In the Bay Area we have two sides of Winter. There is the side we all expect, bare branches with little nodes of promise — pussy willows and hellebore for instance poking their heads up through the leaves toward the sun, always a Winter favorite.

The other side of Winter is a complete array of Spring blooming flowers. These flowers and bulbs were planted early, grown in greenhouses and forced into bloom to bring us cheer on the shortest of days.

I’m always grateful we have a pretty cool summer here in Berkeley. It does not stop us from enjoying all the warm climate Summer Annuals and Perennials. We still have a lot of lingering peonies through June and July, and combining them with clematis, garden roses and hydrangeas is a dream come true.

Fragrant garden lilies, foxtail lilies and giant purple alliums can create a tall, impressive arrangement for a wedding, mitzvah, or any entry to an event. And August brings out the dahlias, rudbeckias, more garden roses, Queen Anne’s lace, Lysimachia, gomphrena, zinnias and cosmos in white, pink, burgundy and chocolate brown with a scent of vanilla.

The flowers of Fall create a bold pallet of harvest tones that have matured as the season ends. You'll find deep shades of rose, burgundy, blues and purple hydrangea, dahlias galore in every color imaginable and roses just as lovely as the first flush of Spring, plus their hips begin to turn color.

You can’t have Fall without the last of the zinnias with their happy faces reaching up, and mixing them with privet berries and bitter sweet for a beautiful Fall flower arrangement. Fall is also the time for foliage; viburnum, pistachio, California natve Oak, abelia and crepe myrtle are all turning color.