BREAKING ALL RECORDS

After such a ridiculously warm spell, for nearly three weeks, it was inevitable that things in the garden would be not what they should be. First it was the iris.....

This unknown, fragrant peach, bearded iris has just been stunning this year. I had picked three open flowers due to the threat of frost, but the unopened buds surprised me by surviving the brief, cold night and went on to put on a stunning show. Then the purple iris started. The first ones were on very short bloom stalks, possibly due to the dry winter.

I gave the garden a good watering a week ago and now the plants are sending up the odd longer bloom stalk. Their color is deeper than last year.

It has always been a mystery to me why these are called summer snowflakes, Leucojum aestivum. In Texas their bloom is over long before summer begins and this year even before spring. I began to wonder if mine were not the Leucojum vernum, which are also known as Spring snowflakes. However, I discarded that idea when I realized that a characteristic of L. aestivum, is an umbel of 3-7 flowers on one stalk. Mine certainly have that. These flowers bloom in the very poor and much neglected soil of my English garden. I'm wondering why I haven't added more of these beauties. Next year they must be top of my list.

And here comes the first larkspur of the season. Once again a miniature of its usual self at only one foot. I am sure this is again attributable to dry conditions. As I write a fine drizzle is bringing relief to the parched landscape. I hope the plants are drinking up every drop-it may be all they get.