I don't grow this particular species, but have started plants from the plantlets of N. caerulea, and then planted them out. In my experience with this species, they spend the first full year just growing foliage, and shouldn't be expected to be blooming size until the second summer. We can grow these plants outdoors year round in coastal California, and I do find that they have significantly more blooms in full sun, but still bloom adequately in fairly deep shade, combined with at least a few daily hours of direct sun. I'd also suggest pushing them along with more fertilizer next spring, to increase your odds.

I only recently started landscaping with this plant, and find it to be one of my new favorite accent plants for exotic mid summer bloom. I particularly love the way the flowers come in flushes about every 3 days, over a couple of months in the garden. The 4 foot tall foliage and 5 foot tall bloom spikes are pretty dramatic also, making it just a great year round evergreen perennial here. A nice bonus is that given its Brazilian habitat, it is surprisingly tough, drought tolerant, and the deer leave it completely alone. I like it so much, I try and find excuses to put at least one or two in any client's garden...