Speaking of Gladiolus, I've noticed that the "ground color" of G. carneus varies from an almost pure white though pale pink to naked lady pink (by which I mean Amaryllis belladonna pink, of course). Does anyone know if the species is just variable, or are there different clones out there? To my taste, there is no geophyte except possibly Iris that commercial plant breeding has ruined more than Gladiolus. I don't mean this in a snobbish way -- sometimes bigger really is better, but in this case not. Best, Max Oakland CA Where a single premature Erythronium californicum enlivened the shady corner near the compost pile this weekend, despite a heavy bombardment of blighted Camellia flowers.