This week is a time of unusual low temperatures, with the map on the weather channel showing the jet stream above Mexico! and Arctic air flowing much further south than it ought to, so for the next few days at least the following may not apply. Pacific Northwest North America and Western Europe - About all that I do this month is admire my snowdrops. If you pick some and bring them in, you will find that most are scented. A British bulb book suggests planting tubers of florist's anemones every month of the year in order to have a succession of flowers. This would have required buying them in the fall and storing some for successional planting, but if you find a bag of them that you forgot to plant, then you can try it this year. I'll have to wait till next year as I planted all of mine in the fall. Northern California (and southern Europe?) - ? Southern California, low desert through to Texas (and Mediterranean?) - If you stuck some tulip, crocus or hyacinth bulbs in the fridge last month so that they have had 6 weeks of prechilling, you can plant them this month. Water well and you will see growth in a month or so. Nurseries will be selling summer-blooming bulbs (calla, canna, crinum, dahlia, gladiolus, lily, nerine, tigridia and more) which can be planted now, and if your area is frost-free, you can plant out any holiday amaryllis (hippeastrum hybrids) that have finished flowering. They will flower the spring after next. Mountains and high desert - Continue regular inspection of any stored bulbs, corms and tubers. Sprinkle a little water on any that are shrivelling. Discard any with decay except for dahlias which can be dusted with sulphur after any bad spots are cut out. -- Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada maritime zone 8 cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually) sandy soil