Aad...I was being a little overly dramatic when I said that naturalizing Rhodophiala in Northern California wasn't easy...'cuz Sacramento is actually Amarylid country; the seasonal temperatures & rainfall make it pretty ideal for all of 'em. Belladonnas grow here...literally...like weeds. In August/September you see them blooming in vacant lots...along the side of roads...people don't seem to pay them much mind. But in the Netherlands...I think you're in for a challenge! With my first plantings (R.splendens, R.advena, R.phycelloides) I planted the seeds in small pots in groups of 3 or 4...like I do with my Hippeastrum...thinking I would repot them in larger pots when the time came. But I learned that this just increased the probability of root damage & loss...so when I bought the R.montana, R.bakerii, etc. seeds, I planted them all (25 or so) in a larger (12" diam.), deep pot...and that's where they've stayed. I experimented with sun exposure by moving all the Rhodophiala pots around my yard and found that while all the others could take full...baking...sun, the R.montana did best in full morning sun...dappled mid-afternoon sun...and full late-afternoon shade and cooler temperatures. And it bloomed in only 2 years! With the others...prepare yourself for a wait...'cuz they all have a relatively short growth cycles...so it takes YEARS for the bulb to grow large enough to bloom. I did a R.bifida (North American variety) bulb swap with a PBS Member in North-Central Texas...and kept them in pots the first couple years...and they struggled. They didn't die, but they also didn't really grow or bloom. Then...in disgust...I planted them directly in the ground in my 'Amarylid Mound'...and they almost immediately bloomed & grew & off-set. They were happy...at last! How can anything as brainless as a bulb know whether it's in a pot...or not? But they do! So that's what I'm basing my decision to plant all the other species of Rhodophiala directly in the ground. It's a potentially sacrificial test...and time will tell which ones will pass. I'll keep y'posted. But perseverere with your own endeavers! I think a lot of it depends on your attitude towards gambling...since unless you have the consultation & advice of someone in your climate zone who has already had success...so much seems to be trial & error...and luck. So it's a good thing seeds are relatively cheap! Who was it in here that said that they considered a plant "hardy" 'til they killed it 3 times? That's the spirit! ~d. When I Bought also rhodophiala seeds a month ago from chileflora. Hopefully I don't have to wait for 4 years to see some flowers Already 3 of them R. ananuca, R. phycelloides and R. montana are sprouting. They will always be potted. Don't think they will survive in the ground in the winter. If the frost won't kill them the wet winters in Holland will do it. At least I never succeeded to overwinter a Amaryllis belladonna outdoors, not even when planted 20cm deep. > > And just 2 months shy of the 4 year mark! > > ~david (Sacramento, CA) Aad van Beek