A reader comments that his daffodils are in bloom and asks if this is early. For most parts of the country, it is nowhere near spring, so blooms in February would be considered early (if not impossible).
However, here in California, where conditions tend to defy the official seasonal calendar, the answer is: it depends. First, it depends upon the weather, which just recently has ranged from bitterly cold and dry to cool and briefly wet, and then on to hot and sunny. So, it's no surprise if some plants think spring has sprung.
Next, it depends on the bulb. Even among narcissi, each variety has its own timetable. For example, our paperwhites bloomed a month ago or so and are now done. The daffodils are just starting to bud and flower. Yet another variety--a mini daffodil--has sprouted but shows no sign of buds yet.
Our advice: enjoy the preview of spring while it lasts.
