Many years ago on this list we had a discussion about when to start watering winter growing bulbs. In California it usually doesn't start to rain as early as it does in other Mediterranean areas and often the fall months are warm and sunny. For those of us who live in coastal climates these days may be even warmer than in summer when we often have wind or fog. It seemed reasonable to wait to start watering the native bulbs until it started to rain, but what about those from other countries where it would have rained earlier in the season. If they started into growth early, how would they do if it got really warm. I remember Gordon Summerfield from South Africa saying if it hadn't rained by mid October give your pots a good soaking. Since I have sometimes traveled to experience spring in the southern hemisphere or Europe in late summer, early fall those years I waited to water until we got back. Early on however I learned if I didn't start watering my Oxalis collection in August, I'd wouldn't have as good a bloom experience from all the fall bloomers. This year I was home and we had early rainfall and I watered early. I've had one of the nicest fall blooming seasons (except for Amaryllis belladonna and I really think it's too shady for it) ever. My fall blooming Oxalis have been spectacular (taking me back to being hooked on these from Diana Chapman's description of them being dazzling.) Some pots have been covered in flowers for months now: several kinds of Oxalis flava, several forms of Oxalis hirta, Oxalis depressa, Oxalis luteola, Oxalis bowiei, Oxalis livida, Oxalis massoniana, Oxalis melanosticta 'Ken Aslet', Oxalis callosa, Oxalis commutata, Oxalis engleriana, Oxalis fabifolia, Oxalis imbricata, several forms of Oxalis purpurea, Oxalis pardalis, Oxalis polyphylla var. heptaphylla, Oxalis versicolor, and Oxalis zeekoevleyensis. These are all pictured on the wiki. The South American Oxalis perdicaria that I love so much because the flowers are such a cheerful yellow is also in bloom and for the first time ever I have blooms on Oxalis pulchella, a gift from Ron Vanderhoff and drum roll, Oxalis palmifrons. The latter species is a shy bloomer and when Diana Chapman was kind enough to invite Pacific Bulb Society members to spend a weekend with her, she caused a lot of excitement when she put a flower on from another blooming species on O. palmifrons and people thought they were finally seeing it in bloom. Now I know it is a fall bloomer. Several other genera are bringing me happiness. I have a lot of Cyclamen in bloom and leaves of many other species appearing in pots and in the ground. I thank Bill Dijk for encouraging me to grow this genus which I just love and looks like it will keep going even when I get to the point that pots are too hard to manage. The fall blooming Nerines started early and have been continuing. Since I started watering the Nerine sarniensis cultivars in summer and leave them in the greenhouse year round so they aren't overwhelmed by our humid winters and have extra warmth, most of my pots usually send up at least one spike and sometimes more. Nerine angustifolia, Nerine humilis, Nerine masoniorum, and Nerine platypetala are all blooming as well as some hybrids. There is even what I assume is a hybrid I grew from seed taken from N. bowdenii (the bees are busy in the fall) that grows on its own terms, usually going dormant only for a few months in summer and then when I water it producing leaves and just now flowers. The fall blooming Crocus have been going strong. Crocus goulimyi does really well for me and is long blooming. Others in bloom at the moment are Crocus asumaniae, C. cartwrightianus, C. niveus, C. pulchellus. There are a couple of fall blooming white fragrant Freesias in bloom, including one that only once bloomed before. Earlier several South African Gladiolus bloomed and I was thrilled to have a first bloom from Haemanthus coccineus and Brunsvigia bosmaniae. Both were grown from seed and I had given up on them. I tried them in the ground (now gone) and these were in pots. Hyacinthoides lingulata is finishing and I've had a few Narcissus bulbocodium already bloom. They start into growth early. Except for my native California species and a few others, most of the winter growers are well up or appearing. So for me I think it is probably wise to water early so that fall bloomers have a chance to grow big enough and bloom before the weather gets cold and wet. This might not hold true for areas of California with warmer temperatures. But obviously my garden at the moment is quite different from Gastil's. The Oxalis flowers don't open unless it is warm and not windy, so having them in bloom during those months of the year when we have warm sunny weather makes sense. Because of the early rainfall (we've had two good rains so far), I've found most of my natives are already growing as well when I try to repot so it may be that repotting is done for the season except for my tulips that will be going into the refrigerator soon. Mary Sue Mary Sue Ittner California's North Coast Wet mild winters with occasional frost Dry mild summers