Dear All, The best results I have with Nerine in the open garden in northern Germany, Zone 6-7 (but the US-Zones do not really apply to us) is planting near a south facing wall like the English do and cover them with a thick layer of dry mulch.(This the English do not need to do) The mulch needs to be removed in spring before growth starts as the bulbs want to grow fairly superficial and do not like to be covered with thick mulch during their growth period. I also give overhead protection from winter rain. This of course is only possible with summer growing Nerine. The hardiest in my garden are Nerine alta and Nerine bowdenii var wellsii and a bowdenii form from former East Germany of which I have no name and no recorded origin. Nerine alta flowers fairly well but needs a long time to establish. The Nerine bowdenii var wellsii seedling is still too young and the East German form flowers very well. Nerine in the open garden remains an experiment in cold climates. I have also lost part of the bulbs from the East German stock in a very cold winter and always keep a few bulbs in a pot in the greenhouse. One of the main problems is that very often commercial bulbs are sold at the wrong time of the year. They should be transplanted in spring and not in autumn as a freshly planted bulb has no resistence to bad weather. greetings from autumn in Germany, Nerine in bloom Uli