On 2011-06-23, at 1:03 PM, Mark BROWN wrote: > I never understand why no commercial big growers get involved. I suspect it is because we don't have enough North American galanthophiles to make it financially worthwhile. Here in Victoria, we have ready access each year to hundreds of pots of flowering snowdrops outside supermarkets. from a wholesale nursery here with good links to sources in the Netherlands. Pots have four bulbs each and cost about $3. The commonest one is elwesii which is the most successful one to grow here. G. woronowii and nivalis are occasionally sold. I and the half-dozen of my friends who collect snowdrops search for unusual ones each year, and have found a few exciting ones, including a woronowii that looked like "Trym". There were hopeful buyers lined up in Europe, but unfortunately it rotted before I could propagate it. I mentioned a half dozen of us who collect snowdrops. We are probably the only ones in town who would pay more than a few dollars for one. We have several wildly popular specialty plant sales here each year. The earliest one is at the end of February for hellebores, Cyclamen coum and snowdrops. One year I potted up 14 named snowdrops and put a $4 pricetag on. Only 7 sold. Diane Whitehead Victoria, B.C., Canada cool mediterranean climate mild dry summers, mild rainy winters