Hi everyone, Here in the frigid Heartland of the USA, most of us are trying to stay indoors. Between heavy snows in some areas, floods in others, and some quite cold weather generally, there is not likely to be much showing outdoors. Indoors, "amaryllis" (Hippeastrum hybrids) should be ready to bloom. If you don't have any, rush out to your nearest garden center or even the florists department of your supermarket, and bring a couple home. Remember that they need sunlight to survive, and you should keep the foliage green and healthy as long into summer as you possibly can. When warm weather arrives and the ground is warm again, plant the bulbs up to the neck in a partly sunny spot in the garden for the summer. Water in dry spells and feed occasionally. Dig in autumn before frost, repot, and hold warm but dry for 6 to 12 weeks before bringing them into growth again. You can keep the Dutch hybrid Hippeastrum bulbs growing and blooming for many years this way. In the cool greenhouse, my Lachenalia continue to bloom. Nothoscordum dialystemon is blooming, as is Androcymbium europaeum and several Oxalis. In my Clivia greenhouse, I have raised the minimum temperatures to the 60 - 65°F range. They were in the 45-55°F range for most of November and December, to prime the clivias for spring bloom. That chilling is a requirement for most clivia varieties, to release the latent inflorescences in the heart of the plants from their inhibited state. This is also the time to make plans, dream dreams of future flowers, and participate in your Internet plant groups! Regards, Jim Shields in central Indiana (USA) ************************************************* Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd. P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/ Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA Member of INTERNATIONAL CLIVIA CO-OP