Wow lol the poster actually posted this on Yahoo Answers lol, you wont get much help their. As I said on Yahoo: Really... don't worry at all. They are summer bulbs and will bloom early or late depending the weather. I planted some spring bulbs last fall and they are poppping up already, we are basically in the same zone (I'm guessing your in North Georgia/Alabama/Mississippi) Anyways, people make mistakes and you'll learn from this one, even though you can plant summer bulbs anytime (excluding summer) If I were you, to be safe I would try to buy the summer bulbs already leafed out/flowering so when you plant them you are getting ensured they will bloom next summer. As long as you water, feed, and give sunlight everything will work out. If you want you can dig them up but It wouldn't be useful since spring is only a few weeks away (about 3-4).

I've been trying to decide which of the Encores I wanted and have been learning what I can and trying to observe those planted around town. The biggest thing is getting plenty of sun and there fore plenty of water for good long lasting bloom-especially during bloom. The variety Embers does indeed bloom as they claim. I've seen them planted and have watched their behavior and are recomended as the best by the nurseries. The Coral variety is blooming well here now but I wasn't aware of them before but from what I've read they are also a pretty good performer. Right now both of what I've seen have the bloom coverage of the Knockout roses-pretty good coverage but with lots of green also showing. I came on here just to ask a question about some other varieties because I haven't noticed them around town like the others.

Actually, tropicals have various "triggers", too. Stresses being a general category for discussion. Temperatures (also the nighttime low temps), humidity can be triggers. The "seasons" in the tropics are wet and dry, whether it be in a coastal plain to mountainous area, Mediterranean clime, et al. ALso, closest the equator there are 2 "high sun" periods, when sun intensity is strongest as rays travel from Tropic of Cancer to equator to T of Capricorn and back to equator. Often people note that animals sense things so much more acutely than us preoccupied humans. I'm sure plants are much more in tune to the subtleties (spelling?) to very strong light versus 75% of that, etc. Then again, there is the photoperiod. Brugmansias, for example, are well documented for their flushes of blooms seemingly corralated with the lunar cycle (some seem to flower afer the new moon, others consistently after the full--?). Since there is not a 4 season cycle over 12 months in the tropics, i oculd readily see that a plant has genetic codes that have their own species (or generic) cycles--whether it be driggered by day length, an exposure to a heat or cold stimulus/stress, etc--that may revolve every 30 days, or 3 months... Some plants, based on their location in the rainforest (howmuch sun they actually receive on the forest floor) may also be the trigger of flower or vigor. Perhaps the light intensity of the sun's rays in November matches the light level needed for floral initiation. For example, maybe in nature an aroid is in deep shade all year (in the Amazon basin) until the height of "summer", when the few rays that come down through the dense overstory is now at say, 1000 footcandles. Take it out of the rainforest and place it in a temperate zone garden that has an overstory tree (but not as dense as a tropical canopy). In this temperate garden with the less dense canopy, the aroid may always receive 1500 footcandles (too high for it's genetically disposed trigger of 1000 footcandles to produce flowers). But, as the sun diminishes towards winter, perhaps the sun is weak enough to pass through that same sparse canopy to BOOM! match that 1000 footcandle threshold that would be achieved in the rainforest, and all of a sudden it flowers--in the seemingly "wrong" season. Now, adding that you're in central northern CA and I"m in southern FL, and I too have noticed that the Alpinia purpureas are flushing brand new floral spikes, that there is perhaps something genetic with photoperiod. But I'm sure there are other plants that may do some "atypical" things from a FLoridian standpoint there in CA based on humidity, soil pH, or a host of other things that really need to be isolated and researched.

The Japanese anemone, Anemone x hybrida and Anemone hupehensis are the most familiar of fall-blooming plants. Tricyrtis is another genera of fall-blooming plants. Among the Astilbes and Hostas are some that bloom late in the season. Cimicfuga makes a dramatic accent to a shady garden. Physostegia virginiana, Tradescantia virginiana Liriope and species of Aconitum, Allium and Gentiana are other possibilities. Sedum spectabile grows and blooms well in part shade as well as in full sun. There are even some goldenrods and asters that will bloom in the shade. The hardy cyclamen (Cyclamen coum and C. hederifolium) bloom in autumn...