Perhaps paradoxically, I find the native California bulbs to be among the hardest to grow. However, our experience makes it clear that the climate is only one and sometimes not even the major consideration. I would focus on soil. Even winter growing S. African bulbs can take our summer water if in very well drained soil while they cannot tolerate even our winter rain in our heavy soil. This whole soil issue is one of the important unappreciated factors in the ongoing debate about the predicted effects of global warming. While climate models predict that our lowland (e.g., valley) plants may start 'moving up' the mountains to get cooler, they ignore the fact that montane soils can be quite different. Paul Licht, Director University of California Botanical Garden 200 Centennial Drive Berkeley, CA 94720 (510)-643-8999 http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/ J.E. Shields wrote: > I wonder the same thing. I had at one time thought perhaps central Europe > would be quite parallel in climate to Indiana, but I have concluded over > the years that our Indiana climate is significantly harsher than central > Europe's -- hotter in summer and colder in winter. Anyone want to hazard a > guess? > > Jim Shields > Westfield in central Indiana > USA > > > At 10:47 AM 11/16/2009 -0600, you wrote: > > >> Speaking of "parallel regions", I would be delighted to learn which >> world region(s) are considered parallel with central Indiana. >> Perhaps certain parts of China and Japan? >> >> Some daffodils do fairly well for me here, but others just die on me >> after a year or two. >> I'm wondering if there's any way to trace which regions the thriving >> daffodils come from? >> >> >> Anita Clyburn >> Where the Indiana clay soil is wet and cold and will remain that way >> until next June. >> > > ************************************************* > Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd. > P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/ > Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA > Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > >