More precocious blooms
James Waddick (Sat, 06 Jan 2007 11:51:50 PST)

Dear All -
I have avoided my 2 cents since I am still way behind all the
milder climates that have reported earlier, but even in the chilly
north Galanthus are showing up and few with buds visible(not open),
Daff. 'Rynveld's Early Sensation' could bloom in a few days, but many
others are up and showing 2 or 3 inches of leaf tip. Crocus sieberi
'Bowles White' was the first to open a single bloom today . A couple
Eranthis are starting to open. No reticulate iris showing yet, but
the earliest Juno (I aucheri) is up an inch or two -Always the first
to show.
Helleborus xhybrids are opening buds and sending up stalks everywhere.
Both herbaceous and woody peonies have buds swelling and the
first flowers on the Witch Hazel 'Jelena'.

In short there is a wide range of shoots and buds developing
easily 6 to 8 weeks earlier than is 'safe'. I have no doubt winter
will arrive some day. And I do not doubt these early riser will 'pay'.

El Nino, Global Warming or whatever, it seems like the spring
garden may be a bust if delicate shoots and flowers get zapped by
below zero temps in a few weeks. More than possible- likely.

We had -5 in Nov and barely much below 20 since. Very
unseasonal here too.

Jim Mc - My soils are generally alkaline- clay/loess over
limestone, but I don't have reading for the Leucojum spot for certain.

Waiting for the winter boot to drop. 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 +