WELL I NEVER ....

Chrysanthemum rubellum 'clara curtis' aka 'country girl '

I wrote recently that when the word "never " appeared to be falling off my tongue that I would refrain from using it but this morning I just had to blurt it out when I saw Clara Curtis in bloom on July 8. Is this a record? Has anyone else had their Clara bloom earlier? I may be holding a record here, folks. Clare usually blooms way earlier than other mums but the earliest I've seen her bloom is late July and sometimes early to mid-August .

I have expounded on the virtues of Clara many times in the past but I think it bears repeating. The long bloom time, the daisy-like appearance, medium height, the hardiness, the early bloom time all add up to an outstanding perennial.

I wonder if there's an Guiness book of world records for earliest blooming mums?