Jennifer wrote, >As the new catalogs begin to appear at my home and via email, I'm putting >together a huge wish list. I was hoping someone out there might be able to >give me some advice about growing Allium and Fritillaria in pots. Are there >any of these guys particularly suited to pot culture in a zone 9 (roughly) >garden? Are there any that definitely will not survive pot culture? Many small species of these genera are often grown in pots (especially in the UK, where they have many shows) and also in hypertufa troughs, which offer a bigger root run and better temperature and moisture control. (For information on troughs, the NARGS Book Service has several useful publications.) Some of the prettiest western American alliums, such as A. campanulatum, A. falcatum, and A. siskiyouense, are well adapted to pot culture even in a warm climate. I'm sure Mark McDonough can recommend more. Numerous small Fritillaria species come from California or the shores and islands of the Mediterranean and would suit your climate. However, you will have to place the pots in a sheltered location, plunged in some substance that will keep the moisture and temperature constant during their dormant period. They won't tolerate the kind of baking they'd get in above-ground pots in your area, especially in sun. You could easily have frits in flower from January through May (F. biflora and F. purdyi, both Californian, are in bloom now). I don't think there is any Allium or Fritillaria that definitely can't be grown in a pot, as long as you control the water regime properly and don't let them desiccate or boil in summer. I even have some of the big ones in plunged pots, though the pots are quite large. The largest kinds do best in plastic mesh pots where they can get their root systems out into the plunge medium. One way I grow potted plants is by plunging them in sand-filled "patio tubs", big plastic containers that can be bought at discount stores for about $12 each. They are terra-cotta colored and not offensive-looking. They have a plug in the bottom that can be knocked out for drainage. I put some broken rock in the bottom, spread sand over it, set the pots on it (one tub holds an 8-inch clay pot in the center and 5 or 6 6-inch pots around it) and fill in with more sand. I keep these on my covered deck to protect the plants, mostly alpines, against winter wet. I also use them for bulbs that can't be allowed to dry out in summer, such as certain east Asian fritillarias and high-altitude crocuses. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA