Hi all. I'm a novice garderer in Los Angeles limited to container plants on my sunny, south-facing balcony. I have a few things I'd love feedback on:

1) I have a bougainvillea and jasmine plant which both are growing well and have no discolored leaves. They're in very large pots with drainage, and I water them once a week. While they seem healthy, neither are blooming. This is confusing since I see plenty of the same plants blooming as I drive around LA. My Western Garden book says to back off on the watering the bougainvillea in midsummer - I'll plan to do that; should I do that for my jasmine as well? I did give both plants some Miracle Gro last week to see if that would help; no visible results yet.

2) I grew up in the Midwest and absolutely loved the Lily of the Valley plants that grew in our yard. Is there any way I can grow that plant in Southern California, in a container? And if so, where can I find some that are already growing (as opposed to bulbs)?

3) I bought a small (6") Lilac bush ordered from Park Seed. It looks like it's doing well, though I assume it's not mature enough to bloom. How long might it take before it blooms, and is there anything I can do to ensure that it does?

Thanks in advance,

Angie