I'm in the hot, dry, interior valley, so I don't have much in the way of direct experience in your locale. But I have to say that you have the right frame of mind. Knowing that you need locale specific info, and you that you need to do your homework, is half the battle. Plan your plants, and plant your plans. That said, I would start by talking to your neighbors and by finding a local nursery person. Not a big-box cashier, but a true pro working at a legit nursery. You're going to need to find that nursery any way. Next, take a good long look at Tom's Picks - Winners for the Low-Chill Southwest Note: "TomâÂÂs top 21 picks were selected for their ability to produce quality fruit in Southern CaliforniaâÂÂs coastal and inland valleys,.." I can't vouch for all the choices in his list, but 'Pink Lady', 'Arctic Star', 'Burgundy', 'August Pride', 'Flavor Grenade', and 'Flavor King' are winners for me,

I would like to thank you all for replaying to my post, and for your effort in the explanations and examples Amman sits atop seven hills, Amman is located in a hilly area of north-western Jordan, and is at an elevation of 1029 meters above sea level (highest point) to 773 meters above sea level (lowest point). Many of Amman's districts derive their names from the name of the mountain they are built on. Amman enjoys a Mediterranean climate and four seasons of excellent weather as compared to other places in the region. Summer temperatures range from 18 C (64 F) to 36 °C (97 °F) at times , the No of days above 30 C (86 F) is about 60-90 days (around noon time), but with very low humidity and frequent breezes. Spring and fall temperatures are extremely pleasant and mild. The winter sees nighttime temperatures frequently near 0 °C (32.0 °F), and snow is known in Amman, It typically will not rain heavily from June to the beginning of September but light rain will be present at that time of the year. But lately it is starting to snow in April and the beginning of May. In fact about half the quantity of rain Amman and Jordan received in 2008 fell in April, and recently snow sometimes fall in April, and that is very unusual for that time of year. I was looking for a weather similar to Amman in California in order to decide which plants I can grew successfully for my landscaping specially from the new verities which is mainly imported from Holland and Italy as some of them are doing good and others will not survive our dry weather as they need humidity or they cannot with stand the high temperatures like some verityÂs of Fuchsia. In Amman we can grew lemon, Pummels, Clementine, Mandarin (in microclimate home gardens), Orange trees are very rare in Amman as I never seen one full of oranges. What is flowering in Amman now for example plumbagos, cannas, Hibiscus (Disco bell from seeds), lantana, Bougainvilleas, Tecomaria Capensis, Passiflora, Lonicera, creeping verbena, petunia What I can see at the nursery but is not common in home gardens as it seems not successful, azalea, rhododendron, and hydrangea I have read about Sunset Western Garden Book Encyclopedia, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, heat zone map, sunset zone, where I found some places similar to Amman in average low temperature, but hotter in summer, but I find what I can grew is what resemble my growing zone. (Penny) The weather in WADI MOUSA, Petra will be very nice during the month of October with max average of 28 C and min average of 20 C but will drop to mid 20s in November during the day and around 18s during night time, but it is a very nice place to visit, your are most welcomed to Jordan

Daisy, First, so happy to hear from you and your experiences! So your small m comment got me looking and it seems like American editors and rulebooks differ on the usage of small m from one to another. Some say it applies to every mediterranean climate outside the Mediterranean Sea area, and some say it refers to anything landlocked with that climate. Still others disagree and say if your climate is based on that sea then you can use the capital whereas everyone else must use a lowercase m. Just an interesting aside I had never considered before. Thank you! Thank you for the suggestions! I have not seen that book before and I am going to have to check it out. There is another book I want to interlibrary loan to see if it is worth purchasing called "Gardening in the Middle East." I fear it may have more to do with the desert, so I want to look at it first. Oh, the hail. Yes, that happens in NW Jordan as well. This information has given me some great direction. I will be taking a look! Julianna

Marlene, you will love gardening in the Bay Area. My only advice (as much has been proferred already) is to think "Mediterranean". California has the most extreme of the 5 Mediterreanean climates in the world, with the longest dry season, from April to November (though this year was very odd, with some rain into early June). What will prosper are the winter-growing plants, which excludes virtually everything you are used to in Michigan. Even some mediterraneans that grow back East, such as lavender or acanthus, become summer dormant and winter/spring active here in their native climate. Water is a big, big issue and it's only going to get bigger, so it's best to start from the beginning thinking "low or no water". The East Bay Municipal Utility District (which serves some of the areas you mention) has a great book you should buy: Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates (http://www.ebmud.com/conserving_&_recycling/plant_book/default.htm) that can get you started on appropriate plants. And there's hundreds of native California plants that will allow you to use no summer water at all. Energy is a big issue here. California is 49% dependent on natural gas for electricity generation, and as you may have read, natural gas production in North America has peaked, so prices are going to keep going up. That means electricity and natural gas for heating are going to get much more expensive. The state, however, is proactive, and you can get rebates on many energy-efficient appliances and lighting products (the ones that are Energy Star rated). And of course, don't forget succulents. They are generally cute little houseplants back East but they are great outdoor garden plants here. And about as drought-tolerant as you will find. Happy moving! David