Flora

Giving much pleasure are the old, dumped paperwhite narcissus clumps. Mack's yard produced an even dozen bloom stalks from the first clump; the side yard has thus far given three. There are fat bud stalks appearing on the Montopolis and Bastrop (much like Grand Primo, but not quite) clumps of narcissus. Ranunculus and anemone leaves are showing everywhere; so are Dutch iris leaves. There are blossoms on rosemary and English peas. In pots the geraniums (pelargonium) love the wather and so do the jump-ups (violas). Also in pots are probably at least a dozen held-over nasturtiums, mostly old-fashioned trailing ones. Each day there are two or three saffron-yellow flowers divided between two of these nasturtium pots. We invested in two pots of cyclamen for their fragrance. There are some blossoms on the best possted chile plant. Leaves are reappearing on milkweed and chile plants all over the place. Cardinals, bluejays, chickadees, whitewing doves, titmice, and wrens are among the most frequent bathers and drinkers from the plant coasters of water set out on the catio.