This happy flower signals our garden’s full awakening from its winter’s sleep. Nature has traded her winter-white cloak for a mantel of spring-yellow vibrancy.
Narcissus, the botanical name for daffodils, promise to brighten every corner with their brilliance of spring. They are fabulous in cut flower arrangements. If you are bringing them in from your garden, do not cut them. Instead, pull and snap them off at the soil line.
Whether you are picking them from your garden or buying them, do so when they are still a bit closed. They will begin to open after being in water and last longer.
Daffodils secrete a sticky sap, so cure them in a vase of warm water for 2 hours. Because they give off a sap that can be deadly to other flowers, it’s best to arrange them by themselves. (If you want to include them in a mixed flower arrangement let the stems soak overnight in water to release most of the sap.)
Partially fill a clean vase with room temperature water. Daffodils prefer shallow water. Add some floral preservative if you have it or make your own. In a vase of warm water, add:
· 1 teaspoon sugar
· 1 teaspoon household bleach
· 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
Stand the daffodils next to the vase to see how long or short you want them to be. Cut each daffodil stem on an angle with a sharp knife. When in doubt, cut them longer than you think you actually want them. You can always re-cut them later.
Keep your arrangement in a cool place, away from heat and sun, and add fresh water daily to help the daffodils last longer.
For more gardening tips, join us at the Optimist Hall, 7-9pm on April 19 for “The Art of Pruning: Sharpen your Shears.” Guest Speaker: Jim Lounsbury, owner of Vineland Nurseries. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Refreshments are served and the evening is free to members and non-members. Contact Debbie Thomas, President (905) 774-3064 debbie.j.thomas@gmail.com or Vice-President Deb Zynomirski (416) 556-9337 debzyn@gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and website at: www.dunnvillehortandgardenclub.org.