More and More Flowers

The weather has been so unseasonably warm lately; plants are flowering way ahead of schedule. It seems to be happening all across the Southeast, from what I've seen online. I've been posting mostly daffodils, but there are other bulbs (and corms) that are blooming now:

First there are tommies (Crocus tommasinianus). They normally bloom in mid-February here. Wikipedia says this species is native to the Balkans. I don't know of any other plant I grow that is from this region. I think it may have been too hot for these this year. Normally they flower in large bunches, but this year there were only the occasional few like this, which withered away in a matter of a few days:

Crocus tommasinianus

Next there is Iris reticulata, probably the cultivar 'Harmony'. This iris species grows from bulbs, rather than rhizomes, unlike the bearded iris and others. I planted this over ten years ago, and believed they had long since withered away. I guess I was wrong. Wikipedia says this species is native to northern Iran, the Caucasus, and Russia.

Iris reticulata 'Harmony'

Then there is Summer Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum), a relative of daffodils that naturalizes in the South:

Leucojum aestivum

The azaleas are beginning to bloom also. It's incredible.

Next, on to the new daffodils of the week:

As I mentioned earlier this week, the hoop-petticoat daffodil was going to bloom. Well, here it is:

Narcissus bulbocodium subsp. bulbocodium var. conspicuus (Hoop-petticoat daffodil)

And, what I've been waiting for, my favorite daffodil, which never ceases to charm me with its sublime form and fragrance: 'Trevithian'.

The ones in the ground aren't blooming yet, but some extra bulbs I put in pots and protected from cold are blooming now.

Narcissus 'Trevithian'

Hoop Petticoats

I've had a cold for the past few days, but I got out yesterday to stroll around my mom's yard where I planted many of my daffodils (most of them from when I lived there in college or when I came back to Auburn). 

I was surprised to see that the "hoop petticoats" (Narcissus bulbodium subsp. bulbocodium var. conspicuus - a mouthful) are going to bloom this year. They sent up nary a flower last year. I'm beginning to suspect that they are alternate-year bloomers, although it is still strange that all the plants are synchronized. If they are not alternate-year bloomers, perhaps there is some unknown (to me) weather phenomenon that triggers their flowering. In any case, I'm excited, because these little species daffodils apparently set seed well.

Here's a photo from a previous year in which they flowered:

Narcissus bulbodium subsp. bulbocodium var. conspicuus, a.k.a. Hoop Petticoats

Canons from Trent

A fellow shared with me some texts from the Council of Trent. Reading these, I think that many of us in the Church today have opinions or attitudes decisively condemned by Trent, especially associated with the misinterpretation of Vatican II regarding the Mass:

ON THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS.

CANON I.--If any one saith, that in the mass a true and proper sacrifice is not offered to God; or, that to be offered is nothing else but that Christ is given us to eat; let him be anathema. 

CANON II.--If any one saith, that by those words, Do this for the commemoration of me (Luke xxii. 19), Christ did not institute the apostles priests; or, did not ordain that they, and other priests should offer His own body and blood; let him be anathema. 

CANON III.--If any one saith, that the sacrifice of the mass is only a sacrifice of praise and of thanksgiving; or, that it is a [Page 159] bare commemoration of the sacrifice consummated on the cross, but not a propitiatory sacrifice; or, that it profits him only who receives; and that it ought not to be offered for the living and the dead for sins, pains, satisfactions, and other necessities; let him be anathema. 

CANON IV.--If any one saith, that, by the sacrifice of the mass, a blasphemy is cast upon the most holy sacrifice of Christ consummated on the cross; or, that it is thereby derogated from; let him be anathema. 

CANON V.--If any one saith, that it is an imposture to celebrate masses in honour of the saints, and for obtaining their intercession with God, as the Church intends; let him be anathema. 

CANON VI.--If any one saith, that the canon of the mass contains errors, and is therefore to be abrogated; let him be anathema. 

CANON VII.--If any one saith, that the ceremonies, vestments, and outward signs, which the Catholic Church makes use of in the celebration of masses, are incentives to impiety, rather than offices of piety; let him be anathema. 

