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Helen - perhaps I should have added that I grow all my bulbs in clay pots. I have no experience with these new-fangled plastic jobs which maybe need different treatment.
Helen - may I suggest you try & get hold of a second-hand copy of Kath Dryden's booklet Alpines in Pots (an AGS publication); it contains a lot about bulbs.
I get the impression that Kath was and is held in high esteem.
You can't do better than the bulb log for advice, Helen. Also, as you are considerably further south than Ian, you might cast an eye over the growing info page on my website as I'm also a relative southerner.One other thing, growing bulbs for showing in plunged clay pots is my method as well, but you will find that roots will emerge from the drainage hole into the plunge medium, so excavate the pot carefully to avoid damage to the escaped roots. I usually put the pot into another slightly larger one with a little damp compost in the bottom to keep the errant roots alive until they are returned to the plunge after the show. It's also a lazy way of not having to wash the pot!
A point about 'double potting' - this method is also used to keep plants that need to maintain a steady temperature "comfortable" while they travel to the show. Also , some plants may prefer to be grown in a small pot and double potting them for the show can make them more steady on the bench and look better too as well as keeping them cool/moist more easily. ..... Lots of reasons to double pot. Beware, of course that doing so will not take your pot size above the regulation size. It can sometimes be at little tricky to get pots to fit neatly inside each-other - worth thinking about that factor when doing the initial potting!
Eee gads there is so much to learn and there was I last year struggling to get my daffs planted in the garden. I think I am beyond being on a steep learning curve more a vertical ascent!I wrote about my first AGS show here - thought you might like it http://patientgardener.wordpress.com/2013/07/13/getting-braver-and-winning/
Well, if it were TOO simple it wouldn't be so much fun and give such a good buzz of achievment, would it ? Thanks for the blog link - that should get others interested too. And yes, I reckon if you can "fly to San Francisco on your own with connections" then showing is a doddle! I've never done that sort of journey and I'm full of admiration for those who can!
Helen - are you going to write up any of those Californian gardens on your blog? The Group photograph looks as though everyone is enjoying it greatly... (reminds me of another event!). Have a look at Fiona Wemyss's website too:www.blueleafplants.co.uk - for succulent plants rather than bulbs.
