Theft again and more arrivals

All season long there have been thefts of flowers from the front yard. The most recent to go, along with some other flowers, was our sole Dutch tulip, a surprise returnee from many years ago, a true flower, not the sort of almost-a-flower that sometimes reappears. It's no wonder that we plant more and more along the side of the house and in back of it and add nothing to the front. We are enjoying ranunculus flowers of all colors. Pink "bread" poppies and red corn poppies have joined the giant red true poppies. We have a very old-fashioned cream-and-pink sweet pea. There are now six open clematis flowers and plenty of very fat buds. New among the Dutch irises are two additional kinds of blue ones, one with short upright petals, beautiful yellow-and-white ones, and a white or very pale blue one that we've never seen before. There are still some leaves to come down from the oak motte. Tiny leaf buds can be seen on the pecan tree, but we don't yet smell the sassafras-like scent. The red anemones and the iphieon continue to be spectacular. Poet's narcissus has been prolific, too. On the mystery experimental rose are more buds than we have ever seen. Four o'clocks are showing themselves above ground for the first time.