Selecting a range of varieties can provide bloom from spring through fall. Where summers are hot, they prefer light shade, since pastel- colored blooms may bleach out in full sun. They need good drainage, so they do well in containers as well as in loose garden soil. Choose bulbs that have thick, fleshy scales and perhaps several roots. Amend the planting area well with compost to lighten up heavy soil and help sandy soil hold moisture.
Plant bulbs twice as deep as their height.
Water well, and add another two or three inches of mulch on top. Leave bulbs undisturbed for years, until their blooms aren't as numerous as in previous years. Dig up clumps, and replant large bulbs in soil enriched with manure and compost. Plant smaller bulbs for bloom as they mature in another couple of years. Sometimes containers are the best way to satisfy these contrasting needs.