John, Lilium candidum has a history, a history which goes back centuries, of frustrating gardeners . But here's a hint about its culture. Back in the old days, Lilium candidum was one of the few lilies carried by the Dutch bulb trade. Why? Well, for one, it propagates easily from scales. But the reason I want to emphasize is that virtually alone among lilies, Lilium candidum requires dry summer conditions. They are dormant when typical garden lilies are in active growth. They grow on roughly the same schedule as tulips and other typical commercial bulbs. My advice would be to grow them in full sun in very well-drained, neutral or even alkaline soil. Keep them dry once the foliage dies down, and don't water them until the new foliage starts to appear in late summer. You can even dig them for the summer and store them out of the sunlight. If you break some scales when digging them, save the scales - they will quickly form bulblets. You know that the bulbs should be just tucked under the ground or even left partially exposed, don't you? Years ago a nurseyman friend had some dubious quality bulbs of Lilium candidum which he did not put out for sale. They sat in the trunk of his car in an open plastic bag of wood shavings for several months. When he went to throw them away, he saw that the bulbs had largely fallen apart but that almost every scale had produced little bulblets. This lily is rarely seen in local gardens now that it's so expensive. People find it hard to believe that this lily was once grown successfully as a field crop here in Maryland. I would think that it would grow like a weed in LA - or am I just showing my ignorance of Californian conditions? Jim McKenney jimmckenney@starpower.net Montgomery county, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where, to be candid, I have been known to have trouble with candidum, too.