Daffodils and Other Signs of Spring

I've only managed three posts in the last year, and the blog is essentially dead.  But since it started as a way for me to track some things going on in the yard - a public journal of sorts - and one thing I've consistently tracked is daffodils (first bloom date and color as well as total bloom count), I'm back. I might as well rename this "The Daffodil Journal"

Here's this year's winner:

Winning White

This brings the current record to:  Yellow 3, White 2, tie 1
2015: white (~27 Mar)
2014: yellow (~18 Mar)
2013: tie (6 Mar)
2012: yellow (25 Feb)
2011: white (9 Mar)
2010: yellow (17 Mar)

This is by far the latest first daff bloom of record.

I do have some other things going on in the yard, though everything is waking up a bit late.  Crocus are about spent.  I planted some bulb iris last year (my cuz now tells me they aren't likely to return) that were really pretty last week:

I think there should have been some white ones, too, but I can't recall where I planted them and they haven't made their location known.

Hellebores are enlivening the shady side:

Above the hellebores, the aucuba is producing an abundance of berries.  I don't think I've seen it this prolific before.

There were a few weak attempts at snowdrops:  they really don't like their parking-strip home, and have never been photo-worthy.  The flowering trees are budding, and I think the pear may beat the redbud, with plum pretty far behind (hmm...a new contest?)

See you again in about six weeks for the annual daff count.  I planted a few new ones in the fall and I look forward to seeing them!