Mark and others, I am relatively new to cultivating geophytes in general, and completely new trying them from seed. Of the seed I've sown in the last month, I have been in a sort of "go for it" mode. The amaryllids leave one no choice of course, but I also have a suite of NW and California native seeds, plus *Babiana, *and a few* Hyacinthacae *coming from South Africa. I've been so eager to see seedlings that I have been sowing now rather than waiting until autumn as some guidance has suggested for the winter growers. Mark your suggestion to sow now, and maintain dry conditions until autumn sounds like a really intuitive approach and makes a certain kind of plant-sense. I think I'll give it a try on those seeds that are still in transit. But I guess my question is this: Am I potentially throwing my money away on seeds that I "go for it" with? Is it really the best approach to hold off sowing and watering (or at least watering applying Mark's suggestion) in late winter as soon as I receive the seeds of those that are winter growers? I live in San Rafael, CA a maritime Mediterranean climate. ~Byron