TheAfricanGarden@aol.com a *crit : > I have learned to place the bulbs deeper than what many books describe and by talking to many South African bulb specialists, have found that bulbs in habitat are found very deep, and not because of the cold but because of predation, namely baboons; and of course the deeper you plant a bulb, the more stable the soil temperature, which is why mulches are so beneficial, whether they be organic, inorganic or living, and why I can get away with growing such a wide range of species here. I am also very fond of the word 'microhabitat' and completely believe that 'thought and placement'are the key words to successfully growing anything. Hello Dave, Nice to see you here. I never fail to learn from you. You are so right about planting depth. There are several Moraeas which go to 30-40 cm deep and really thrive in that condition (cool and relative moist during dormancy). Examples are M simulans, setifolia, gigandra, polystachya. They come back every year as mice cannot get at them. But it takes 2-3 years for the corms to get down to that depth. Tell us some more about your experience with this Pelargonium ground cover. Does it disappear in the winter to leave place for the bulbs? Would is do well in our medit conditions? Maybe Mary Sue can upodate us with her experience with the local vetch,(I hope that you can reassure Bill Welch that it has not become an invasive weed!!) Regards -- Lauw de Jager BULB'ARGENCE, 30300 Fourques, France Région: Provence/Camargue; (Climat zone 9a Mediterranean) Site: http://www.bulbargence.com/ "GUIDE POUR BULBES MÉDITERRANÉENS": 100 pages, 400 photos, prix 10 Euro SUMMERCATALOG is available CATALOGUE D'ÉTÉ' est disponible, expedition bulbes est en cours Notre GÎTE de vacances est encore disponible à partir de 31/8/02 (voir photos dans le site)