow WA

Hello Leo - I know that there have been several replies to your query on the PBS Lists thread, but I thought I would comment here.  I grow L. formosanum var. pricei (the short form) and also L. philippinense, a tall form similar to L. formosanum.  These bulbs have a short winter dormancy, so I would keep your bulb in a shady spot and keep it watered, but only when it begins to dry out.  L. formosanum can withstand several degrees of frost, so you shouldn't be concerned about its winter hardiness.  I would expect it to resume into growth in early spring with you.

L. formosanum is easy to grow from seed and will typically flower in 2-3 years from sowing.  Jan Jeddeloh mentioned: Lilium formosanum advice
Jan Jeddeloh via pbs (Wed, 31 Aug 2022 14:59:46 PDT)
I offered seed of L. formosanum v. pricei in SX 480. It was donated by Steve Wilson. Not much interest at the time. Maybe this thread will perk up interest in lilies in general.
Jan

Here's a picture of mine from last summer.  They make a nice plant for a border.  

A single seedling of L. stewartianum flowering here.  Seeds were originally obtained from Chinese Alpines in the spring of 2018.  This is the first year it has flowered for me.  It is quite rare in cultivation (and in the wild too, presumably) and it is not included in the Wiki. It is a very short plant - about 9" high, with grass-like foliage.  

Very nice!  Thanks for sharing this Rimmer.  I look forward to getting blooms in a few years time!

Your Aurelians are truly impressive, Rimmer.  The color range you have, together with the black and green hearts make a wonderful display.  I have seedlings of yours growing from the 2020 and 2021 NALS seed exchange, though obviously these won't flower for a few years still.  Are either of the white/yellow greenhearts in the last posting 'Sol Verde'?  I have seedlings of this from NALS 60-092 growing very strongly.  It has been cool and wet up here in the Pacific Northwest; my lilies are about a month behind yours...
Best regards,
Steve
Bow, WA

Iris ensata are flowering for me now, after the I. setosa have finished.  (I should have seeds from both for a future SX.)  From my records, these ensata seeds came from BX 471 in October 2020.  They were described as "Iris ensata, seeds - blues, pinks, whites", which would explain the color differences of the two plants I currently have in flower.  I have others that won't first flower until 2023.