The shoots emerge early from the soil in spring and may sometimes suffer from frost damage so are best covered with dry bracken as soon as they appear. Very seldom seen, but easily raised from seed, is the sturdy F. pallidiflora, native to Russia and quite hardy in Britain. It reaches 1 to 2(30 to 60cm) in height and produces three or four squarish yellow bells, spotted red inside, during April. Many other Fritillaria species are now available, particularly for the alpine house, but for those with no facilities to grow or inclination to try these more specialist plants, add to the species mentioned above F. acmopetala, F. pontica, F. pyrenaica and F. verticillata which put up uncomplainingly with a minimum of attention in my own garden and flower each season. Valuable too is Galtonia candicans, a showy South African, which from a basal cluster of erect leaves produces in late summer 3 to 4ft(i to 1.25m) scapes bearing up to 15 pure white pendulous, slightly scented, bells. In the herbaceous or shrub border, placed with a background of dark foliage, it is extremely effective and in spite of its origin appears hardy in most parts of Britain. Another South African, the orange-flowered Crocosmia masonorum, begins its flowering season in July and, although only relatively recently introduced, has rapidly established itself in gardens. It is a free-flowering species which is easily raised from seed and unlike some of its beautiful montbretia relatives appears totally hardy. Also beginning their long flowering season in July are the various forms of Crinum x powellii with long strap-shaped leaves and stout, 3ft(im) stems surmounted by large trumpet-shaped flowers in various shades of pink. A most beautiful pure white form is also available. There are few more rewarding plants for garden decoration than this hybrid which continues to bloom until late September-although it is not the easiest plant to transplant or to give away, requiring a major operation before the thick, fleshy rootstock yields to brute force! The foxtail lilies, species and hybrids of Eremurus, are sadly neglected nowadays although anyone who saw the magnificent stands growing in the chalky warm soil of the late Sir Frederick Stern's garden at Highdown near Goring, Sussex was immediately galvanised into trying to grow them. The 8ft(2.5m) spikes of yellow, orange, peach, pink or white blooms make a magnificent spectacle on the rare occasions they are now seen but as growth begins very early in the year a dry bracken covering is advisable to protect the large basal leaves as they develop. A few, such as the yellow E. bungei, only aspire to 2 to 3ft(6ocm to lm) and are more suitable for the small garden but all are well worth trying in a sunny, open position where the fleshy, brittle roots remain undisturbed by the compulsive hoe of the tidy gardener.