Last week was unseasonably mild, and I took advantage of that to get a lot done in the garden. I’m covered with scratches, cuts and a bruise or two. My hands are still a bit swollen, and there are plenty of aches and pains to go with it all. But I got a lot done. I won’t be working in the garden today! The temperature early this morning was said to be 16ºF. At 10:30 A. M. it still has to rise above the freezing point. Still, inside the protected cold frame everything looks fine. Several daffodils are blooming there: one of the modern all-white Israeli tazetta forms named Ziva is very handsome and potently fragrant; the north African Narcissus pachybolbus is blooming, too. The first of the white hoop-petticoats is open, a plant received under the name Narcissus albidus var. foliosus. I’ve been growing various daffodils of this group for three years now, and they seem to be very erratic in terms of time of bloom. Other than a few crocus (Crocus biflorus tauri and Uschak Orange), the cold frame is otherwise quiet; it is lush with foliage and the promise of things to come. Foliage: that the foliage of Amaryllis belladonna (in the protected cold frame) is untouched by cold is reassuring; the Nerine sarniensis forms also look fine. What really surprises me is that a modern hybrid Hippeastrum is also taking the winter in the cold frame in stride. Two years ago Tecophilaea cyanocrocus bloomed in March; last year it was in bloom in early January; this year, so far I can see only a tiny tip of blue down between the leaves. Asphodelus acaulis continues to bloom. Evidently the flowers of this species are ephemeral. Iris unguicularis had two flowers open on Saturday; they were still there yesterday as we endured a day of relentless wind. They were covered with a tarp last night; today they are shriveled. This plant has been blooming off and on since November. I mentioned this to the person from whom I obtained this plant. His joking response: “I hate you”. (It never bloomed for him, not even once.) Out in the open garden Crocus imperati started to bloom Saturday. It’s probably frozen this morning. Snowdrops on the lawn are arched over and seemingly huddled against the lawn. Most of the early snowdrops were in full bloom last week. If any winter aconites are in bloom, I have not seen them. My witch hazels are now big enough to be a real presence in the garden, and last week they were very beautiful. Winter sweet too is blooming. Wintergreen herbaceous things such as Italian arum, Ruscus, Danaë and Rohdea are all lovely, untouched so-far by rough weather. Helleborus foetidus is in full bloom, and the earliest of the garden hellebores are also up and open. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7 where strange noises in the attic at dawn and dusk have me wondering if some squirrels have moved in with us. 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/