Dear friends, For those readers outside the US and fortunate enough to avoid US advertising, today is 'Black Friday' for intense shopping and shopper clogged stores. The weather here in the central US has continued to be almost frost free - no killing freeze, just one light frost and a mini-snowfall. So the garden is experiencing a very slow sequence of fall weather changes. Even some potted florist type Geranium (Pelargonium) are blooming their heads off in this cool weather. Still blooming, although looking really "unhappy" is the Narcissus 'Minnow' I marvelled at its odd bloom appearance on the list here weeks ago. Now the flowers are looking very unhappy and won't last much longer. We happen to be able to 'trial' a new reblooming tall bearded iris from the late hybridizer, Lloyd Zurbrigg, called 'Gate of Heaven'. It began reblooming in late August an has had from one to three flowers per stalk almost continuously since. Right now 3 large buds are showing color and with today's forecast over 60 at least one should open fully. Going on 3 months of bloom! Our earliest to bloom Narcissus has been the N. minor 'Cedric Morris' which blooms around the end of Feb or early March regardless of snow, ice and low temps. The first flower is just opening now , no doubt due to the extended mild temps. Another half dozen flower stems are at various stages of development. Very odd. Of course a number of Helleborus species are showing buds with color, but these are not geophytes and not that far out of synch. A pot of Sprekelia formosanum brought indoors weeks ago and kept dry for the winter suddenly sent up a single flower stalk in a cool dim basement storage. Also odd timing. Even a potted chives in a cold frame has sent up a flower stalk. The forecast calls for a hard freeze within a week so some of these may come to a major halt soon, but we are enjoying what we can while we still have this out-of-season feeling "Green" (not Black) Friday. Best to all. 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 +