Posts Tagged: daffodils

More on Daffodils and Tulips

I discovered Ironstone Vineyards a few years ago when I went to the Northern California Daffodil Society’s Annual Mother Lode Daffodil Show. I’ve always loved daffodils. To me, they are one of the most cheerful and happiest flowers. I remember reading William Wordsworth’s poem about daffodils in junior high school before I really knew what a daffodil looked like. The first paragraph starts….

I wandered 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.

If you love daffodils and tulips, I suggest you plan a trip to Ironstone Vineyard’s gardens in Murphy California between March and early May. They have hundreds and hundreds of flowers in their garden. It’s a great location if you are an inspiring photographer.  But for a daffodil lover, it’s an amazing little piece of heaven. I had never seen such large variety of daffodils or tulips blooming in one location in every possible shape and size! The display of flowers is amazing in large masses of colors and blooms. And all the planters are individually labeled. Their gardening staff replaces entire planters as the flowers start to fade.  It’s definitely worth the drive. Ironstone Winery also has a tasting room, a museum, a deli and they host outdoor concerts. It’s about 1 mile from the little town of Murphy, which is a great place to stop to shop and to eat. Murphy’s has several very nice restaurants. We stayed at the bed and breakfast called Dunbar House and had a great romantic weekend getaway.

For more information and directions to Ironstone Vineyards visit their website at: http://www.ironstonevineyards.com/index.cfm , and don’t forget to check out their garden blog. It has photos of this year’s daffodil festival. For more information on the Northern California Daffodil Society visit their website at http://www.daffodil.org/ncds/shows.htm.  Happy Trails ~ 

Ironside Vineyards (photos by Esther Blanco)

Daffodil.

Pink tulips in a barrel.

Daffodil-March Flower

There are specific flowers which are traditionally given according to the month that a person is born. The March birth flower is the Jonquil (aka Daffodil or Narcissus). Narcissus is the botanical name for all plants known by the names “daffodil,” “narcissus,” and “jonquil.” They are in the Amaryllidacea family. The scientific name of a flower species is formed by the combination of two terms: the genus name and the species descriptor in the case of the Jonquil is Narcissus jonquilla.

The best part about these early blooming bulbs is how easy they are to grow. Since they are native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean countries, they grow well in Solano County. The original daffodil is a bright or golden color and has a trumpet-like corona in the center with petals all around it. Often the trumpet is a contrasting color, and with the advent of hybrids the daffodils themselves can now range in color from white, yellow and orange to pinks and light greens.

Here are some simple guidelines for growing:

Exposure and Soil:  choose a planting area that will be in full sun while the bulbs are blooming. This includes under deciduous trees that will allow for full sun. Plant the bulbs in well-draining soil.

Planting: after buying solid heavy bulbs, set them pointed end up in the ground, approximately twice as deep as they are tall. For large bulbs it is usually 5-6 inches deep and 3-5 inches deep for smaller bulbs. In our area, plant bulbs in the mid-fall, right before rains begin. It is important after blooming to let the foliage mature and turn yellow naturally. The foliage is manufacturing food for next season. Bulbs do not need watering in the summer. Also, bulbs do not need to be divided yearly. Established clumps only need dividing when flower production or bloom quality declines.

Cut Flowers: blooms are long lasting but should have a vase of their own. Freshly cut stems release a substance that causes other cut flowers to wilt.

Events: the Northern California Daffodil Society (http://www.daffodil.org) hosts several events for us to enjoy: March 10-11, the Annual Flower Power Daffodil Explosion, Point Arena, Mendocino County; and March 17-18, the Mother Lode Daffodil Show, Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys, Ca.

Yellow daffodil. (photo by Karen Norton)

Narcissus 'Jetfire' has orange trumpet and reflexed petals. (photo by Jennifer Baumbach)

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