Friday, March 4, 2011

I love daffodils


Daffodils are not my favorite flower but I love seeing them in the spring. To me, it means that spring is really here and they brighten my day. I love jonquils even more, but I don't have any in my yard, I only wish I did. Every year I think I would love to plant some bulbs but I never buy any to plant at the right time. I just wish I had them when I start seeing them emerge from their long winter's sleep. These little daffodils are fine with me though, especially on a dreary day like today.


When I was a little girl, we used to experiment with them by adding food coloring to see if they would turn a bright color. It was amazing to see a bright yellow flower become blue or red. It was a good lesson on how flowers and plants feed. My mother didn't let us do that very often, I suspect because they were very pretty the way they were (food coloring was also messy and probably expensive).


I had a friend who went dug up daffodils and jonaquils when she found them on the sides of the roads. She kept a shovel, trowel, gloves and bucket in her trunk for that purpose. They were on the right of way and were usually spill-overs from old farms and home places that were no longer there. She would then plant them, creating a beautiful sea of yellow every spring. I don't know if I agree with that or not. I kind of enjoy the surprise of discovering them on the roadside -- a bright surprise left by folks who loved these old-fashioned flowers so long ago.

They do multiply well and if you divide them and replant the bulbs, giving them room to grow. They will continue spreading and growing just like they do on the roadside.

I am planning to pick some of mine to enjoy them indoors. I would hate for frost to kill them and turn them brown, which often happens. Ahhh ... my first taste of spring.

1 comment:

  1. Pretty photos today, Deberah! I know spring is coming when I see the daffodils pop up. Love the jonquils too! I've been noticing the Bradford Pear trees are blooming too.
    Spring is so nice around here - have a great weekend, Joanie

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