I've had to laugh at myself: I too feel that spring has been *at least* a month early. In that spirit, I planted the front flower beds in March (after the forsythia bloomed). All the garden columnists were saying 'don't set out plants yet' and 'we'll still be hit by frost' and similar nay-says. They weren't wrong ~ a good bit of the surrounding area *did* get near-frost temps recently. One night, I tossed a light row-cover over the beds of snapdragons, marigold, petunias, alyssum, and celosia; and over the tomatoes in the garden. The next morning the temp was 38, but that has been the closest to frost in my neighborhood. I'm getting ready to plant the beans in the veg garden. I usually do that a couple weeks after the flower beds, which are done just as the forsythia fades. It gives me pause to see the calendar is still in April.

I always get so excited every year to see the first spring bloom. How nice for you on such a cold day.

So beautiful and a few days ahead of me. My earliest iris are opening but only one peony so far. But what do you do about disease on iris and peonies, because I have some brown spot stuff on iris and blasted buds on a couple of my peonies--even though some of the peonies in the same bed don't have it. And the iris that have disease are in full sun and plants of the same varieties in mottled shade in the woods that get no care ever don't.

Hi Kousa! The thought of organizing a peony chapter terrifies me!!! I'm much more a follower rather than a leader. And I can barely tell a herbaceous from a tree peony! I've certainly learned a lot since I found this forum so maybe in a few years I might work up the courage! I AM going to visit the University of Michigan's peony garden this spring, though. We planned a girl's trip to a small lake in MI (my mother-in-law lives a couple of hours away from it) before I even realized UofM had peonies! I'll be dragging my mother, mother-in-law, 2 sisters, 2 nieces and my daughter along! I've already started one of my sisters on peonies, sent several divisions to her in OK last fall. Hopefully she'll be bitten by the peony bug, too!! I'm also going to the American Peony Society Convention this spring. Another of those fortuitous discoveries, it's happening just a couple of hours from where we'll be vacationing on the weekend we were supposed to fly back. Since I hadn't made flight arrangements at the time it was an easy decision to stay a few more days to attend. I plan to keep my mouth shut, ears open and camera clicking away the whole time! If anyone has specific questions about any variety mention it--I'll keep an eye out and get pics and descriptions.