A Host of Daffodils
Every month has a specific flower assigned to it – it’s ‘birth month flower’.
Many flowers start to bloom in the early spring, but one of the most symbolic for this season is the daffodil – the flower for the month of March.
Everyone who knows me knows I go for a walk every single day, no matter if it’s the hottest day of summer or the coldest day of winter. As I walk through the neighbourhood, I love to watch the seasons change. One of the first hints that spring is on the way is when the daffodils start popping up they’re like little rays of hope reminding us that warmer, lighter days are ahead. Nobody has captured this annual sighting of daffodils better than William Wordsworth when he said:
“I wandered lonely as a cloud.
That floats on high o’ver vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils”
When my Mum was growing up in England, the village children worked in the daffodil fields during spring break. They started with picking the flowers, and then moved on to bundling them. This involved wrapping an elastic band around 12 stems of daffodils. My Mum remembers the elastics cutting into their hands and how all the sap from the stems would run into the open wounds stinging like crazy. I cringe at the thought of it, but in true British fashion, my Mum just says ‘We soon toughened up.’
Daffodil bulbs are planted in the autumn. Because of their ability to survive harsh winter conditions, and then bloom brightly in the spring, they represent hope and new beginnings. The Canadian Cancer Society has taken that sentiment to heart and uses the daffodil as their symbol to represent the difficulties that those affected by cancer experience, and the courage that carries them through.
Daffodils really are best when they are locally in season, but the season is short, so keep your eyes open for them and treat yourself (and others) to these springtime delights while you can.
To note: You may have heard that you can’t mix daffodils with other flowers because of the toxic sap they have being harmful to other plants. While this is true, if you soak the daffodils for 24 hours first, you can then add other varieties of flowers into the vase. (Just don’t re-cut the daffodil stems as this will re-release the toxins.)
