As the topic is Bulbs and Alpines perhaps it behooves meto give you my understanding of these terms . The word Bulb is globally used to refer to an underground storage unit or organ ( an onion here is a good example ) which lets the plant live through the seasons against all odds and climates, to incarnate next season filling our senses with delight.
For a complete step by step look at what constitutes the difference between the terms, a full explanation with drawings is available from the Geophyte page link. As I'm not a purist, the term Bulb will cover, when I am writing, anything covered at the geophyte page, and will mean an underground storage vessel which produces flowers.
I personally prefer to use the term Monocotyledons, rather than Geophyte when speaking of bulbous plant because the term Geophyte strictly refers to a plant with its growing point below the soil, thus excluding plants having their growing points at soil level .
The Gardening market is just this, a market place where the nursery trade decides which plants will be grown for the coming year. Often, because of perceived trends, things fade from the trade.
I think it was Gertrude Stein who said before the flowers of friendship faded, friendship faded . Too true, at least in the nursery industry . Plants which were commonly available to our grand parents are often not available today within the Nursery Industry . To this end, whenever one sees a particular Bulb taking your fancy - grab it - for next year you may not be able to purchase it.
This holds true in Australia, although I can't really speak for the rest of the world. but feel this would be true up there also.
As I am stranded in the southern Hemisphere, should I slip and say "Up There", please note that this is said with affection. For you all seem to be able to purchase bulbs more freely than we in Australia .
On a matter of climate and nature's adaptive abilities, after nearly three decades of being a manic Bulb collector, I have found that bulbs from seed adapt far better than bulbs purchased and then planted. Help, I hope this doesn't get me sued . Look what they did to poor Miss Oprah. (grin.) From seed, bulbs which ordinarily should not grow in a particular climate zone DO.
Often, with micro climates created by the creative gardener and coupled with 'grown from seed'; bulbs can be flowered at least two climate zones outside of the parameters set in books.
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