Daffodils, Dreams and Dad
Throughout my life, daffodils have been a hallmark of my family’s garden. I vividly remember my parents, inspired by a scene in Dr. Zhivago, planting a hillside of them – as a kid, I had never seen anything like it. My dad would add more bulbs every fall, and the swaths of yellow, gold and white were a true show stopper. He helped me re-create that vision in my first home’s back yard, and we always had thousands of daffodils bursting in spring. He was a frequent visitor/ helper in the garden those days and taught me about creating a beautiful landscape.
Dad died unexpectedly over 13 years ago, and it took me several years before I could tolerate being in the garden. His absence was just too painful, and witnessing the annual burst of daffodils each spring was done so with mixed emotions. Eventually, I did find my way back to gardening, and my husband and I quickly outgrew our back yard. So, we left those daffodils and chased a dream to purchase a farm. Besides the inherent awe we felt anytime we looked at farms, we wanted to raise our family in a place where they could connect to nature every day. Mike and I felt strongly about protecting land and gardening in a sustainable way, and we wanted space to do that.
The very first flowers I planted on the farm were daffodils. I remember our first fall here, racing to finish planting bulbs just as the snow was just starting to come down. Those few bulbs have naturalized, and I recently noticed them blooming under a canopy of oak trees as a reminder of those early days.
In the past few years, I have transitioned from gardener to flower farmer. Things are happening on a much greater scale, and 100 daffodils have now become thousands of Specialty Narcissus grown for their unique colors and textures. I have no problem with general landscaper mixes- just look at the swaths of yellow and white at the front of the farm. But taking this flower to the next level is exciting. The beautiful tones of pinks, peaches and orange compliment the more standard yellows and whites and are so special. The double varieties showcase ruffles and spikes that look almost like mini peonies or dandelions. I love sharing these special varieties with people.
My intention for this blog is to share what we are doing here on the farm in greater detail than social media will allow. To talk about what inspires me and the beauty I see each day and every season. To highlight the successes as well as what brings me to my knees in frustration. And to share what gets me going again after those epic failures.
Dad may still enjoy the sweeping brilliant color of mass plantings of daffodils. But I like to think he is with me as I embark on achieving a deeper understanding of growing flowers in a sustainable way. And that just as he instilled this deep appreciation for flowers in me, I am passing it on to others.
