Well, we almost didn't have an iris show - up to Thursday the 30th I had only one in bloom - then it was high 80's and humid and everything rushed through the next two days and did a week's worth of blooming. Still have lily of the valley in bloom - it usually finishes around mid-May so i feel we're about two weeks behind here in mid-Michigan. (heck, we had hard freezes the third week in MAY!) Lost a lot of the cherry crop.

Trilliums and early wildflowers are past, but the dame's rocket (aobut 5', purple and white) and poppies are out with the middling iris. Currants and gooseberries have fruit set and the raspberries as well. my plume poppy got frostbit but fortunately seems to be coming back fromthe roots. It's obviously a "runner" but fortunately it isn't TOO speedy a one. It has a wonderful leaf about like a bloodroot, white underneath, and very loose lacy red/pink bloom on end, sort of like tamarisk or thalictrum.

First daisies are out. I'm still planting all the things I got from plant swaps and grew from seed (leadwort, pink coreopsis etc) and tried some sisyrinchum and lewisia for a steep slope. Haven't died yet! My hope is that I have six germinated seeds for BLUE TIBETAN POPPY. The MSU beal garden hasn't been able to get them to grow to flowering but I have two that have their second leaves so I'm hoping. Evidently its too wet here summers. I have a nice spot I'm saving for them where I can't get anything to grow because its' too dry. We'll see.

Elaine/ET