Dear All, I apologize to Marguerite when I didn't see that she did indeed introduce a topic of the week this week. No one has responded to it. So does that mean that no one in this group has been able to get bulbs described as "shy bloomers" to bloom? What about Childanthus fragrans? Anyone get it to bloom every year? Moraea ramossissima? Perhaps we can lump this topic with all those plants that are only supposed to bloom after a fire. Are some of those plants blooming in cultivation for some of you? I learned in South Africa that a whole lot of Watsonias only bloom after a fire. I knew that was true of Cyrtanthus, but hadn't realized it was true for some species of Watsonia. We saw hillsides of leaves in South Africa of one species that Henry Pauw told us rarely had more than a bloom or two, but after a fire the whole hillsides was covered with blooms. I can't remember which species it was. I was surprised to hear Rod Saunders describe Moraea lurida in a talk as one that only blooms after a fire as once mine started blooming it has bloomed every year. Since Rachel told me that they always collect seed of that includes both purple and yellow ones and I have only ever seen yellow ones from those I have grown from their seed I am wondering if the purple ones need a fire to bloom and not the yellow ones. Just kidding but it is a puzzle. Alberto has sent me an introduction for Tigridia so we will talk about it soon, but I am trying to drum up some business for this topic before the week is over first. Mary Sue