daffodils

Narcissus, daffodils, jonquils, lent lily...
by Catherine Kavassalis

Daffodils (1804)

I wander'd lonely as a cloud that floats on high o'er vales and hills,
when all at once I saw a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils;
beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine and twinkle on the Milky Way,
they stretch'd in never-ending line along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance, tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company: I gazed --
and gazed -- but little thought what wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie in vacant or in pensive mood,
they flash upon that inward eye which is the bliss of solitude;
and then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils.

WilliamWordsworth (1770-1850).

Though winter has beauties to offer, nothing seems more extraordinary than the blooms of spring. Like Wordsworth, I try to drink in its splendor for a refreshing mental dip in times of drought. One of my favourite spring flowers is the daffodil.

The daffodil or narcissus has been in cultivation since ancient times. They are native to the Mediterranean, North Africa, Asia, and Europe. Narcissus pseudonarcissus, from the Iberian Peninsula, is thought to be the most important ancestor of our modern hybrids, but the Royal Horticultural Society lists well over 100 naturally occurring species, subspecies, varieties, and forms. Today, there are over 13,000 cultivars in gardens around the world.

For show purposes, daffodil cultivars are divided into twelve divisions based generally on flower form. These include categories like large cupped, small cupped, double, and miniature etc. There is also a thirteenth division for the botanical taxa within the genus Narcissus – in other words the naturally occurring or wild species.

The word narcissus is derived from the Latin narce (Greek narkao), meaning "benumbed." As you might imagine, a narcotic can the extracted from narcissus bulbs. In mythology, a beautiful young man, named Narcissus is so benumbed by his own reflection in a pond that (at least in one version) he becomes a flower forever gazing down at his own image. I rather prefer the Victorian legend that suggested whenever someone preformed a selfless act, a star was plucked from the sky and became a daffodil.

The word daffodil is thought to be both a misconception and a corruption of the Dutch de affodil, which actually referred to Asphodel, an edible flowering bulb in the family Asphodelaceae. I pity the person who may mistakenly have eaten a daffodil bulb. Narcissi contain a toxin that in large amounts can cause death by paralysis.

Not only are daffodil bulbs inedible, but their leaves also contain toxins and sharp crystals of calcium oxalate (called raphides). This makes narcissi an excellent choice if rabbits, squirrels or any other herbivores are a problem for you. They will avoid them.

Not much bothered by pests or disease, these long flowering spring bulbs are a great choice for any garden. But which to choose? There are so many possibilities. From the traditional trumpets to the more unusual hoop-petticoats (N. bulbocodium), these fashionable flowers come in designer shapes and colours. They are easy to grow in sun or part shade in well-draining soil. If they are happy, the may require occasional division. Do that in late summer, after the foliage has browned and withered. Soon enough, you will have a constellation of daffodils dancing in your yard.

So look around this spring and decide which little stars of heaven you would like to add to your garden. Then plant your bulbs after the first frost and you will be greeted each spring with a delightful sight. - Continuous as the stars that shine and twinkle on the Milky Way.

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May toads nestle in your flower beds and help you tend your beauties in the spring.

Resources, References and Interesting tidbits:

One little daffodil had nothing much to do,
Out popped another one, then there were two.
Two little daffodils were smiling at a bee,
Out popped another one, then there were three.
Three little daffodils were growing by the door,
Out popped another one, then there were four.
Four little daffodils were glad to be alive,
Out popped another one, then there were five.
Five little daffodils were wearing golden crowns,
They danced in the breeze in green satin gowns.

Traditional Children's Poem (for a game that can be played with all the fingers of one hand dressed in paper petals)