Acis tingitana in a cold frame is opening its first flower of the year now; last year it was in bloom on February 21st. A mystery plant received as Dipcadi serotinum in 2005 but obviously an irid (but which one?) has an inflorescence. It's a little thing, no more than eight inches or so high although the inflorescence is not fully developed. This grows in the same cold frame. The overall appearance makes me think Freesia laxa, but the rootstock is not what I expect from that plant; we'll soon see. In the same frame, Crocus fleischeri is also blooming, and Tecophilaea cyanocrocus continues. Out in the unprotected garden, the first Eranthis hyemalis are open (buds were reported earlier). Stock of the old commercial form of Iris reticulata originally planted about forty-five years ago will bloom this year. It had gone into a decline after forty-some years in the same spot, so I moved some two years ago. The moved plants are now in blooming condition. I think I'm getting my money's worth from these. I saw Iris histrio aintabensis just about in bloom in a friend's garden a few days ago. This gentle winter has been very salubrious for Arum italicum and other winter-green aroids: I've never seen such lush foliage on these plants. One thing about these deceptively mild winters is worth mentioning: plants with a high chill requirement are doing nothing but waiting. Only those plants with a low chill requirement are blooming. Witch hazels are blooming freely, and so too is Acer rubrurm - the squirrels seem to be feasting on these. Galanthus 'Ophelia', which in the past has generally either not bloomed or, if it did bloom, produced malformed flowers, is this year producing very shapely blooms. The bloom quality of double-flowered snowdrops seems to depend a lot on growing conditions. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7 My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/