[breezyacre]

Have just planted some acidanthera bulbs in tubs inside the tunnel. Hope to plant tubs and all into the border during the "warm" summer. Did same last year and got a total of one solitary flower form all my labour. The flower was really beautiful though and as a result I am back trying again. I have found conflicting advice on the different sites on the web. Some saying it likes rich soil and others reminding me that it is native to Eritrea and therefore does not need much or any feeding. Has anybody out there got these magnificent plants to flower successfully in our dark and gloomy summers of late? If so would appreciate your advice.

[ormondsview]

I have put the acidanthera by my roadside bed and enjoy watching people pause and look for the plant with the magnificent smell. They can't figure out that the gladiolus looking plant is so fragrant.

Some people get seeds from them and the reproduce like mad, while others find them finicky as they don't do very well the following year. I lost mine because of not bringing indoors. They tend to come into flower late in the season resulting in getting too busy to pull them up when I should. Here is a good site giving opinions on what works with this plant. Have the sense that they do need a dry, hot aspect, hence a sheltered spot close to a wall to give reflected heat, south facing wall perhaps. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/756/

[breezyacre]

Many thanks for your interest Ormandsview. One of the pieces of advice I have seen quoted often is to treat them like annuals and to buy new bulbs each year. Interesting about the aspect and heat, of course they are native to Eritrea so that ties in. Any special feeding?

[breezyacre]

Thanks for that very good link Ormandsview. What I gleaned from that is a) full sun b) rich well drained soil c) water regularly but never soak. Does this sound right? Wondering how you managed on the full sun last summer. We had hardly a glimmer on the East coast.