Dear Kevin, Reporting from coastal Northern California which is different from Southern California of course as we get more rainfall and probably cooler temperatures, but this species is super easy for me in containers kept dry, but moved to the shade in summer. No baking here. Many pots have been blooming for awhile and others are starting into bloom. Mine multiply rapidly in the pots, almost double every year so I repot them frequently and always have pots in bloom to give to friends every year. Perhaps they need to be planted deeper or divided or planted in a deeper container? I obtained mine originally from Bill Dijk in New Zealand and they needed a year or two to change hemispheres, but since then have bloomed reliably and allowed me to share with many others. It's great fun to be able to give people a blooming Narcissus at this time of the year as it is so unexpected. Mary Sue