I think the book is written from a slightly "northerly" perspective in that respect. On the other hand, due to the close planting, and the shade often provided by bigger plants like (bush) beans, it is possible to plant and keep lettuce and spinach much later into the season than I ever did with a conventional garden. I found this to be quite helpful, as the otherwise "bad" shade from the beans allowed me to keep things growing well past the point where they would normally have bolted to uselessness even in a Maine summer.

Thanks for the response. I kind of thought the larger plants may shade the smaller, more delicate fall/spring crops. I guess I will invest in some shade cloth or just do without and consider this a first-year experiment.

I live in SoCal and this is my 2nd year gardening. I'll admit that I'm not an expert....but following Mel's advice, I planted cilantro in my garden. Last year I planted it in late Spring and went to seed in a matter of weeks. This year I planted it in March, but it's already gone to seed. I say trust your instincts.