The first Narcissus tazetta orientalis opened last week, ones I watered starting in August. The Crocus goulimyi are just finishing. And the fruit trees are losing their leaves just in time for the bulb leaves to need the sun. So now it feels like autumn, except for the lack of rain. Some bright magenta Nerine are blooming, perhaps Nerine bowdenii but I do not have a tag for them as they have been growing in that spot for 20 years. One DIerama, the odd one, is blooming. I do not know its species. The Oxalis from last year's BX are mostly still blooming and the pink Oxalis purpurea is just coming into its season to show off at the front gate. I noticed today the leaves of the pink variety are more blue-ish than the purple variety, which has not yet begun to bloom. Since this is a meager season for flowers, I will note what bulbs leaves are now emerging. Some Narcissus are only just now emerging, ones that were not dug up this year but did not receive water until October. The Leucojum have just barely broken ground surface. The Veltheimia have been growing their lush rosettes of leaves for about a month now and one has a hint of a tip of a flower bud. (The leaves do have a very slight hint of longitudinal veining.) The Scilla peruviana and S. hyacinthoides are expanding their deep green and blue-ish green stars of leaves, respectively, but these are still all curled and pointed upwards. Only later in the winter when their leaves lengthen do they flop over. My guess is this stage is designed to catch and funnel water whereas the later umbrella-like arrangement channels water away from the bulb. I was particularly happy to see the Ammocharis longifolia has finally emerged with its torn-off appearing leaves after a year of no above-ground growth. Several planting baskets in the plunge bed have tiny leaves, some Babiana, Ixia, Moraea and Gladiolus. One Gladiolus is forming a spike. The Lachenalia species from the BX recently have emerged an inch above their pot in part shade under the arbor. I am not sure how much sun these want. Here are a few photos: http://flickr.com/photos/gastils_garden/… - Gastil Santa Barbara, California Approximately 9b, maybe 10a, similar to Sunset zone 24 except with frost December-February and usually rain by now