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 +