Mary Sue, thanks for the info. This has been a very informative thread for me, as Dietes and company have always been a fascination, but I've never really done more than play with them (of course, this is how it always begins!) Of course, we are all being a bit patient, as they are certainly borderline geophyte subjects, but their general culture translates well to other Summer rainfall South Africans (I would think). You probably hit the nail on the head with "choosing difficult seed subjects". A weakness of many of us (hmmm, what does this mean?) That said, I am often surprised how Amaryllids, even old seed, just spring out of the ground for me. I may well have just the right conditions, or I show them just the correct amount of neglect, that they feel themselves at home. Pity most are soooo slow to mature. Let's face it, there is little more exciting than a flat of healthy seadlings literally growing before our very eyes. Funny how one can just impolitely stare in wonderment as tiny leaves appear from the bulb axis, gently flushed with anthocyanins. Yes, bulb people are special. On the true geophyte side, my Bomarea hirtella are only now starting to bloom. We had an extremely cold and cloudy Summer in Cologne and they never put on much growth. This late in the season, I expect no seed, but who knows. Next Spring I plan to try some seedlings in the garden and hope to establish them before Winter. In theory, with their deeper roots, they should over-winter in my garden. Ciao, Jamie V. Cologne ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Sue Ittner" <msittner@mcn.org> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 11:32 PM Subject: Re: [pbs] Dietes