CANON VIII.--If any one saith, that masses, wherein the priest alone communicates sacramentally, are unlawful, and are, therefore, to be abrogated; let him be anathema. 

CANON IX.--If any one saith, that the rite of the Roman Church, according to which a part of the canon and the words of consecration are pronounced in a low tone, is to be condemned; or, that the mass ought to be celebrated in the vulgar tongue only; or, that water ought not to be mixed with the wine that is to be offered in the chalice, for that it is contrary to the institution of Christ; let him be anathema.

Holy Dread

There was an article in The New Yorker about Bach's "holy dread." For me, holy dread is why I love Bach so much, especially his harpsichord and organ music. I also love that Bach can make even secular dance music overflow with this feeling, like this jig, which is so bizarre, upbeat and catchy but dripping in apocalyptic fury.

Two unknown daffodils

The daffodils along the edge of the woods at my dad's house are still coming into flower. Here are two that began this week which I haven't identified yet.

The white one with the orange cup has no fragrance, but the large-cup white one does. I took pollen from both of these back to Auburn and pollinated 'Sweetness' and N. jonquilla var. henriquesii. We'll see if any seed comes from it.

The one with the orange cup reminds me of 'Flower Record', a daffodil I planted as a teenager, which I loved, but unfortunately it only lasted 5 or so years before disappearing. Since this has been growing happily in the woods for years, hopefully I can use it to make some nice crosses.

'Sweetness'

Another daffodil opened Monday, 'Sweetness'. Hybridized in England before 1939, she is a member of the Jonquilla section and has typical jonquil characteristics. The foliage is taller than the flowering stems, the flowers are smaller and deep yellow, and fragrant. This one usually has one flower per stem.

Narcissus 'Sweetness' 7 Y-Y

For me, it has not been as vigorous as 'Trevithian', which blooms a few weeks later. The flowers are also smaller. Still, it has grown on me. It seems to be as perennial in the South as many of the old jonquils.

Narcissus 'Sweetness' 7 Y-Y

Stoicism and Serenity

I was listening to some episodes on the Stoic philosophy on a podcast called The Partially Examined Life. At the end of an episode on Epictetus - which I thought was overall too negative and critical of him - one of the men mentioned the connection between the serenity prayer and Stoicism.

O God, give us the serenity to accept what cannot be changed, the courage to change what can be changed, and the wisdom to know the one from the other.

 Many people think being a Stoic means being apathetic, not allowing anything to influence you, and to feel nothing. This is not really what the Stoics proposed, though our adjective "stoic" in English connotes this. 

What the Stoics actually proposed really is summarized in the serenity prayer. There are some things in life we cannot change: unforeseen or unstoppable forces of nature, the choices others make, choices we made in the past, anything in the past, and ultimately the opinions of others. We should not give these things the power to disturb us, nor should we place our hope or happiness in them.

The goal of the Stoic is ultimately serenity. 

As St. Theresa of Avila has it, 

Let nothing disturb you,

Let nothing frighten you,

All things are passing away:

God never changes.

Patience obtains all things

Whoever has God lacks nothing;

God alone suffices.

St. Ignatius also has the principle that we should never make a change under desolation, but only under consolation. This reminds me of the advice of Epictetus: "He goes about like an invalid, being careful not to disturb, before it has grown firm, any part which is getting well."

'Ice Follies'

Narcissus 'Ice Follies'

I'm not quite sure if this is 'Ice Follies', but I found it at the ecology preserve north of town and took a photo.

There are some 'Ice Follies' at my mom's house that appear a week or so away from blooming.

Moon and stars

My roommate was calling me on the back porch Monday night. There was a huge halo around the moon in the sky. We caught some photos.

Halo around the moon. Orion lower left.

I also have been taking photos of the daffodils in the woods. Today I also took some 'Grand Monarque' pollen and pollinated all the other daffodils in the woods. Since the others are all trumpet or large-cup daffodils, they are likely genetically incompatible with 'Grand Monarque'. Still, I will watch out for seeds. Some of the most interesting daffodils were made by "impossible" crosses.

