Things to do this week:

* Plant flowers. It’s amazing how a rain or two makes it so much easier to plant. Give rains a couple of days to soak in and soils are so easy to dig in. And there are lots of things to plant this month, such as the delicate-colored ‘Sorbet Lavender Ice’ viola I just planted around some yellow Dutch iris, or the saturated ‘Delta Pure Deep Orange’ pansy I put in a pot next to a pumpkin on the front porch.

For November planting, choose from alyssum, calendula, English daisy, Iceland poppy, larkspur, lobelia, pansy, snapdragon, stock, sweet pea, Sweet William and viola.

In a big, shaded planter I put in some lavender obconica primroses. There are other kinds of primroses that also flower in the shade and can be planted now, as well as cyclamen and--in really mild, frost-free areas--cineraria.

* Plant bulbs. There’s still plenty of time to plant bulbs, and nurseries are well-stocked by now. Several nurseries have outstanding displays, including Burkard’s and Hortus, both in Pasadena, and Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar.

* Prepare for Santa Anas. Fall Santa Ana winds can howl through gardens in certain places and severely damage trees. To protect young trees, make sure they are not tied too tightly to a stake. They should be tied between two stakes about 6 inches from the trunk. That way the trunk can sway in the wind and develop strength. Held too tightly, it could snap. Make sure ties do not bind. They should be soft and flexible as well.