Jane McGary in Northwestern Oregon responded to Cindi (in Washington State) about getting Crinums to bloom there: >Cindi, Crinums do not flower well in the Pacific Northwest unless they are >placed so they get a tremendous extra amount of summer heat. The only ones >I've seen flowering in Portland were against south walls in bright sun, and >I believe one gardener who bloomed them covered them with a big pane of >glass in winter. They're probably one of the many eastern North American >plants that don't like our cool summer nights. They also need more summer >water than you might think of giving a bulb. Jane, thanks for answering this with the regional scoop. I was thinking that what they would need in the Pacific Northwest was more heat and more water, so thanks for confirming. In a typical Southeast US summer, heat and humidity (which leads to warm nights) are never in short supply. Rainfall is usually not in short supply either, although the drought of 2002 was exceptional. Most Crinums will survive dry periods without problems, but they do grow and bloom more often and better (taller scapes, higher bud counts, and larger flowers) if they get plenty of water while they are growing. They also respond well to rich soils. Cindi, you could try the south wall trick and see how that works. I hope you will enjoy my pictures as I continue to post them. Sorry that I can't put the Crinum scent on the web too. Regards, Jay Yourch Central North Carolina, USA (USDA Zone 7)