When I was in college, I did not enjoy most of my lectures. Those that were most relevant to horticulture, such as psychophysiology and Russian literature were particularly frustrating. Of course, now that I have been finished with college for quite some time, I miss the many lectures which were useful and interesting.

With rain and cooler temperatures, irrigation should be minimized. Even if temperatures are warm and some plants continue activity; the days are shorter. There is less time for moisture to be lost to evapotranspiration. Of course, species which defoliate do not lose moisture to transpiration and only require enough moisture in the soil to keep roots from desiccating. Such minimal moisture is usually provided by rain.

In the spring, I usually do not write about bulbs because they are mostly planted in autumn. However, it still seems odd to discuss spring blooming flowers now. Generally, earlier planted bulbs are the first to bloom in spring. Although bulbs as well as corms, tubers, rhizomes and tuberous roots are all considered to be perennials, many only bloom once and should be treated as annuals. Tulips are an example of bulbs which perform very well the first year they are planted, but only produce foliage the second year, if they survive at all. Winters here just are not cold enough to keep them happy.

Other bulbs and bulb like plants may naturalize and grow well on their own once they have become established. In my mother’s garden, I have been trying for many years to kill crocosmia which I planted in the early 1980’s; and muscari which was “eliminated” shortly after 1976 was recently discovered growing through the lawn! If one actually wants bulbs to naturalize, other good choices include freesia, African corn lily, narcissus and harlequin flower.

Bulbs usually appear in nurseries during the season they should be planted. Tulips and daffodils arrive early with summer bloomers arriving later. If planted too early, they may bloom out of season.

Cool season annuals for autumn are actually classified as winter annuals. Many prefer to be planted early so that they can get established while the weather is still reasonably warm. Calendula, candytuft, sweet alyssum, and Iceland poppy continue to bloom well in cool weather, but do not grow much if planted too late. Violas and pansies are a bit more sensitive to heat and timing is more critical.

The various primroses are actually perennials commonly used as cool season annuals. What many garden enthusiasts are not aware of about primroses is that they are very toxic to certain individuals. They may cause skin irritation similar to that caused by poison oak. Many people experience the irritation with no idea of what caused it and may continue to garden with primroses. (Grevilleas may do the same.) The rash may be quite serious. I should know. Primroses are one of the few species which really don’t like me.