Dear All, I find this subject absolutely fascinating. Now we have learned that Scilla natalensis blooms in late winter for Doug in Southern California, early spring for Jana in Northern California and in the wild in Natal, summer in British Columbia, Canada, and New Zealand, fall in Switzerland and I don't think Paul said when in Australia. They need to be grown frost free except obviously not since they survive in Zone 7 outside. Rob once wrote that he lost most or all of his Cyclamen in a really cold year so these are obviously hardier. They need to be planted with 2/3 exposed except that they are fine with not being exposed at all in Australia. And Greg tells us they have to have some cold to bloom, but Doug is Zone 10 or not less than Zone 9 at least so not a lot of cold. They need a dry winter or they will rot, but are fine where they get year round water in British Columbia, Berkeley, and New Zealand even though in some of those places there is more rainfall in winter. In British Columbia they don't even lose their leaves until March whereas in their natural habitat they lose their leaves when the rain stops and the weather gets cold. They need to be well watered when in growth in summer but Paul says they get a dry baking in Australia and still bloom every year for his friend. So what is the problem with Lauw's bulbs? You'd think they would have gotten used to a different hemisphere by now. Could they just not be big enough? I saw them in bloom in Berkeley too a number of years ago, but Berkeley gets half the rainfall I do in winter and Rob in British Columbia is much lower too. So if I'm going to do a sacrifice for science I'd rather sacrifice John's small bulbs than mine I have patiently grown from Bill's seed. So send on a few for me to try. And John yours aren't going to grow very big very fast in 2 inch pots. Bill told us in December that Jim Forrest's bulbs got moved because they needed more space and they were the size of big crinum bulbs and with a very extensive root system. Thanks all for all the great responses. Hopefully Paul, Ken, Lauw, and I will all one day have blooming plants regardless of what we do. Mary Sue