Hello, Sorry for the last post but I was not trying to be argumentative or political. I am not a Republican or a Democrat and we'll leave it at that. I am Aaron Floden, I currently live in Manhattan, Kansas. An waful place that I want to move away from. I am attending Kansas State University for....still undecided, but focusing currently on Biochemistry and a minor in Horticulture. Other intersts besides plants include, food(all kinds- I worked for a short while in Italy, literally at the foot of the Alps), chocolate(Pralus, Michel Cluizel, Valrhona!) music(all kinds), cars, books, and my original college plan was the Kansas City Art Institute, but I decided against it. I still draw, paint, photograph, sculpt, and more in spare time(where is it curently though?) Polygonatum photos will come eventually. My garden is in eastern Kansas (Z5/6) just south of Kansas City, one half hour(depending on how fast you drive) south of Jim Waddick, in a completely different climate, soil, and all the rest. I grow everything I can. But since this is bulbs I will mention mostly those. I grow most things in the ground when possible and have wintered an amazing array of 'non-hardy' plants. I grow many Amaryllidaceae, Araceae, Iridaceae, Colchicaceae, Convallariaceae, Hyacinthaceae, Ranunculaceae, etc. Specifically though,Allium, Agapanthus, Tulbaghia, Amaryllis, Clivia, Cyrtanthus, Galanthus, Haemanthus, Hippeastrum, Scadoxus, Nerine, Narcissus, Lycoris, Hymenocallis, Arisaema, Arum, Amorphphallus, Iris species, Crocus, Gladiolus, Crocosmia, Colchicum, Convallaria, Polygonatum, Smilacina(Maianthemum), Disporum(& Prosartes), Reineckia, Rohdea, Hosta species, Hemerocallis species, Hyacinthus, Bellevalia, Brimurea, Hyacinthella, Scilla, Ledebouria, Clematis species(specifically section viorna), Hepatica(only acutiloba which I have selected color forms from the wild for the past 5 years, the others are either too weak or just will not grow) Paeonia, Trillium, Zingiber, Hedychium, Cyclamen, etc. This is only a skimming of the the sypmtoms of my disease! There are currently about five thousand differnt taxa(acquisitions of some of the same species) growing in the garden and in the many pots that must be hauled in and out each year, a real pain. Most of the shade plants are grown under limbed up black walnut and Maclura pomifera, under these are many shrubs and small trees. Collections of note are the wild Hamamelis vernalis and virginiana, Styrax, Acer, Magnolia species(all young), Aesculus, Cercis, and Viburnum.(Sounds grand when you read back through it but it really is not all that impressive. I much prefer viewing other peoples gardens than my own.) Current interests( this month) are Hippeastrum and Ledebouria, and as spring comes closer the focus will be Hepatica and Trillium, followed by Polygonatum, and whatever else looks good. I have an interest in variegated plants as long as they are not ugly, nice marginal variegation is good or regular splashing, not contorted, twisted, virusy-looking, but to each there own. I have many papers on Ledebouria but I cannot ID those I have with the papers. I have about a dozen sp. sitting in pots and cannot ID them without a good paper or photos. I know I have coriacea, socialis (different forms?), undulata, cooperi, maculata(Drimiopsis), and the others with spotted leaves. I love the Muscari, Hyacinthus, Bellevalia, and Hyacinthella. I have about two dozen different ones that may bloom this spring, but definitely next. On 'non-hardy' plants I have wintered Zingiber mioga since 2000. It has taken temps down to around -15 at times and never lost any of the plants. Commercial forms have died but this clone has survived, and sported a variegate. Another plant that surprised me was Narcissus watieri. It bloomed last year for the first time. Adorable little Narcissus. I planted the bulbs directly into the garden in part shade in a mostly unamended heavy clay and left them. I am sure there are many more, but I have class in a few hours and need some sleep. All the best, Aaron Floden Mahattan, KS US Z5 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com/