Hi, Allyson,

I planted mine in a raised bed, under trees that give light cover and placed some large (volley ball size) rocks among and around them to imitate the feeling of boundaries. They bloom well and seem happy but not the booming look that you see in the conservatory. I've never planted them straight in the ground.
Best,
Joanna

Hi,

Cliva do well in the ground in Mediterannean climates. They were everywhere when I was growing up, especially along the coast of Southern California (not so much inland). Most of the world grows them as pot plants and they seem to do well when root bound. They don't need much fertilizer, when I did grow them some years ago (in pots) I seldom fed them.

In Texas, if you can keep the temperature from getting too cold they should grow like they do in Central Florida. I don't know how much cold they will take, some places say no frost at all and others indicate they'll survive a few hours at 26-27 F (some say even more).

In this part of the world they will need shade from hot sun (i.e., Texas sun), but they bloom without a lot of sun anyway. Also, they will need very good drainage. They can get by with a lot of drought when established, but they sure won't like being flooded or soggy--maybe a raised bed of sandy soil would work. One publication (see link below) from the University of Florida indicates they will grow pretty much anywhere in Florida if their conditions are met--so I guess they can take a bit of frost.

Their natural habitat seems to be dappled shade in a forest with fast-draining soil (some humus), and a winter dormant period (cold induced I think).

Cordially,

Here is a link that might be useful: Bulbs For Florida