I have found that Rhodophiala bifida grows extremely well and flowers very reliably in both coastal and inland California, in the ground or in pots. Bulbs are commercially produced along the California coast in the Monterey Bay area in sandy soil somewhat similar to the extremely sandy soils found in most of San Francisco, although sandy soils are completely unnecessary. PBS member Bill the Bulb Baron grows and sells high quality bulbs of both the red flowering Oxblood form and an interesting pink flowering mixture of varying shades of pink: http://www.billthebulbbaron.com/index.htm Now is a very good time of the year to purchase and plant R. bifida bulbs. Timing of autumn flowering can easily be manipulated by withholding irrigation and one can have R. bifida plants in flower from August until well into November. In fact, I'm surprised I have never seen potted R. bifida plants in flower around the December holidays, probably because they need a year to settle in after planting before flowering well. Whether in pots or in the ground, always plant the bulbs in mass for the best display of flowers. Nathan