Dear Mary Sue, I sent your bulbs yesterday. Thanks for the comments on soil amendments. The reason I didn't want to use wood products was that here, they become rife with fungi very quickly, and these microorganisms tend to attack the bulbs eventually, especially those with tunics. Some bulbs/etc. do OK around bark here, especially frits and cyclamen, and lilies of course rather like it. However, I am beginning to think that the situation will be different in a place with 12-14" of rain per year, as opposed to the 45" I get here. Obviously the soil will not stay so wet, nor are there a lot of microorganisms in the native soil, which is quite lacking in nutrients. So I went ahead and ordered 15 yards of what seems to be the best available, and we'll get towork on it weekend after next. I hope to meet Bill Welch while I'm in the area this time and get some daffodils from him, too. Best regards, Jane McGary