An ongoing experiment here is seeing what bulbs will grow well in dense turf, where mowing begins around the end of June when the Narcissus foliage withers. The fall bulbs have begun to pop up through the perennial grass, which has mostly turned brown after an August that saw no measurable rainfall here (I did, however, run a sprinkler on the area once a week). Acis autumnalis (formerly Leucojum autumnale) raises its red stems and snowflake bells here and there; it seems too delicate to flourish in turf, but its bulbs are substantial and multiply very fast, so it's a good choice for experiments. The colchicum that opened today is Colchicum x agrippinum, a hybrid of C. variegatum that's hardier than its parent but has the same strongly checkered flowers; it's another fast increaser, perhaps because it's sterile. No Cyclamen hederifolium has made its way out into the lawn yet, but in a few years I expect it will, as the seeds are distributed by ants; just now it's putting on a show in the bare area surrounding two very large Douglas firs, where little else will grow. C. hederifolium subsp. confusum was planted into a border to keep it separate, and has just opened its first flower. Prospero autumnale (syn. Scilla autumnalis) is an active self-sower and has popped up here and there. Scilla scilloides (I forget what its new name is, and don't know if it's one of the scillas that are accepted under other names) has been in flower for a couple of weeks in an irrigated border. The same area holds several species of Eucomis, now concluding their summer season: E. bicolor, E. autumnalis, E. pole-evansii, and some of the purple-leaved cultivars. In a nearby bed the selection Acis autumnalis 'September Snow' is doing well: it is a robust variety whose flowers lack the tinge of pink seen in the typical ones. The first hybrid colchicums are opening in the garden, here and there. In the bulb house only colchicums and a stray Acis autumnalis subsp. oporanthum are open now, though the "moist side" has been watered occasionally and the "dry side" received a faint sprinkling to maintain a little humidity. A deep color form of the large-flowered Colchicum bivonae is most prominent. Colchicum hierosolymitanum continues to produce flowers, including four from one corm; they're small but have nice substance. The first of the Merendera group (now included in COlchicum by some botanists) has opened too--M. montana (or C. montanum), called espanta pastores iin its native Spanish mountains because its appearance warns the shepherds to move their flocks from the high pastures ahead of the coming snows. To encourage bees to frequent my new garden, I've planted a lot of native Pacific Coast annuals and some other "bee plants," especially near the bulb collection. Phacelia has been especially successful early in the season, and now the non-native annual Cynoglossum amabile is attracting pollinators. The biggest draw, however, is a plant that I wonder if many Mediterranean-climate gardeners know: the perennial Campanula versicolor. I collected seed of plants that were still flowering in October in the Peloponnese, where they were growing in a dry stone wall. The one plant I raised is now settled in a dry stone wall surrounding a sand bed where the temperature is moderated by a large black water storage tank in the center, and it has produced 8 or 10 tall scapes with hundreds of large, widely open flowers that just keep coming. The pale lavender flower is distinctive among campanulas in having a deep violet central zone, which apparently is irresistible to honeybees. I hope to get plenty of seed from my plant and if so will distribute it through the NARGS exchange. It may be a little tender for many North American gardens but would be a terrific addition where it's hardy. It looks rather closely related to C. pyramidalis, which is a biennial I've grown in the old garden, but is shorter (stems about 30 to 50 cm) and bushier. I bought some tuberose bulbs (Polianthes tuberosa) to grow in a pot this summer, but only one has flowered. Can anyone tell me how well this species survives winters in the open ground? My summer-dormant bulb house wouldn't suit it, but the new garden is in a "banana belt" and has some especially sheltered spots, including a corner near the front entry where a Bomarea is flourishing after one winter in the ground. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA