Dear all; After a 3-4 inch snow fall a few days ago and the weeks of roller coaster weather between the teens and high 40s (all F), today's rain has gotten things moving. Crocus sieberi 'Bowles White' has been blooming since New Year's Eve. This is the earliest by far for this species. Flowers have been frozen and more come up to replace them. Still some nice looking flowers and on the rare mild day even a couple honey bees have found them. Crocus ancyrensis usually earlier, but are just beginning to bloom. Crocus sieberi 'Firefly' always the first sieberi have started up strongly. We used to have squirrel and other evil critter problems eating this species, but now a small sloping are where these do extremely well and self sow around, but they are inter-planted with a variety of early daffodils (just showing foliage tips). I think this dissuades predation on all. Just showing color today on Crocus sieberi 'Hubert Edelstein'. Of course this is my favorite of the species and the slowest to multiply. Just showing leaf tips on Crocus tomm. 'Ruby Giant', a bit early here and probably other cvs hidding in leaf litter. The first Eranthis has turned up and opened although others are in the process. I think these are all E. hymalis, E. cilicicum a couple weeks later as rule. Cyclamen coum flowers are turning up; very colorful and snaking through the leaves, but not yet open. Major foliage growth on Iris (Juno) aucheri, always the most ridiculously early Juno. This will also be the first Juno to bloom, but still weeks away. Other Junos showing foliage are I magnifica in a protected spot, and another protected I. cycloglossa. Others still hiding underground. Daffodils. So many seem to come up way too early and have seriously frozen back foliage tips -some 3 or 4 inches of mush. Very unattractive and will only look worse as they get growing seriously. The only Daff to approach blooming is 'Rynveld's Early Sensation'. My "usual' earliest, 'Cedric Morris' got serious bunny damage and is probably not even going to bloom this spring. Galanthus. The snowdrops were just green, then white-centered 'pips' at soil level for days, but suddenly quite a few are up and blooming. "Mighty Atom NOT" (an unidentified cv sold by Appalachian Nursery that is somewhat similar to 'Mighty Atom', but isn't) is probably the most vigorous and reliable Galanthus for me. Always a treat. About the same time 'S. Arnott' and a few smaller named clumps, but the ground is too sopping to step in and read the labels. No flowers, but emerging - Leucojum aestivum, various peonies, Tulipa sylvestris, Adonis amurensis and Hellebores are 'straining' at the bit. A number of Iris reticulata cvs are showing foliage and the tips of buds (no color yet). These will pop on the next sunny day. Various Arum are either coming up for the first time or growing new foliage after their fall/winter foliage has succumbed to too much wear and tear of repeated freeze/melt cycles. I have a half dozen common Colchicum cvs and all are shoing to some degree. So a season of expectation and sudden disaster as the weather takes a dreaded dip back into single figures. We have had daffodils freeze back to ground level and do grievous damage to less hardy bulb foliage and flowers. But when the weather combination is kind, it can turn from drab to glorious overnight. And then there's all those thing we hope to see 'first bloom' on this year. Jim W. PS and in a cold greenhouse these: a Lachenalia, Tulbaghia simmleri, a last Moraea polystachya, some Freesia in bud and not much else right now. I try to start more seeds everyday, but I keep finding more to plant. Hope I can get them all into pots before spring comes. -- 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 +