I wouldn't worry about it; lots of bulbs sprout in the fall when there's a warm spell. Sometimes, the leaf tips get burned when they freeze, but the flower buds are usually still deep in the bulbs at this point.

I've been cutting back things for a little over a week now. Prior to that the ground was like walking on a waterbed from all the snow melt. I am still trying to stay out of the garden beds while cutting back. I have a few stepping stones placed in some beds to give me a place to stand or squat. It is not easy and I look like I am playing twister trying to stay out of the beds. After a couple of hours of work my first day out I had four big blisters on my pruner hand and a VERY sore hamstring. What I do now is cut off the old dried up growth and break or cut it into smaller pieces and toss it back on the beds to act as mulch. Then I lightly fluff up the mulch, matted leaves, and debris with a rake...hopefully before new growth would be damaged. I'm going to try just doing this for a while and not use any more wood mulch around plants. I hate trying to dig in a bed that has big hard wood chips ground deep into the soil. Next year I may try getting a long handled hedge trimmer to reach in and cut down the old growth. Then use a rake to pull it out to be cut up and tossed back in. I don't try to break up anything super thick or woody and just put that out for yard waste pickup or in a brush pile. The ornamental grass cuttings would just blow off the beds, so I break them up a little and use them to mulch in my fenced off veggie garden along with purchased straw. I'm in northern IL too and I just had my first few crocus blossoms a few days ago. Wish I could remember which variety they are because they are much earlier than the other varieties which just have leaves up. My daffodils are about 3-4" up too. The only perennials I noticed with new growth is some catmint, a few columbines, and one errant hosta shoot. We got a few pansies put out yesterday just for a little early color.

Ok, so, unfortunately I didn't come here before ordering from Michigan Bulb. I ordered 3 Pampas grasses from them the Friday before Labor Day. I ordered a dwarf banana plant from Spring Hill Nursay before (I think Spring Hill is from the same conglomerate as Michigan Bulb) and that experience was fine. I knew that I was signing up for very small plants, but with grasses I figured they grow fast and would be only a couple of years before they reach good height. So, after my order the website said that the grasses would ship late September. Then, I checked the order again and the shipping date was early October 8th, then October 11th and today it is October 20th before they are even to ship. I really don't think I will ever get them. I will be more diligant to check your recomendations in the future. I feel stupid that I didn't before placing my order, but at least I have learned. I think I will check out Bluestone. Lots of great feedback from you all on them. Thanks, Tim

Friends don't let friends buy from Michigan Bulb. I think that says it all. If you want to buy bulbs, pay a little more and go with Brent and Becky's Bulbs, John Scheepers/Van Engelen, Colorblends, or even Dutch Gardens or White Flower Farm. None of these companies knowingly supply bad bulbs, and WILL make good if you receive defective bulbs. What a reputable company WON'T do is guarantee your plants against absolutely everything including neglect, lack of water, hurricanes, storm surges, digging dogs or cats, deer and squirrels, planting the bulbs upside down, bulbs not suited to your climate zone or failure to plant them at all. Unfortunately "bad" companies and big-box stores are making it difficult for good companies by creating an expectation of an unconditional guarantee, even if they never really hold up their end of the bargain. Another thing--if you are buying from an end-of-season sale, no matter where you buy your plants or bulbs, you should do so KNOWING that you are taking on risk in doing so. You may get that bag of Alliums for a dollar, but some of the bulbs may be so dry they won't ever sprout, and it may be too late to plant them at that point anyways. On the other hand, half of them may thrive and be beautiful, and for a dollar, well, who cares? I refuse to fault a company if end-of-season plants fail because I figure the reduced prices compensate for my risk. That, and gardening for me is all about learning and pushing various hardiness envelopes.