hesperis, you're just in the wrong part, not the wrong country. Right now my Japanese flowering cherry is bursting into bloom and the polyanthus haven't stopped flowering all (winter?) (if that's what you can call what we've had here so far this season). Of course you might have to contend with an earthquake or two and low water levels in the reservoirs and water rationing, come summer( we haven't had much rain this winter either, which is a worry).