Then it's a wait and see experiment ;-))

The Gloriosas are not very often grown and in my case I am only one year into growing them and am just learning what to expect of them. I enjoy following your experiments and hope to learn more from them. Al

Hi Al - Make sure you have something for them to scramble over BEFORE they start clutching some innocent shrub!

I think I remember you saying you grow Hippeastrums - if you are growing Gloriosa in a pot then it's the same replant sequence: plant up, some water, leave until shoots show, and then feed/water until Success. (Or not...) And they like it warm, which should be no trouble for you. :-)

I was warned that they tend to dig down and become erratic in performance so they were never allowed the freedom of the garden.

If Sandersonias come your way - give them a go, too. A silty-sandy mix and good sun/water. Long-flowering. Bright gold flowers. Easy from seed.

Thanks for the advice. Most of my gardening is by trial and error. When I received the Gloriosa bulbs last year I had no clue which end was up, so potted on their side. I did provide a stake for their climb but they still preferred clutching the neighboring plants. I have them now in a bag of moist compost, waiting and watching for shoots and/or roots before planting right end up. This year I dug up all my Hippeastrums from my garden and potted them. In the garden I could not keep them from sinking too deep, and they were being run over by rampant Euphorbia. I have never heard of Sandersonias but will look them up. Our daughter and husband leave next week for their yearly six weeks in NZ where they fish and enjoy their friends. Al

I don't think we have any secon-hand cyclones coming through - apart from that new one off the coast of Queensland.

If you remind them to check the weather forecast and the weather warnings... We have quick-to-rise streams and rivers.

Which Euphorbia? I've got one - Fenn's Ruby - which has rule the world tendencies.

And, do you keep your Clivias outdoors/inground?

Here in the northern bay area of San Francisco, Clivia are right on the edge of being hardy. We do keep them outside in the garden but must look for a micro climate on the property. Given that problem,I prefer to keep them in five gallon or larger containers that can be moved if need be. This leads to another problem as it takes between 5 and 10 years to fill the container and require potting up or dividing. I have broken a rather expensive container by putting off this job. I have no idea which Euphorbia I have but it is nothing special, color is a chartreuse.
My son in law is the descendant of an Italian fishing family who can not stand the motion of a boat and does all his fishing in the surf. Al

I repotted my Mum's Clivia nobilis for her... Yep. Know Exactly what you mean! They cling like limpets to the pot and kinda snuggle to make it fit their roots, if it's plastic. I'm amazed at how they colonise the drain holes and yet stay healthy.

The hardest part for me is providing that spell of autumn dry.

A surf-caster, eh? There are plenty of good places for doing that. Guess he won't be catching the Cook Strait ferry any time soon, though!