Hi Dafy,

Acidanthera is something that had been on my wish list for over 10 years, so when I saw a pack of them for only $2 at a dollar store last year, I got them. They were ok, but compared to the pictures you always seeÂLOTS of flowersÂI was kind of disappointed. There are a lot of buds on each stem, but only one flower on each stem blooms at a time! I had about a dozen of them, and they were only planted a few inches from each other, but I never got a nice "show" like it looks like in the picture you posted!

My best advice would be to plant the bulbs practically on top of each otherÂas close together as you can get themÂmaybe an inch apart. That way even if thereÂs only one flower on each stem, itÂll look more like a bouquet than like "individual flowers!" (The flowers really arenÂt that big!)

The other thing is, like glads, theyÂre tender bulbs, so if you want to be sure to have them for Â10, you need to dig them in the fall and store them over winter, then replant the following spring. I left mine in the ground! I planned to do that when I put them in! Too lazy to dig things up for winter storage! TheyÂre in a pretty warm corner, so itÂs conceivable that some of them have made it, but I think itÂll be a couple more months before I know for sure. Fairly recently I went out and pulled on the remaining foliageÂand it came off! ThatÂs a bad sign (to me, at least) that they probably didnÂt make it. But IÂve had glads come back, and have had the foliage "rot" off of them too, so maybe they will come back. If they donÂt come back, I wasnÂt impressed enough with them to go to the trouble of getting more and planting them again. ThatÂs the nice thing about having a small yard! When I lose something, itÂs a good thing! I just consider it another place to try something else! :-)

So plant them close together and just wait for them! TheyÂre very easy to grow! Just donÂt keep them wet all the time since theyÂre bulbs (or cormsÂor whatever!), and staying too wet will probably rot them.

One more thing scratched off my wish list,
Skybird