At 11:02 22/07/03 +1000, you wrote: >I live in Southern Australia and have ordered some seeds of Lilium Martagon. Can anyone offer any advice on growing them from seed? English magazines say they self seed readily - I know they take several years to flower - but I wonder if they will self seed in our climate. > Diana, Where actually are you in Southern Australia? I live in Canberra and L. martagon definitely sets seeds itself here without any help or care from me <grin>. Do you already grow L. martagon? If not drop me a line privately and I'll see if I can unearth you one to start you off. It may not be flowering size, but it's a darn sight quicker than waiting for the seed. Then yours seeds when they flower will also be a different genetic source to mine as well, thereby adding the genes from my bulb to the ones from your seeds. I'm not sure you'll get them to germiante this season, but I have a vague feeling that L. martagon may take 2 years to come above ground? Certainly mine that were sown in autumn last year did not surface at all during last season so I am expecting them to show up this year. Also, depending where you got your L. martagon seed from they are VERY variable. I grow both the straight species (at least that is what I think it is) and 'Alba' but I have seed down of something called 'Paisley Hybrids' which I have seen pictures of as very variable in colour. Some of the pictures I have seen elsewhere on the Net are extremely different in colours and shadings. I am very much looking forward to finding sources of some of these other colours (be they seed or bulbs) myself as I would love to grow more of them. I just lvoe the "turks cap" styles of Lilium. Cheers. Paul Tyerman Canberra, Australia. USDA equivalent - Zone 8/9 mailto:ptyerman@ozemail.com.au Growing.... Galanthus, Erythroniums, Fritillarias, Cyclamen, Crocus, Cyrtanthus, Oxalis, Liliums, Hellebores, Aroids, Irises plus just about anything else that doesn't move!!!!! _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php