>Jim Waddick Jane reports is growing some so these must tolerate >cold. Jim are you going to tell the rest of us about your >experiences? Sorry for the slow response, I started this a day or two ago and have just struggled to get back to finish it up. Apologize for its diss-jointed-ness. A few inches of snow (and temps to 12 or so) have slowed things for everyone. Dear Mary Sue and all; OK, OK. Scilla siberica is extremely easy here. I know a few places where it self sows to glorious weediness- a waterfall of blue on a spring hillside. The alba form is certainly less spectacular. Small flowers , weaker, etc. A friend glowed over Scilla bifolia so I bought a few (blue and white I think maybe pink too) and was unimpressed with the small size and tendency to get lost here. Yes, Jane and I talked about the Scilla 'scilloides' group (for lack of a better name). I grow Scilla autumnale on a dry wall -very tiny rose flowers that are easy to just not notice. Scilla japonica with slightly large spikes and blue, but extremely tiny. Both fall bloomers. Neither corresponds to what Jane has a S. scilloides. I collected S. chinensis in China (Sichuan) in a few locations where it is very common and grew it for years under this name, but now (that it is gone) I think it may have been S. scilloides. All seem different but not grown together. Perhaps Jane and I will exchange a few bulbs to try out. I love S. campanulata (now Hyacinthoides hispanica) and have white,pink and blue. They bloom later than S. siberica, larger and far more impressive. Wish I room to grow a hillside of these. I also have bought mixed Scilla campanulata (ie Hyacinthoides hispanica?) and just 25 each of 'Miss World' and 'Dainty Maid'. Sorry now I didn't try 'Excelsior' after Jerry's praise. I confess to near total confusion over the names of non-scripta(I have bought bulbs under this name). Nice, but not very exciting. Would love to get a source for the real thing and why would this be so rare in the trade and so common in the British woodlands. Has mention been made of Scilla (H) mischtschenkoana 'Tubergeniana'? I may have missed this. I just planted 100 this fall and hope to see something this coming spring. Said to be paler blue than siberica. Scilla/Hyacinthoides italica puts up foliage in the fall and struggles to keep green through spring and blooms just sort of so-so. It has survived for years in a slightly protected spot, but never been a winner. I have a small pot of S. lingulata in the cold greenhouse where it is putting up spikes (thanks to Fausto), but I doubt it has any hardiness and will probably pass it along some year when it is dormant. I have tried S. numidica and it came up for a year or two outdoors, never bloomed and vanished. There are still a couple in a pot somewhere protected, but they too are unhappy and I can't recall actually seeing a flower! Over the years I have had a bulb or two of S peruviana and perhaps some other much too tender and long gone. I do like these in pots in cool greenhouse, but eventually I tire of their constant care and protection so leave them or give them away. Basically Scilla and its allies are very important hardy bulbs. S, siberica dominates all others in number and adaptability. I'd love to try others and appreciate suggestions about really hardy species to try here. There's plenty more to try. Many thanks to Jerry and Mary Jane for all their pointed comments. Best Jim W. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 E-fax 419-781-8594 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +