In a message dated 7/26/2005 5:52:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time, john@johnlonsdale.net writes: Flying in the face of expert advice I recommend under-potting bulbs, at least smaller bulbs of the 'alpine' persuasion I thought that I underpotted the minor bulbs until Ian Young's recent lectures in the US. He crowds them in, cheek to jowl. But he repots every year and I tend to skip a season. How often do you repot, John? On another potting issue, I am forced to pot up a small collection of aril and arilbred iris for transfer to another garden next spring. I have started removing them from the outside sand bed and dividing and cleaning, dusting with sulphur and potting in a well drained soilless mix but with the rhizome or bulbous bits in coarse sand. I haven't quite figured out where to keep them, sunny frame, dry under a greenhouse bench, dry on the benches, plunged back into the sand bed. Any comments or advice would be welcome. Mark Mazer Intarsia Ltd. Gaylordsville, Connecticut 06755-0142 USA