Garden centers often receive several calls weekly from indoor gardeners who are concerned about the welfare of their Kaffir lilies.

Although they should have slightly moist soil during spring and summer, Kaffir lilies should be dried out in the fall while setting buds.

Early daffodils, alstromerias, Kaffir lilies, anemones, tulips.

Another reader wrote: I have grown Clivia miniata for many years.

Regardless, it is sometimes used medicinally, a reason why some groups may harvest the very popular Clivia miniata.

The kafir-lily or clivia (Clivia miniata), a native of the warm forests of South Africa, is a member of the amaryllis family.

Mrs. Samuel M. V. Hamilton's Clivia miniata, which is the size of a Volkswagen bug, won a red ribbon this year.

A. When winter is at its worst, Clivia miniata's cluster of striking trumpet-shaped flowers above straplike, very dark green leaves can take the place of a Florida weekend, although the rarer clivias can cost nearly as much.

Clivias, for Connoisseurs Some months back, I wrote about the rare yellow-flowering clivia (Clivia miniata citrina or flava), which has straplike evergreen leaves and spectacular funnel-shaped flowers that are easily brought into bloom on any partly sunny windowsill.