I have grown ranunculus from bulbs in pots. When I lived in Montreal I could grow Crocosmia from bulbs, but they did not make it through the winter. Here in southern Ontario they have come back for 7 years. I planted them extra deep just in case.

I had Crocosmia return for 3 years and then disappear. When a plant does that, I move on. :O)

Try Crocosmia "Lucifer". It's a bright red one and one of the hardiest, also the easist to find at the nurseries. You can buy actively growing plants and put them in the ground right away. I've been told that bigger corms are hardier than the new, small ones. Planting in the spring is best if a plant is marginally hardy. Crocosmias I have planted in the fall have either died or just performed poorly.

Thanks for all the help! I've planted the corms this spring, and so far no sign of anything but two ranunculus. I'd love to do the wise and mature thing and give up on the crocosmia, but it's just so fabulous for bouquets. I'll bite the bullet and buy some at the garden centre like you said, ontnative, and give that route a try. I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess!

i planted Lucifer this spring and nothing up yet. But then this is not a normal spring. Give them time.

C. Lucifer is up again here in central Ontario. It has returned every year for years. I thought this past winter would have done it in but it's poking up a two inch stalk already. Likes the protection of a wall or tree stump. But saying that it also came up near a large rose bush where I had transplanted some bulbs. They do reproduce little bulbs every year and in a few years you will have a large patch.

My Lucifer did just fine last year.

Anyone grow a variety other than Lucifer in zone 5 or colder?

Lucifer has been growing here in Guelph for 6-7 years, and is the most vigorous for me, but I also planted, 2-3 years ago, Babylon(orange-red), George Davidson (yellow), Emberglow (scarlet red-tall), and Emily McKenzie (orange-crimson bicolour). Emily McK. blooms late and doesn't seem to be as vigorous as the others. Maybe I have it in too much shade. Last year the RBG had George Davidson, Emberglow and Lucifer for sale as potted plants at their May sale. I know some of my plants have come from the RBG and some from a local nursery. Plants I purchased in the fall were kept in my cold cellar over winter (in the pots in slightly damp soil) and planted out in the spring. Once planted in the garden, I do not "lift" them for the winter. I want to see which ones will grow without pampering. My goal is a low-maintenance garden.

I think the trick with crocosmia is to not let it get too wet in the winter with zone 5 being about its minimum cold zone.
I have been growing lucifer for quite a few years in a rock pile and it has multiplied and bloomed beautifully so far.
I used to dig it up every year until I talked to a lady who had the most gorgeous, tall, floriferous crocosmia....she told me she didn't know it wouldn't survive, so didn't dig it up. Hers was growing on a steep slope, with a Mediterranean feel.

I agree about the Crocosmia except that I believe it can survive even a zone 3b. I have a friend who gardens north of here. She has excellent drainage and planted the bulbs a bit deeper than recommended. She also has good snow cover in winter. She has the clump for 4 years and it enlarges every year. It is Crocosmia Lucifer.

If you've got a healthy clump of Croscosmia that's been established for many years, don't be afraid to dig it up and separate the corms that will have formed, all in a row, one for each year of growth. The plant "pushes" the old corm down into the soil and grows a new one every year.

A friend and I dug up some "Lucifer" in his garden-- most plants had six or seven corms strung like beads, going down at least a foot. These we separated and replanted, to increase and renew the planting.

I didn't realize this thread had been revived! My crocosmia finally surfaced late, late, late in the season. So late, in fact that I had given up and planted other stuff. Now I have to sort them out. I'll see about this year...hopefully they bloom better than last...if they've made it through the winter at all.