and I have a trailing geranium blooming too. also, marigolds, and Mutabelis is blooming. I can't imagine that y'all think you alone have a terrible winter. Winter is just awful for us in zone 9 too. We usually have about 3 days of winter, usually not consecutive, but still very harsh. This year has been the longest, coldest, most miserable winter we have had in a long, long time. I am hauling a whole truckload of burned/frozen foliage that I cut yesterday. Can't even put it into the compost pile, DH says. Haul it to the dump. Our only consolation is that a few things do bloom a little earlier for us. NOT our fault, we are suffering too. Oh, yes, the primrose jasmine has started to bloom. Very pretty, little double yellow flowers. Janie

here the chickadees and nuthatches and titmice ect. all flock together during the winter months and even roost together. They don't start getting territorial till early spring. and then they pair off and head up into the mountains where they nest. and don't return till late fall to winter around here in flocks.

Thank you for your kind comment. This year this Clivia has 9 leaves and is in the back in the photo. I have 8 seedlings this year but so far growth is not a vigorous.

Wrong...trying again.