Here's where we are in Maryland, USA: Evansia irises (I. cristata, I. gracilipes, I. tectorum) in general are blooming. I. verna is over. Does anyone know when Iris minutoaurea should bloom? There is a nice clump in the garden, but I don't see buds. Iris graminea is blooming in a nearby garden, but still in bud here. Iris pseudacorus is in advanced bud. Regeliocyclus hybrid 'Dardanus' is blooming freely. Garden tall bearded iris are just beginning to open. Dutch iris 'Eye of the Tiger' and 'Bronze Queen' are opening. Single late tulip 'Black Diamond' is blooming next to Papaver atlanticum today: what a wonderful color combination! Also in bloom: the sweetly scented old parrot tulip 'Orange Favorite'. Calochortus unflorus 'Cupido' is nearing its end, as is C. tolmiei. C. 'Symphony' may open today; others (venustus, superbus, Golden Orb, others) are coming into bud rapidly. Muscari in general are over, but M. comosum and its variant 'plumosum' are just hitting their stride. Muscari argaei album in not quite yet in bloom. The big floral ball Allium are beginning to bloom in mumbers and variety: elatum, rosenbachianum (or whatever), cristophii, nevskianum, Globemaster, Round n Purple, Glory of Pamir, Gladiator, Mars...some of these (and there are others not named here) look an awful lot alike! Later blooming sorts such as A. caeruleum and A. sphaerocephalum are just putting up budded scapes. A. zebdanense is just about over for the year, as is A. paradoxum. Dichelostemma volubile and Brodiaea terrestris are in bloom. Dichelostemma volubile snaked itself up about a yard into some nearby plants. The inflorescence of Brodiaea terrestris sits right on the ground. Bloomera crocea is producing an inflorescence. Hybrid herbaceous peonies and early lactiflora cultivars are opening. Japanese suffruticosa peonies are about over, some lutea hybrids are still on the way although 'Thunderbolt' (presumably a delavayi hybrid) is in full bloom. Some garden lilies show buds already and some of the big ones are already four and five feet high! Lilium hansonii will probably be the first lily to bloom this year. Fritillaria in general are over, although a few blooms of F. biflora 'grayana' and F. acmopetala hang on. Erythronium are over for the year, but various Trillium continue. Ornithogalum umbellatum is in full bloom, O. magnum is putting up an inflorescence the size of a fat culinary asparagus. This is a great plant. An Ornithogalum which seems to be intermediate between O. umbellatum and O. nutans appeared in the lawn this year. It is shorter than the other two, and bloomed earlier. The flowers looked like those of O. nutans but were out-facing or upright. Does this sound familiar to anyone? More than likely, it came with some (presumably wild collected) snowdrops years ago. Hyacinthoides hispanica is in full bloom. Camassia leichtlinii is over. Crinum are well up (into the three foot range) , but I don't see flower buds. Deciduous trees are rapidly leafing out; the next week or so will see a great change in the light level in areas under trees. I see the first water lily flower buds! Jim McKenney Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where it's still very dry and things are going quickly. Wood thrushes and parula warblers sing continually now, and hummingbirds visit the honeysuckles and columbines. The gardener is in a state of besotted enchantment and doesn't get anything done.