Fiat, Be patient, the buds will come. Most shipped bulbs have no buds showing. Often bulbs from box stores do have the bud showing since the warmth of the store has brought the bulb out of dormancy. Your bulb doesn't even need sunlight until top growth appears. Warmth is probably the most important thing for getting the bulb going. But since you live in zone 9B, that shouldn't be an issue. There is such a variation in the speed with which the bulb comes out of dormancy. Some are quick. Some, esp. members of the cybister group, take months to get going. This is why it is so hard to predict when the blooms will open up. Just because you started the bulb in Oct, doesn't mean it will bloom by Xmas. I am getting several new bulbs in the next week or two. I expect them to bloom anywhere from mid Dec through the end of Jan.
Good luck.
