HI, Justin > I am curious though as to how cross pollination is prevented There is a technological innovation called aluminum foil-- make a piece small/large enough to cover the subject, place over the stigma, gently press to mold it in place, walk away. On larger stigmas, such as lilies, the aluminum foil can be molded around a pencil or the like, then dropped in place and pressed closed. A supply of one inch squares of foil can be cut in advance, rolled or folded as needed, and used as needed, quickly and easily. Once the flower fades, the stigma will probably drop off, and you may want to pick up the small pieces of foil, so either remove the foil when the flower fades, or just leave it to be picked up later--depending on your personal standards of garden neatness. If you want to prevent foreign pollen while allowing removal of the foil, add a small tab of masking tape so you can grab the tape and open the foil, add pollen of choice, replace the foil. "cling wrap" will work--but may be harder to manage. You may also find it possible to find paper bags such as are used to put tea in(made for people who buy loose tea from tins). For larger flowers such as roses, there are small muslin bags which are used for tossing rice after wedding ceremonies. One person buys the smallest plastic bags he can find (made for collecting stamps or coins), he cuts of a small corner, drops them over the flower (the clipped off corner allows moisture to escape, and allows a flower stem to project from the bag if the pollinating flower is left in place until pollination takes place). Light weight cloth such as is used for lining draperies can be formed into small cylinders, taped or glued closed (a hot melt glue gun is handy sometimes), dropped over the stigma, removed and replaced as necessary. Even an old handkerchief or shirt fabric can be cut into small pieces and pressed into use. Paper clips can be used in place of tape, but they weigh more, and unless plastic, will probably rust. If you are only trying to prevent pollination, without expecting to obtain seeds, nip off the end of the stigma--it won't be very noticeable to most people, and seed will almost never form. Even masking tape will work--and if necessary it could be colored to be less noticeable in the flower. FWIW, the local orchard society sells "footlets", of the same material as pantyhose, but only enough to cover the foot. Placed over developing fruit, it expands as the fruit develops, and seems to prevent access by fruit pests/maggots. The same strategy could be used on flower stems to prevent pollenation, or to protect developing seed pods. Ken