Sternbergia sicula graeca has been blooming this week and I'm really pleased with it. Part of that pleasure is due to its being distinct. It's a small plant with small flowers - maybe trough material? The crocus season is getting off to a pokey start. In bloom now are forms of Crocus goulimyii, C. cartwrightianus, C. asumaniae, C. thomasii, C. speciosus and C. kotschyanus. I've commented on the fragrance of Crocus thomasii before, but it deserves mention again: this species has the basic saffron-group fragrance, but there is a distinct, sprightly element of hyacinth, too: very, very nice! Biarum tenuifloium is opening today, and that reminded me that I have not seen B. davisii this year. I checked it today and discovered that it had bloomed underground more or less! The withered spathe was there, but it was mostly underground. I do keep these dry during the summer, evidently too dry. Or maybe I should have started to water them sooner. Some late-planted Gladiolus callianthus are blooming, and these too have a super fragrance which carries well on the air. This is a favorite. Non-geophyte (but lily family in the old, broad sense) Sansevieria kirkii is blooming now, too. The inflorescence of this species is striking: the flowers are born in a false umbel, so that the inflorescence looks somewhat like a white Scadoxus. I was hoping the flowers would be fragrant, but so far I have not detected a fragrance. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where mocking birds have replaced cat birds - a sure sign of the change in seasons. My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/