Growing & Harvesting Daffodils | Daffodils and Narcissus on Pacific Floral Farm
With the cold rainy winters here on the west coast of Vancouver Island in Ucluelet BC, the very first bright yellow sunny bloom of the Daffodil is such a happy sight to see. Daffodils flourish while most of the trees are still bare and the gardens are just beginning to awaken their slumber. Bright yellow trumpets can be seen flowering around on roadsides or abandoned areas, juxtaposed against often a bare ground or seen with perhaps just a few sprigs of green surfacing from other plants just beginning to wake up. Daffodils bloom around here from late February to early May depending on the weather and varieties. These happy flowers are one of my favorite early Spring blooms and here at Pacific Floral Farm, I have been harvesting armloads of these wonderful and diverse flowers over the last month.
The Daffodil or Narcissus is native to the Mediterranean area, central Asia and China. The most common Narcissus species growing in North America were brought from Europe by the early colonists.
Daffodil bulbs can outlive humans if they are grown under good conditions. The bulbs should be planted in Fall where there is full sun or part shade. Daffodils tolerate a range of soil types but will grow best in moderate, well-drained soil. One bulb can produce a cluster of bulbs naturalizing giving years of future enjoyment, or multiplying to create many more bulbs for you to plant for your cutting garden.
Most people only know the Daffodil as the classic yellow trumpet style which is most commonly seen. In fact, though there are many different varieties ranging in tones from yellow, cream, white, peach, orange and blush, they also come in a wide range of different shapes, sizes, and many even have a sweet fragrant scent! These striking flowers range from very short 2” plants with ½-inch blooms to 2-foot plants with 5” blooms. There are over 50 species and approximately 13,000 varieties of Daffodils.
There are two legends of the origins of the Daffodil, each having very different meanings. In the West, it’s about vanity. In the East, it means fortune and prosperity. Although traditionally known as the Daffodil, the other often heard name is Narcissus, named after the Greek mythical character; this is the name of the genus. A nymph called Echo fell in love with the young Greek Narcissus, but Narcissus told her to leave him alone. Heartbroken, she lived alone until nothing but an echo of her remained. Nemesis, the God of Revenge, heard the story and lured Narcissus to a pool. Narcissus, who was very handsome and quite taken with himself saw his reflection in the pool, and as he leaned over to see better fell in and drowned. Which cursed him into the Narcisuss (Daffodil) flower. The other legend of this flower comes from Chinese culture, and is a little more positive. It is said that a poor but good man was given cups of gold every morning from this flower.
While the Daffodil’s primary symbolism is that of new beginnings, rebirth, and the coming of Spring (which is often associated with Easter), it has many other meanings. Based on the tragic myth of Narcissus, becoming enamored with his own reflection, this portrays a connection to “Egotism” and “Vanity”. Which is ironic because in Victorian times this flower symbolized chivalry and unrequited love.
Some of the other most common meanings in Floriography ( the language of flowers ) for the Daffodil flower are:
Creativity, Inspiration, Renewal, Vitality, Awareness, Inner Reflection, Memory, Sympathy, Desire, Forgiveness.
We know that all parts of the Daffodil are toxic but somehow garden critters and animals are aware of this, even our most curious deer will not eat them. Two years ago I experienced this personally when a deer entered my garden and ate all the tops of my front garden bed tulips. However, they did not touch any of the daffodils, which were between the 2 patches of tulips!
When harvesting Narcissus blooms, cut them when they have not fully opened. This is known as picking them in the goose neck stage (buds fully colored, but still slightly nodding). Expect a vase life of about 1 week. When cut from the garden they secrete a sap that is toxic to other flowers when put in the same vase. Shortening non-Narcissus flowers vase life significantly. To avoid this, special prep for Narcissus should be taken when harvesting this flower to use them in mixed flower arrangements. Place freshly cut stems in a separate container of water and wait 2-3 hours. This stops the flow of the toxic sap. After this process, they are safe to use with other flowers. Do not recut the flower stems when adding them to arrangements because the sap will start flowing again.
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