I completely agree with John Grimshaw that Galanthus should be shipped dormant. I've bought them both ways, and those received dormant (all the way from England, and some from John) settled in much better than those received in growth. When I was selling surplus bulbs, I put those that needed not to be dried out too much into plastic bags with a little barely moist vermiculite, and left the top of the bag slightly open while they were waiting to be shipped, which could take two to three weeks. I kept all the sale bulbs in a cool, dim room. Then I shipped them in a similar bag with vermiculite. I didn't get any complaints about the snowdrops. I think this is also a good way to handle some Fritillaria species (not those from arid regions, which usually have an outer layer of dried scale almost like a tunic) and those Narcissus that make root growth early in autumn. Mark wrote: >Other than Galanthus cilicicus and G.peshmenii I can't offhand think >of any snowdrop that really experiences significant drought and heat in summer. I've read that G. fosteri also tolerates summer drought, and it did well in an unirrigated part of my former garden, where there is little or no summer rainfall. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA