I have grown nearly all of the Southern Living recommendations here in central MS over the years. They are not all surefire. Geranium is a good one, but it is late, and often the weather is hot by the time it blooms so the blooms don't last even a week. And the foliage is large and coarse. Takes forever to ripen. Hawera is excellent here. It multiplies steadily. It blooms late too, but earlier than Geranium. Its flowers and foliage are small and delicate. Beautiful, but not showy at a distance. Ice Follies is excellent. Of the large bloomed dafs I grow, it is definitely one of the best. It blooms early, so it lasts longer. The bloom color is a very pale yellow fading to white. Not the cheerful bright yellow of some, but still great. Jack Snipe is very good. It's a smaller blooom, but reliable even under tough conditions. Not a fast multiplier where I have it, but it has to compete with tree roots. It's charming. Jetfire has been a failure half a dozen times over the years. IF I get any blooms, they steadily decrease and die out over three or four years. Don't know why. Maybe it's my location. Maybe the bulbs were mis-named: not an unusual occurence. Minnow is sweet. It's like Geranium in every way except the blooms are really tiny. Same pros and same cons as Geranium. Saint Keverne is my favorite bright yellow, large flowering daffodil. It blooms in early mid season here, so the blooms last a good long time. It multiplies steadily. The blooms are exceptionally lovely too, in my opinion. Tete a tete is so strong it can get to be a nuisance. It multiplies prodigiously and blooms early. The blooms are small but such a bright yellow that they show from a distance. It is a short plant. Excellent for edging. You can't beat it. Thalia is my favorite white. Pure, clear white blooms. Reasonably small foliage. It persists, but its increase is slow. If you can put it in really good soil it will increase faster. It's only fault is its lateness in bloom. But if you want white flowers, you have to wait. They are all late. Trevithian is another beautiful yellow bloomer. the blooms are mid sized and blooom mid season. They have lovely form and substance. It multiplies. It is very nearly as good as St. Keverne. Carlton is very good. The flower form is not as pretty as others, but it does persist for years, and sometimes multiplies. Very large bloom. Very bright color. My favorite is not in the list and that is Campernelle.This is a jonquil. I have found that any daffodil that is in the class of jonquilla is a very good bet for the Deep South. Campernelle is often my very first bloom of the season and because it is so early the blooms last sometimes a month. It makes clumps very fast and although the blooms are small, they come in such profusion and are such a bright yellow that they are very showy. Avalanche or Seven Sisters gives the appearance of white, although it has yellow cups. It multiplies like mad, is early (it's technically a paperwhite) and long lasting. Its one fault is the coarseness of its foliage. Still, it is a dandy. Gigantic Star has been something of a disappointment to me. At the very least it is not multiplying much. And it may be decreasing. Still, I have had it for more than five years, so I suppose I got my money's worth. The blooms are big for sure. Otherwise, there's nothing outstanding about it. Honestly, if you can find someone who has a whole pasture or hedgerow of daffodils that have naturalized in your area. Beg some of those and take them home. They will be the VERY best ones you will likely find. Over the years, I have come to look for earliness in new ones I buy. The flowers last longer and are the most cherished. By the time the late ones come, other things are blooming and the late ripening foliage is a nuisance.

I'm in Minnesota. I thought it was columbine before it opened. Anemone sylvestris it is it! You all are so good!! Thank you! I have another that opened today. Looks like peony buds, deep red, but a feathery foliage that I mistook for an evergreen at first glance. I will take a photo this week.

Do you have a cold frame? A greenhouse is a brilliant asset but since not many of us can spare the space for one, a cold frame is a good winter protection for tender cuttings. Yep, the top growth may die back but it is the roots where the action is so as long as the pots do not freeze for weeks at a time, they should be OK. If your winters are too cold, then simply keep them in a dormant state in a garage or basement - they are not dead, just resting. I sow a lot of my seeds all year round and frequently have cuttings to overwinter from summer...and I just assume that the plants 'know' what they are doing, will go into dormancy and when the conditions are right, will start to grow top growth again the following spring. There are always losses, especially with tender pelargoniums, which are susceptible to over watering (I keep mine practically dessicated now) but if the cuttings have developed enough roots, they will be perfectly OK coming through the winter.

Yes, that is what it appears to be. Thanks!