Andie: Not sure where you are in SoCal, but I'm in San Diego. So, my few years gardening experience might help. And Yes --gardening is addictive. Yo be honest with you, if your area gets below freezing(AT ALL), the peppers, tomatoes and cukes just aren't going to survive. Even if they do, they won't THRIVE. Those are WARM weather crops. And they need lots of sun -- something that even the mild winters here just can't supply. Don't get me wrong. If you start those veggies between March and June, you can get nice harvest all the way up until November and December. But STARTING them this late won't yield much of anything. I like to start my peppers and tomatoes in January indoors, under a shoplight with "daylight" flourescent bulbs. Cukes can be started in Feb. or March. Or I just wait until the nurseries bring in transplants around late March. There's actually more veggies that you can grow here in the fall and winter here - lettuces, spinach, root veggies, anything in the brassica family(broccoli,cauliflower,Kale,cabbage, etc.),snow peas, etc. Do a search in google for: vegetable planting guide along with the name of your county. You'll get a general idea on WHAT to grow and WHEN to grow them. You can still get some COOL weather crops in the ground, but you're probably best off finding transplants at Home Depot or (even better) your local nursery. All I saw at MY Home Depot was lettuce. I DID find some broccoli and cauliflower at my Walmart though. Good Luck. Kevin

They should germinate when sunlight, moisture and soil temperature combine to trigger germination as long as they haven't been eaten by critters, blown away by wind or washed away by heavy rain. I grow perennials from seed via winter sowing to protect them from predators and bad weather. There is a winter sowing forum here on GardenWeb where you can find out more about the method. This is my container ghetto: These are a few of my 2011 sprouts:

MadGallica, it is always surprising to me how little I know and still stumble along. [g] And here I was feeling guilty that I hadnâÂÂt gotten that rose in the ground yet, when I could have waited two more weeks. Yes, I realize the delivery wasnâÂÂt too early for the usual spring, I requested last week of March for delivery. My ground was still frozen and I had snow on the ground when they arrived and they had to wait in the refrigerator for 10 more days before I could plant. I only potted up one and then decided the rest had new growth on them and IâÂÂd just wait it out. The other bare root roses were planted in the ground weeks ago and are all growing well so far. I donâÂÂt know if it is a grafted rose. I ordered from Pickering and it is a David Austin, âÂÂBrother CadfaelâÂÂ. On their website they discuss that they use R. multiflora as a rootstock, so I assume that means they are grafted? And I found a drawing of where the graft is supposed to be planted [below] and IâÂÂm pretty sure mine is too high. I also am planting in an exposed area and would like to give the plant a little more help with winter weather and wondered if I should plant it a little deeper. But there are leaves growing low on the shrub now. In the drawing below, they show the soil mounded up around the bottom of the stems and the graft right about at ground level, is that right? Well, Sunday IâÂÂll try to dig it up and IâÂÂll post a photo of the rose so I can get it right this time.

"Ours are 3 weeks old and about 4" tall" Is that 3 weeks from sowing seed or from germination? If it is the prior, I'm impressed. My seeds took a week to germinate. From sowing seed, on March 26. Soak tomato seeds for 2 hours in water, then place on top of a folded paper towel that had been soaked in water then wrung out slightly. Place it all in a ziplock bag, but don't seal it. Keep it at 75F, germination in 2-4 days usually (some took longer), then carefully pick up the seed/root and place it 1/4" deep in sterile potting soil in a 3" net pot. We grow the seedlings at 75F under 4 regular fluorescent tubes 4' long trying to keep the leaves right up against the lights. After first true leaves are out, fertilize every week at 1/2 strength. Plants are now 6" tall and will be planted inside our winter shelter tonight. LFD is usually mid-May, which is when we will take down the shelter.