agapanthus africanus (lily of the nile)

I have a friend who has been asking me if I know anything about these plants. And I don't, so I told her I'd ask the experts at DG. Her plants won't bloom! We live in Zone 5. She overwinters them in her basement, but all she gets is leaves. Should she feed them? And what should she use. They were in pots till mid July, then in the ground. Should she put them in the ground in this zone? Should she put them in earlier? What'dya think? Thanks in advance! (I'm getting her a subscription to DG for Xmas).
Boojum

Oh can't wait for the answers.....can't get mine to bloom either. Mine are in the ground year round z8.
All I've ever gotten is leaves too. This is year three :(

Found this on the web -- note that the comment in parentheses is mine. Here in Northern CA, agapanthus bloom May-August or early Sept:

Article: http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/features/summerideas/blueheaven.asp

Blue Heaven
Cornwall is perhaps the last place you would expect to find fields of African lilies. Yet here they are, row upon brilliant blue row, waving gently in the Cornish breeze. Despite the exotic name, the African lily - or agapanthus, as it is more commonly known - is surprisingly hardy and thrives extremely well on the south-west coast of England. (They are hardy down to zone 6 with winter protection, according to Sunset magazine.)

'They're not difficult to grow,' says Michael Mann, the production director of Winchester Growers, which supplies Waitrose with its summer crop of agapanthus. 'They're perfectly happy in poor soil, on north-facing slopes and subject to all kinds of weather.'

The willingness of agapanthus to flourish in unfriendly conditions is partly what persuaded Winchester Growers to start growing the flower six years ago. However, although they are hardy, agapanthus are a little more unpredictable than other flower crops, which can be timed to flower almost to the day.

'Agapanthus don't like to be scheduled,' says Michael, with feeling. Sure enough, in this one field, some are in full bloom in early July, while others are still hidden inside the calyx, which - at some point in the next month - will eventually split to reveal, stem by stem, its full cluster of tiny bell-shaped buds.

A quiet life
Agapanthus also require patience. It takes about three years to raise a plant to the point at which it is ready for cutting. And once established, the plants will often be left in the same place for four or five years, as they don't like to be disturbed. ('A bit like my grandad,' mumbles the photographer.) As well as planting them in the field, Winchester Growers raises agapanthus in pots, which are grown in a greenhouse and sold as a pot plant or for the garden.

Kinds of blue
The colour of agapanthus can vary from pure white through powder blue and lavender to a deep cerulean blue, and the farm is experimenting with several variations. It is also growing the plants to different heights and with variegated foliage by cross-breeding varieties of the flower, to try to give their customers a wider choice of size and shade.

Pick of the crop
When the agapanthus are finally fully grown, pickers go round the fields every third day to choose the best specimens. The season is fairly short; the first flowers are ready halfway through June, most are cut in July and August, and the season is over by early September.

To display cut agapanthus stalks, cut the stems on a slant 3cm from the end and place in a clean vase with warm water and flower food. Away from direct sunlight and heat, they will last about 10 days. To help them last a little longer, cut the stems again after four to five days, clean the vase and refill with fresh warm water and flower food.

Thank you Jkom....sounds like mine is just recovering from being moved. I'll be patient a little longer.

Thanks Jkom!!!! I've sent all the info to my friend.

RikerBear..I tried growing them in Seattle with no luck at all...yet on the westside of 3rd. NW or N...I forget, at about 70th there is a planting strip along the street where they bloomed and bloomed and bloomed. I think it was the length of time they were in the sun!!! They grow well for me here, and bloom all year long!!!

They don't like to be moved for one. Also, if they are kept indoors during the winter, they need a sunny location and not a lot of water.

OHO! My friend has them in her basement and I don't know about the sun sitcheeation there. Thanks for this info smiln! I'll tell her.