Dear Friends; As Jim and Boyce and others have already stated spring has appeared in temperate regions of the US. Unlike the mild and gradual slide into 'spring' seen on the west coast, here spring pops into being. One week we are encased in ice, then a week of melt and then a rainbow begins to develop from nothing. Each day seems to bring attention to another 'star' of the garden. The last couple of days it has been Chinodoxa 'Pink Giant'. Surprising how much color and attitude from these tiny bulbs. Even more extreme is the minute Scilla bifolia. Just one would be a very minor 'minor bulb', but they self sew around and form little dots of bright blue. I bought a number of bulbs of the typical (blue flowered) form along with 'alba' and 'pink' a few years ago, but only the typical has persisted and flourished. As the name suggests it has 2 thin short leaves ,but s small stalk of starry bright blue flowers forces your attention. The Juno Sindpers is at its peak with at least 1/2 dozen open flowers and now other Junos are forming buds. I anticipate the full force of typical blue Anemone blanda, then 'White Splendor' to follow and later A nemorosa forms. JimMc mentions early tulips. Mine is always T. turkestanica. This goes from a few narrow leaves with no hint of a bud to shining white stars open wide in a day. We often fail to notice any sign of buds one day to find a display on the next ray of sunshine! Here the Crocus are going fast, even the big Dutch cultivars that persist in the grass. 'Pickwick', and those big self colored white, deep purple and gold plus a scattering of 'Lady Killer' and 'Ruby Giant' . The Muscari are just sending up foliage for next week's show and more will follow. Every day something else pops- sometimes all at once and sometimes just a hint before the big explosion like the half dozen open Daphne genkwa flowers that will soon cover the 4 ft bush. A few golden Forsythias, but a prelude to a golden glow by the weekend. And so it goes here. Today a much needed "spring rain' (a few hours before the equinox) and more showers to stir more bulbs and buds. With luck we'll have a few weeks of mild days, no freezes and a wave of one bloom after another. Mostly we'll go to 'too hot' too soon. We have learned to savor each mild spring day and each 'act' of the long running spring review of bulbs and perennials. Hooray. Best Jim W. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +