Dear Friends, What a difference a few hours of sun makes in Kansas City. We've been under a veil of gray skies, damp air and serious chills. Spring bulbs have been 'straining' to open blooms very literally for weeks and suddenly the clouds parted and things popped. Numerous crocus from tiny tommies and bigger 'Ruby Giant' to sieberi 'Tricolor' even the large Dutch hybrids such as 'Pickwick'. 'Jeanne d'Arc' and others. Snow Drops spread their wings and the summer snowflakes (Leucojum aestivum -ssp carpaticum) raised their heads up and showed their delicate yellow tips. I was thrilled to find my 2 year old planting of Leucojum aes. carpaticum 'Gertrude Wister' has tripled in size - counting bloom stalks. More curious than attractive, the double -or multi-petalled form is quite charming. It has the yellow petal tips on all segments. I think it deserves better distribution. This 'summer' Snowflake always bloom ahead of L. vernum, the Spring snowflake in contradiction to their Latin names. The latter is up, but not yet showing color. Tulip foliage perked up, as did Fritillaria. I optimistically bought a few more Frit. imperialis last fall and tried 4 bulbs in 2 new spots. Amazed to see all 4 actually came up. Past experience has most often produced NO winter survival. Maybe I lucked on a decent spot - or two. Planting Frit imperialis is usually an exercise in futility and I might as well drop cash money in a hole in the ground. I wonder if there's a better chance that these will last a little while. The winter aconites got beat by all the cold gray weather. Many buds just could not hold on and went down without ever opening. Now Pushkinia have started blooming and Chinodoxa 'Pink Giant' are showing color. Corydalis 'George Baker' is showing color, too. Adonis has reopened its waiting flowers and looked good this afternoon after a long delay for sunshine. Of course hundreds of hellebores perked up greatly, too. My Lycoris are all showing spring foliage - some up to 6 inches tall. So are Juno and Aril Iris, all in preparation for the bloom in a few weeks if the deer don't eat them. You'd think it was suddenly spring for an afternoon, but the then the forecast for the weekend shows a low of 21 and snow one or both days. If we are fortunate the forecast will change for the better. Many more spring plants are pushing buds, expanding foliage or floral buds etc. Even the earliest daffodils, some of which got frozen out a few weeks ago managed to put out some late buds and they are opening, just fewer than there should be. The regular early daffs are just pushing buds and then there later season cvs to follow. I am sure I have missed some bulbous arrivals, but we are enjoying these all for their abbreviated season. Enjoy. 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 +