Hi Marguerite, Ferraria crispa blooms reliably for me in containers and in the ground. I grow it in a deep container and don't take off the old corms since it is supposed to grow better that way. It can be challenging deciding which way to plant it since it's not always clear what's the top and what is the bottom. (One of those to plant sideways to hedge your bets.) It gets floppy sometimes in the ground with all the rain we get in winter where I live. I once had it in a raised bed and it got a bit out of control. Several other species I've tried to grow in containers have never bloomed so I too don't know the secret. Perhaps it is time to try what Paul suggests and just put them in the ground and they will either bloom or disappear I suppose. I planted some other Ferraria crispa in the ground in another place and I haven't seen it since. Mary Sue