March 20
I wonder if there is a flower that exemplifies spring more than a Narcissus? I submit that there is not. If I had to make a list of my top 10 favorite flowers, they would surely make the cut. In the past few weeks, we have had some real beauties burst into bloom which we’ve been picking by the bucket-full: ‘Ice Follies’, ‘Ice King’, ‘Kedron’, Tête-à-Tête, ‘Thalia’, ‘Falconet’ and a bunch more I have no idea what they’re called… 😉 Placed in various jars and vases throughout our home, their fragrance is so refreshing and their bright colors a jolly reminder of spring sunshine.
Happy First Day of Spring!
Perfect for the first day of spring. So many lovely varieties of daffy dillies. Still snow on the ground here, but it’s melting and everything needs to be done at once. I never know what to do first.
It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it? I generally like to start by just picking up debris and then move on into cutting back perennials and suchlike. But winter just doesn’t seem to want to leave! Yesterday was fairly nice but this morning we woke to a frozen garden and snow flurries. Hope you get more sunshine to get rid of all that snow!
I love these bright flowers. And they are the only bulb the squirrels appear to leave alone, although they often transplant them. I wonder where my daffodils have gone and then see a bunch in a place where I didn’t plant them.
We are waiting for ours! After the latest snow melts maybe there will be some waiting to proclaim spring is really here!
Love all these varieties. I have a few, but I am terrible at tracking what they are – you are so good at that!
Haha I have the same problem with our squirrels! I see them every winter running through the yard with a giant daff bulb in their mouths and I just know I’m going to later see a flower peeking out of the woods somewhere. But thankfully they don’t eat them. I planted so many smaller flowered spring bulbs that never came up and I’m assuming the voles got them.
Hope your snow melts soon. It’s been such a long, hard winter. Spring needs to get here and stay!
Yes – no crocuses even though I have planted tons. Voles – the buggers!
Got Dahlia’s this year – can’t wait!
Yay! 😀
I love the way they smell– it’s not exactly a sweet smell, but spring wouldn’t be the same without it. It’s like tomato leaves, in summer. They smell exactly like the season.
Lately I’ve been into the species daffodils, especially bulbocodium and cyclamineus, but one look at ‘Ice King’ and I feel myself weakening…
I know *just* what you mean about the scent of tomato leaves in summer. Not exactly a wonderful fragrance but pure summer! 🙂 ‘Ice King’ is very pretty….I didn’t actually order them but they were sent to me by mistake. I don’t care for “doubles” in daffodils but they are nice. Only problem is the flowers are so heavy that when a frost or heavy rain causes them to flop, the stems don’t spring back up as easily as some of the singles.
Your photos are so atmospheric, Laurie. I think I’ve said before that the light seems different where you are – whiter, lighter?? And goes so well with your paler colours.
That’s so funny about the squirrels replanting your bulbs! I guess they must take a bit and spit it out? Narcissus are poisonous to dogs – wonder if they are to squirrels?
I think that there is a funny taste to the narcissus bulbs, as well? Whatever it is, I’m just glad they don’t eat them. I planted loads of tulips that I thought I had protected well enough but the squirrels outsmarted me and ate half of them.
The light…it’s interesting that you noticed that, too, I thought it was just me. 😉 I think it’s partly because we live in the woods so it often filters down and creates an interesting mood. It’s also a lot more dazzling, for lack of a better word, than it was when we were further north. I have found that for that reason, the paler tones in flowers I used to grow in Pennsylvania look so drab and washed out here. When purchasing plants, I am looking for more saturated colorss so they pop more. It’s a learning curve, to be sure!