Leo I have a large planting of Romneya coultei planted here West of Modesto CA, Sunset zone 14. They stay green most of the summer. The only water they get is when it rains, late fall to early spring, no direct summer water. This time of year the plants begun to look Septemberly, with drying leaves, the beginning of dormancy. Thy will go dormant from November to January. Years when I am ambitious I will cut them to the ground during this dormant time, without regular pruning they get rather messy looking. With warming weather they will send up new shoots and bloom March-April. They are somewhat difficult to get established, however once established the rhizomes can expand aggressively. Out maximum summer temperature is normally 106 degrees F., your summer temperatures may be more than they like. While my plants do not get direct summer water, they do get deep water from the neighbors irrigated orchards 15 feet away. Jim Barton _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…