Hi Peter and All, >>>>>Lucifer and what is loose in the West of Scotland as C paniculata- >>>>>which is probably missidentified, are not as hardy in colder parts of the UK in pots, though no trouble even in colder spots in the ground. Peter if you have material of anything from the West Coast of Scotland I'd like to be able to identify it. I'm the Botanical Society of the British Isles Referee for Crocosmia and responsible for the verification of any species of Crocosmia found growing in a wild state. Surprisingly there are some large errors when it comes to recording so I'd like to put things right at some point. >>>>I have never managed to grown Chasmanthes here though I think some may >>>>have been in my fathers garden which was much milder. It may be I did not treat them correctly. They are quite easy from seed. Many hybreds are very stoloniferous which means INVASIVE, but not all. With Chasmanthe; in the UK they're best planted closely in a large group about six inches deep. They do best if planted under mature shrubs, which gives them protection from frost and wind. There's quite a large stand near me in Morrab Sub-tropical Gardens in Penzance, UK, on a north facing border. Regarding getting rid and spraying; droplet size and time of year is important; adding washing up liquid to the mix helps the chemical stick better to the leaves, a small droplet size / mist also helps prevent run off. It also helps if there's no wind at all as wind will also cause run off. Time of spraying should be when the leaves are between 12-15 inches high; at least that's when I've done it for people and had good success in getting rid. Professional weed wands are good, these use more concentrated chemicals, application is also much easier. It is especially good to use where water is in short supply or where carrying a large amount of water any distance is a problem. Re. viruses, Alberto is right, they do occur frequently. It's also quite likely that some of the older varieties bred before 1939 have virus too, but without showing any marks in the flowers; symptoms may be quite subtle, from slight dwarfing or leaf mottling. The way I look at it is this; if I'd been around for 80 odd years and not caught a virus I'd have been very lucky indeed. There's probably better odds on winning the lottery than not catching a virus in a lifetime. Not all viruses are harmful though. Probable vectors for transfer include their main pests, red spider mite, molluscs, black bean aphid and thrip but also from mechanical damage when leaves of two varieties rub together in the wind. Re. Far Reaches Farm Stock in my opinion. Babylon - does better in a pot than in the ground, large flower if grown in a pot and over-wintered frost free. Citronella - nice colour and one of the hardiest Montbretias (smooth leaved) but sometimes shy to flower. Emberglow - Usually a good bedder and pretty hardy. Okavango - should do well, quite tough, mind you anything with pleated leaves usually is. Solfatare - good colour, a good one for a pot or for overwintering in a pot, prior to planting out annually. Try planting under shrubs etc. to give protection. Eastern Promise - I'd question hardiness with this one, have had problems keeping it in the past. Very nice for pot though. Miss Scarlet and Hellfire - Should be very tough but not too different to Lucifer. Hardiest - Okavango, Miss Scarlet, Hellfire, Lucifer followed by Citronella and Emberglow Regarding seed James; you only need one plant (clone) to produce seed, Lucifer usually produces quite a lot of seed. Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora varieties will produce more seed in cooler summers or in the shade. Pollen fertility is temperature related. Regarding two forms of Lucifer; this is because Lucifer has been seed raised in Holland for many many years now, it's quite likely you two seedling forms rather than the real thing, most seedlings do look similar to it. It was first bred 45 years ago now !!! Best Wishes, Dave David Fenwick 84 Roscadghill Parc, Heamoor, Penzance, Cornwall. TR18 3QY Telephone: +44 (0) 1736 448392