Jane says it's worth it to get a USDA permit and it's so streamlined now that's it's worth the few minutes of your time online. There are just so many incredible seeds available that we will never otherwise see in commerce because nurseries cater almost always to the common, easy-to-grow species. There are a few (and dwindling) such as Oliver Nurseries in Connecticut or Brent and Becky's (and a few others) that carry the unusual or hard to find. For those of us who are picky, it can be so difficult to find plants, but much easier to find seed. Just remember when filling in the blanks to specify the designated port of entry; this is very important as some are much more efficient most of the time (notice my caveat) than others. I use Seattle (I'm on the West Coast) and have been very satisfied. It's important to put your cell number on all your order forms so that an agent can call you. Not all ports of entry will do this but Seattle has called me two or three times and in each case I'm so glad they checked with me. On the permit application under Articles, put "Small Lots of Seed Program, Eligible Taxa". Under countries of origin, put (for example) "United Kingdom (Republic of South Africa, etc.), and "various approved countries". Under plant parts, most people put "seed", but put whatever you're wanting such as bulbs. Under Intended Use, put "Small Lots of Seeds for Propagation". William A. can correct if I'm leading you astray, but I've not had any problems applying for a permit. If you are interested in seeing a list of known bulb nurseries with which you've had experience in the Bulb Garden, please contact me privately at robin@hansennursery.com and I will be happy to compile a list. I know a number of you are nurserymen who specialize in bulbs and from time to time you mention when your lists are available, Telos Rare Bulbs being one, so please contact me PRIVATELY. Robin Hansen Nursery robin@hansennursery.com --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus/ _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…