Ken Hixson wrote, > Incidentally, in more than twenty years, the Bloomeria has > survived +5F >at least once, and I see no reason to believe it is not entirely hardy here. >I will admit that it rarely stays at +5F for more than an hour or two, so the >cold probably doesn't penetrate the ground. The +15F usually given may be >inaccurate, simply reflecting the coldest it has gotten in its native range >in California. I have Bloomeria crocea, grown from seed of a population in the coastal hills between Monterey and Salinas, in my rock garden where it has survived 5 F for a lot longer than an hour or two (I live in the same region as Ken but at a higher elevation). I was surprised by its persistence. The plants on the rock garden flower a week or so later than those in the bulb frame, which are much more robust, I must admit. For comparison, Alstroemeria psittacina, which Ken mentioned as invasive in his garden, does not survive the winters here. Dichelostemma congestum and Triteleia hyacinthina both grow well in the open garden in a well-drained border, as do several other Triteleia species. I am gradually adding species to the garden as I get a surplus in the frame collection. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon but probably more like Z6