Ina asked, >Does anyone have experience growing Sternbergia from seed? What sort of >conditions they like, sown on top of the soil, or covered? Which time >of the year? I have grown all the Sternbergia species from seed. I sow the seed in fall, or if I get it later in the year, as soon as received. The seeds should be well covered with at least 5 mm of soil and grit topdressing, because the radicle (first root) emerges from the seed first and can push the seed and its single cotyledon (leaf) out of the soil if it is not well covered. (This is true of Crocus seed too.) Usually the seeds germinate the first year after a period of cold (not freezing), but I would keep the seed pot at least two years. Keep the seedlings in their pots until they go dormant. Then you can store the seed pot fairly dry but not completely desiccated, in the shade, and let it grow on another year, or you can sort out the young bulbs and put them in a larger pot for the next year's growth -- also keep this pot somewhat but not totally dry. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA