The temperature tomorrow might be over 70 degrees F. Today it's over 60
degrees F. Some snowdrops, after the longest mild weather snowdrop season I
have ever experienced, are finally shriveling. I'm hoping this long mild
season will translate into abundant seed set. Winter aconites, early
crocuses (including Crocus reticulatus) and reticulate irises are all
blooming freely now. And yes, that iris purchased very inexpensively as
Vinogradov's iris is true to name: the first flower is opening today. The
yellow is very pale, the sort of yellow seen in some butter. It seems to
move at a much slower pace than the other reticulate irises here. In one
of the cold frames the clump of Iris lazica has twelve flowers open. They
form a mass of blue about a foot across, a really beautiful sight at this
time of year. I'm inclined to think that if it repeats this performance
yearly, I'll come to value it as much as I do I. unguicularis. Cyclamen
coum, also in a
cold frame, is only now coming into bloom. I'm sure it had flower buds
back in December, but the first flowers have opened only this week.

Plants of Fritillaria thunbergii and F. persica are well out of the
ground. I can count flower buds on some of the scapes of F. thunbergii.
Whatever it is which has been browsing crocus foliage near this frit has
so-far not touch the frit. Some early tulips show flower buds deep down in
the emerging leaves.

The buds of Asphodelus acaulis form a bright pink coronet at ground level.

Early daffodils such as cyclamineus hybrids are blooming. There were
reports of' Rijnveld's Early Sensation' blooming in the greater Washington,
D.C. area back in December.

Lawn weeds such as veronica, cardamine and dandelions are blooming.

And here's a snowdrop story. Last week I spotted a snowdrop in the front
lawn whose green markings, when viewed from a certain angle, reminded me of
a man's face, a man with a big 1890s mustache. I decided to call it Mr.
Mustache. I went out a few hours ago to photograph Mr Mustache: he's gone.
Somebody snatched him. I hope there are enough leaves left to keep the
bulb strong so Mr. Mustache can make another appearance next year. A bit
before I discovered that Mr. Mustache was gone I nearly fell over or
twisted my ankle after stepping into a hidden, leaf filled hole in a place
where I have never dug one. Someone has evidently lifted a plant.

The three Cyclamen persicum plants mentioned in earlier posts are doing
very well. As I approached the front door earlier today the area was sweet
with their fragrance. And I noticed something about that fragrance today
which I had never noticed: it's sweet to be sure, but it also has a
noticeable caraway seed quality. It must be wonderful to wander the
countryside in areas here these grow wild.

So far no peepers or wood frogs, but if the mild temperatures hold out
through a rainy period, they are sure to start up.

Should I start to sow seeds of hardy annuals? It's hard to know what to do
in a year like this.

Jim McKenney

jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com
Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.021954º North, 77.052102º West, USDA
zone 7
My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/
<http://www.jimmckenney.com/>
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