On 27 Oct 2013, at 10:27, Kathleen Sayce wrote: > I have some questions about growing Sternbergia and Zephyranthes. I've grown > both for years, the Sternbergia in the garden, and Zephyranthes in pots in my > cold frame. Some foliage appears each fall, and seems to be healthy, but no > flowers. Any idea what I should be doing to encourage flowering in these > species? My own sternbergias are in a raised bed about ten feet (3 m) from the south facing wall of my house. The wall is white stucco and reflects a lot of heat in summer, as I have found out the hard way from putting potted plants too close to it. The wall may also radiate stored solar heat during the night, thus alleviating the rather cool evening temperatures we experience in summer. The bed is about 1 foot (30 cm) high. That area of the garden is something of a quagmire in winter, so when in active growth the sternbergias have lots of moisture available, but well below the soil surface and the bulbs. Scattering crushed eggshells on the bed seems to have improved flowering of many things in it, not just sternbergia. My guess is that the eggshells alleviate the calcium deficiency often found in PacNW soils. Perhaps there's a clue or two in all this. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Z. 7-8, cool Mediterranean climate