We bought a small clump and planted them - they are fine (you need pot grown or to take them with the soil from an existing clum with permission). The roots are fairly delicate and they don't do well if lifted from the soil with the top growth on like most bulbs - better lifted when dormant.
They are easily grown from seed - but the seed needs to freeze and thaw so need to be planted around the normal seeding time and left to freeze over winter.
The ones we planted have a nice clump of little ones appearing around them now if you look at the base
Ramsoms by
British Red, on Flickr
By way of experiment I bough a hundred plants lifted "in the green" this year from a guy whose woods are overrrun. They were a little limp when delivered, and I am nursing them in pots of compost - they are not doing well
. I hope if they last long enough, they might form decent bulbs and be good next year for planting out. Only time will tell.
I'm delighted that my seeds for sorrel have all germinated though...and my teasel and borage....I have a little plot all ready to make a sort of wierd herb garden!
Red (sorry for the thread hijack)
