On 27 Feb 07, at 13:40, Laura & Dave wrote: > ...several of the bags full have not done well (Galanthus elwesii > and Leucojum vernum in particular), waning over the three year span > since arriving. I won't even hazard a guess about the x-rays, but the two plants you mention as not doing well have contrasting fates here in Victoria. Galanthus do very well here. The only common form that is a bit iffy is the little everyday double form of G. nivalis, which seems not to be as robust as the others. I suspect it simply doesn't handle root competition and shade all that well, and needs to be planted in an open situation away from significant trees and shrubs. I've seen it growing happily by drainage ditches in exposed situations that go bone dry in summer. Leucojum vernum, otoh (on the other hand), is a puzzle. I've planted many bulbs of this over the years, perhaps hundreds. Only two or three have survived and prospered; the rest disappeared years ago. Over the years, one of the survivors has formed a a seriously congested clump, which I lifted and divided just yesterday like snowdrops in the green. I am keeping my fingers crossed that L. vernum can handle disturbance during the growing season. Now the interesting thing is that of the twenty or so bulbs in that clump, one -- only one -- had grubs of the lesser bulb fly in it. There were no signs whatsoever of the larger bulb fly, though it is probably more common species of bulb fly here. I strongly suspect that the clumping of that one bulb is due to damage to the basal plate by the bulb fly; the clump had "that look" about it. I also speculate (but with much less confidence) that L. vernum is normally subject to the depredations of the bulb fly, but I have a clone here that is not particularly attractive to them. Don't quote me; this is pure speculation! The usual complaint about L. vernum is that the bulbs in the trade are so badly desiccated that they rot instead of growing. This is a criticism of considerable accuracy, but overlooks that there is a remedy. If the bulbs are first soaked in water until they firm up, then potted up in pure sand and kept there for a season or two, the majority survive. I've always done this and gotten the bulbs into a state of active growth before planting them out. They still have disappeared in large numbers. Frustrating. Comments, anyone? -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate on beautiful Vancouver Island