I have some Lillium and Japanese "super bulbs", I think that is the name and was wondering if it is ok to plant them now. There are in paper bags in my garage and havne't sprouted yet. Also, I am interested in those huge Elephant Ears and gladiolas..ok to plant them also. I finally have the time to do my gardening more seriously.
thanks in advance for any help.
Frank in Somerset section of Franklin Township

Kumasaka is a later bloomer, the latest in my garden. It typically has bloomed from mid-April to early May. The buds are just beginning to swell substantially and the plant should bloom soon. I live in South Jersey and the plant does very well here.

I just bought Ackerman's latest book on growing camellias outside of the camellia belt. One of the things he says is that in our colder areas it is better to plant camellias in the spring, and that the camellias that bloom in the spring are more of a challenge to grow because the buds have to survive all winter. The plants can tolerate the cold but the bud are affected. He has an earlier book, Growing Camellias in a Cold Climate (I think that's the title). I have only three camellias so I am no expert, just learning about them.

I planted Wayside's Nuccio's Pearl last spring - we're right at the base of the palisades below Ft. Lee, very fertile soil, very little wind, and gentler temperature changes from being close to the river.

I don't know how I misread that they are zone 7-9. They tripled in size during the summer and set all kinds of buds in the fall that looked like they were about to open and didn't and turned brown over the winter. Early spring I pulled most of them off and the ones I left opened lovely a few weeks later. They got sort of brown-leaved but are now sending out triple-shoots at every tip. So I think they're happy.

These buds were *brown*, though. I'm glad I left a couple to be able to learn my lesson.