Yes, it was in Dunmurry and the other Rolls plant was in Dundonald. There wasn't any outbursts of conflict during my stays. I think most of that occurred just prior to me going there. I don't remember the name of the place I stayed, but was old and castle like, I believe it was built in the 1600's and had some historical significance. I did have a chance to travel around the countryside. I could tell people must have used some of those same old back roads or routes for centuries because they were several feet lower than the general terrain. Very nice people.

Now, back to lilies. Is it typical practice for European growers to use shredded paper for moisture control in packing? I looked at the Parker website. The prices are good, even when I factor in the currency exchange rate. Are your dahlias still flowering? In my area, the dahlias freeze before they're done blooming. Then, to be safe, we dig around Thanksgiving time and store in dry beach sand.

Belated welcome Cantillon

Hope to hear more of your lily gardening experiences in Ireland.

Hi Lorn, hi Della,

Parkers do some strange things with what they send you, I now just buy bulbs/tubers/corms and maybe sticks ( sprigs) as when I bought seedlings they arrived saturated and rotting and after they replaced them once or twice I gave up. As to the shredded paper, maybe it is cheap, but I can't remember getting them any other way from these folk.Generally though I find their bulbs pretty reliable.

I am a bit of a newbie with lilies, I have about fifteen different types at present for about four years, but I am just feeling my way. I ordered hundred bulbs or so this year to date, some for gifts, some to pot up for raffle prizes and for sale at cost to my garden society, and some to create a couple of decent stands in the garden. Sometimes I have not received what I ordered, which I only find out months later , drives me bats, but I pot them up for charity sales through the garden society and the funds all go to Alzheimers and cancer from them.

I will attach a few photos in due course, thanks for the welcome, there are few of us over on the "Can we have a dahlia forum page",

Kind regards,

Peter

Peter , I have listed many Dahlias on the register...and a few more in late summer!