Because of bumper crops in Holland (hurray!) we’ll have more ‘Clara Butt’, ‘Elegans Rubra’ & ‘Phillipe de Comines’ than we expected, and we’re able to offer them on sale to encourage you to try these lovely varieties if you haven’t in the past. All came close to commercial extinction: ‘Clara Butt’ - a shell-pink late-blooming beauty from 1889 - was dropped by the last US grower in 2007; fortunately we were able to send 100 bulbs from his last harvest to our friends in Holland to preserve it. Dark and dramatic ‘Phillipe de Comines’ (1891) had been lost to gardeners till we re-introduced it in 1998, and it’s been a customer favorite ever since. Lily-flowered ‘Elegans Rubra’, though listed as a wild species in 19th century catalogs, hasn’t been found in the wild since, and is now quite rare. Any or all of them would be beautiful in your late-spring garden and we’re thrilled to be able to spread them more widely this year! (And if you already have them on your order, don’t feel left out – we’ll be sure to include some extras so you can be part of the celebration.)