Trumpet daffodil

Trumpet daffodil

Narcissus 'Grand Monarque'

Narcissus jonquilla var. henriquesii

A week following the unknown jonquil that I posted last week, finally the jonquil N. j. var. henriquesii has begun blooming. Though it looks nearly identical, upon seeing it side-by-side with the other jonquil, it appears more graceful and delicate to me. Also, the foliage lies flatter to the ground, allowing the flowers to appear prominent. (I say that in relative terms; these species jonquils have flowers scarcely larger than a dime on stems only about 6 inches tall.)

I was just thinking today how these early daffodils, even in full flower, do not make it feel like spring. There's something else that makes it feel like spring. What is it? Our days are in the mid-seventies, and the camellias, daffodils, saucer magnolias, and even crocuses are beginning to bloom, but it still feels like winter. I think it does not feel like spring until the trees start budding leaves, the azaleas, cherries, and dogwoods explode in blossom, and pollen is in the air. Also, the days are longer then.

Narcissus jonquilla var. henriquesii

Are there stupid questions?

Are there stupid questions?

In my opinion, there are not. Here is why I think so.

Questions are better classified as honest or dishonest questions.

An honest question is an act of humility, and therefore virtuous. It is the revelation of one's inner weakness and poverty. In this case, poverty of knowledge or experience.

A dishonest question is not a revelation of one's inner poverty or weakness. Because it is something pretending to be something else, it is not virtuous. It is a covert way of trapping or exposing one's interlocutor (as with the questions the Pharisees posed to Jesus), or displaying one's learning (as in questions designed to show others how well-read or thoughtful one is), etc.

Now, I would say there are no stupid questions, but there are bad questions: the dishonest questions.

---

Asking an honest question is like telling the doctor your symptoms. If he is a good doctor, he will treat your illness. If he is a bad doctor, it would have been better if you never revealed your symptoms to him, because of the damage he may do in error.

In the same sense, while there are no stupid questions, there are those to whom it is not wise to ask honest questions.

Campernelles and more

More daffodils are blooming in the woods, in addition to one daffodil blooming in my garden.

First, in the woods. 

Narcissus x odorus, called the Campernelle, is a naturally-occuring hybrid between N. jonquilla and a trumpet daffidil, either N. hispanicus or N. pseudonarcissus. Being a wide hybrid, it is usually sterile, but has hybrid vigor. It naturalizes in the South easily.

Narcissus x odorus (the "Campernelle")

In Macon County the campernelles are a full week or two earlier than in Auburn. I wonder if the microclimate differences are responsible, or if there are different strains involved.

Next up is another photo of the trumpet daffodil I posted the other day. The historic daffodil listserv folks said that it is a 1920s strain of the popular and prolific cultivar 'Carlton'. I'm also growing 'Carlton' in Auburn, which I planted in November although the foliage hasn't even broken ground yet. Again, I wonder if the difference is microclimate/acclimatization or whether the different strains have different bloom times. Maybe a combination of both.

N. 'Carlton'

Next up in the woods, a large cup bicolor daffodil. It looks kind of like 'Ice Follies', but I emailed this photo to the listserv and haven't heard their opinions yet. 'Ice Follies' dates to 1953, so it isn't impossible. I'm not sure when these woodland daffodils were planted or even who planted them.

Large cup Narcissus

This is the same Tazetta daffodil I posted a few days ago. The listserv seems divided over whether this is N. 'Grand Monarque' or N. 'Grand Primo'. Upon my own investigation, it seems these two cultivars have been confused for a long time and may actually be the same thing, though some say 'Grand Monarque' has more irregularly-shaped cups, which seems to be what I have here. Plus, a woman in Atlanta says her 'Grand Monarque' are blooming now but her 'Grand Primo' are not. Whatever they are, I'm happy.

N. 'Grand Monarque' (most likely), or N. 'Grand Primo'

Next up are three photos from my garden. I have to admit I made a gaff and no longer know exactly what this daffodil is. The bulbs are so tiny. It's a Jonquilla-type daffodil, but it is blooming much earlier than the N. jonquilla var. henriquesii or the N. j. 'Simplex'.

Since I have it in a pot, I was able to move it around and play with the lighting.

Narcissus jonquilla - type

Narcissus jonquilla - type

Narcissus jonquilla - type

Which lighting is the best?