Jim wrote: >> The replies also reinforced my thoughts that casual growers in the US find these difficult bulbs to maintain and bloom with consistency. They seem to be greenhouse bulbs in even the mildest climate to manage their precise water schedules. For most of the US, you're completely right about the greenhouse. In my particular climate, I can get away with growing them in the open -- they're in 8" (20 cm) plastic pots, in an area that gets half-shade in summer. They are in a very well drained mix (50% peat, 25% sand, 25% perlite). In summer we get a 5-6 month complete drought with low humidity, so I have drippers set up to give the pots a bit of water every week. In a damper climate, I'm sure the appropriate watering, if any, would be much less frequent. So far I've lost virtually none of the bulbs I received from the rescue, although some selections offset vigorously while others just sit there. I have not heard from anyone who's able to make them bloom consistently. Even the Kirstenbosch folks say they are erratic: http://plantzafrica.com/plantnop/… If anyone has the magic secret, please speak up. The holder of the national collection in the UK is Springbank Nursery. There's a nice article on them, with some detailed cultural advice, here: http://iwcp.co.uk/news/gardening/… 17.aspx Although they don't have a website, I've heard that they will sell internationally. If anyone in the US has a bulb import permit and wants to try a group purchase, drop me a note... Mike San Jose, CA USDA Zone 9, min temp 20F/-7C