Hi, I planted Massonia echinata in one of my raised beds in Northern California. It was in a pot in the bed, but essentially exposed to the elements. I wouldn't say that we are cold (down to freezing temperatures a number of times a year, but generally the ground doesn't freeze.) I didn't lose my plants, but they were definitely unhappy and after one year I moved them. We get a lot of rain and days of high humidity in between when it can be gloomy and foggy in December and January and these kind of conditions contribute to disease. We also get wind, but apparently this is not enough to overcome the other. I concluded that Massonias and Polyxenas in my climate needed more protection, especially since many bloom early. These same conditions led me to start Calochortus seeds in late January or February after years of getting good germination in December followed by losing all my seedlings. Since adopting this practice I've had greater success. In a post from 2003 from Gordon Summerfield's IBSA talk from the Bulb Symposium that year he wrote: "Where one experiences heavy night/early morning dew, it is advisable to grow the softer leafed species, such as Daubenya's, Lachenalia's, Gethyllis, Massonia's as well as certain Freesia's, Romulea's and Geissorhiza's amongst others, under cover. However, always ensuring that there is sufficient natural light and good, free air movement. I certainly have enjoyed far greater success since adopting this approach. it has reduced incidences of crown rot, Botrytis and Fusarium infections to almost nil." Even with overhead cover and open air around them, Lachenalias, Polyxenas, Massonias, my one Androcymbium can get fungal diseases. I don't find that so true of the irids I grow, although the leaves of Tritonias and Ixias in a wet year that lasts and lasts can be unsightly by the time they bloom. The flowers of everything are at risk when we have days of wet weather on end like we've recently had. So it's not just the temperature that you need to consider. You also have to consider humidity. Some of the South African bulbs flower with only inches of rainfall in their native habitat. My greenhouse is full of plants that can tolerate the cold temperatures we get but not the wet and cold together. I've read that global warming can lead to no rainfall some places and excessive rainfall other places. Unlike Italy and France, I'd say this fall has been pretty typical although we did have warmer temperatures for part of the summer before settling into our usual pattern. Mary Sue Mary Sue Ittner California's North Coast Wet mild winters with occasional frost Dry mild summers