Max Withers wrote: In (my part of) California we are more likely to have problems with insufficient chill than too much of it, ================= Max, you have reminded me of something I read about some bulbs (?) that grow in the SE U.S. I didn't pay much attention because it had no relevance to me, so I can't remember which plant it was. Apparently some plants native to Florida have the ability to withstand excessive cold. Some of the South African bulbs, including gladiolus, that were in bloom at the beginning of September when I was there, have an amazing ability to withstand great swings of temperature. We had snow on a couple of days. In one area, the temperature was minus 8 Celsius at night and plus 20 Celsius the next day. (that's 19 to 68 Fahrenheit). It certainly wasn't dry in the winter. There were large areas under water, and we had to ford many streams running across the roads - I was afraid the car might not like getting its engine wet, but it never stalled. I think these bulbs have great potential for adaptability, though maybe they won't like my boring coastal conditions - the other day we had a high of 7 C and a low of 7 C. Where's the fun in that when you're built to withstand high desert conditions? Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada maritime zone 8, cool Mediterranean climate mild rainy winters, mild dry summers