I have found them very easy to grow. Started from just a few pips from my mom's garden many years ago and planted in a semi-shady woodland area. The next year the had easily doubled in spread. When happy, these spread to form an almost solid carpet of early spring color. And then they disappear for the year :-)

Well-draining, moisture retentive soil in at least part shade. In full sun the flowers don't last very long.

Try the blue ones under a yellow witch hazel. Or lower growing wintersweet - sweett!!

I have some white and a blue tone. This spring I was moving clumps of the white around to go with Virginia Bluebells and Helleborus. They have done best here in partially shady spots plus I think they just look better in the shade--in the sun the color seemed washed out. They also reseed.

ETA: the first year I was disappointed with them. But after 3 years they have filled in some and have a better mass effect. Planting them spaced out too far apart wasn't a good idea. I find I do this too often with smaller bulbs. They look best in small, dense drifts.

This post was edited by trovesoftrilliums on Fri, May 31, 13 at 20:12

Kevin, they are excellent flowers. They are somewhat clumping and quite short but they still stand out as they bloom in late April to early May when the ground around them is still not completely verdant. They are as cute as a button! Here is a picture of some of the white ones from about 3 weeks ago.

Thank you!

Good tips about planting them too far apart.

rouge - Thanks for the photo. They actually look larger than I expected which is a good thing IMO. Nice little clumps there for sure.

Kevin

I also like them. Have had them three years now. I'm interested/anxious to see what they do down the road- they seem to seed in my sandy soil semi-enthusiastically.

I kinda' got a kick out of planting them. The "bulbs" are like hard peach pits and there is little to no sign of which end goes up (no little roots or stubs of roots, or definite indicator of right or wrong side, lol). In any event, they all figured it out for themselves and bloomed well.

Ps. has anyone tried growing them in the lawn? I decided to re-seed part of the front bed and left a few A. blandas in there. Hopefully they are strong enough to compete with the grass...
CMK

I planted some purple ones many years ago. Of the ten bulbs only one has survived. It has never bulked up so there is this tiny plant with even tinier bloom surprising me each spring. Then it disappears. Have thought of trying some white ones, maybe this will be the year. My expectations are low but as you say they are inexpensive.

UPDATE:

I thought of you Kevin when I was viewing this clump of white AB today. By chance did you plant some this past Fall (or I see from the age of this thread...maybe even two Autumns past)?