Daffodils in the Spring
Daffodils and their Popularity with Gardeners
Daffodils are spring-flowering perennial plants of the Amaryllis family and are extremely popular with most gardeners who tend to prefer them in borders or containers, or as ornamental plants. They are seen by some as a symbol of hope and by the Chinese as a symbol of wealth and good fortune. Daffodils don't need much attention and can simply be left where they are year after year. When daffodils first appear above ground it is seen as the first sign of Spring in the garden so these colourful and attractive flowers are one of the most welcome plants anywhere. Daffodils have been known by several names in the past, the first of which being daffadowndilly in the 16th-century. Later, it became known as a Lent lily, for being a spring flower, if often blooms in Lent.
Daffodils have a trumpet-shaped centre with six heart-shaped petals around the trumpet which can be white, yellow or even orange. The flower has a sweet scent and bees will push into the trumpet, carrying pollen from flower to flower. During very wet weather, when bees do not visit, the pollen of each flower is scattered over its own pistils which is the part bearing the daffodil seed. The seed then becomes fertile so it is able to grow. Daffodils are grown from bulbs which should remain in the ground after the plant has finished flowering. The flower stalks may be cut off but the leaves should not be touched. The stem of a daffodil is about 30cms high and the leaves are long and narrow.
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