One of my favorite spring flowers has shown up in full flurry on the farm. The spring daffodils are here! It’s so nice to see such bright pops of color dot the landscape that still feels dull and drab after the long winter.
Daffodils have such enduring powers, being one of the first blooms to arrive after winter's cold and snow, and tend to escape the pressures of deer and critters. They also come in such a wide array of blooms, from the traditional sunshine yellow trumpets to the ruffled creams and oranges. There are even miniature versions of these fantastic flowers, so truly one for everyone’s taste.
They are one of the few flowers that we don’t cut when we harvest. We actually pull them from the ground. This allows us to gain a few more inches of stem length, giving us a nice, long stem for our bunches. These blooms tend to swell in size with a paper covering over the bud that splits as the flowers ripen which helps us to know the proper harvest stage. We also look for the moment the flowers turn from straight up and down to a bent neck, indicating they are ready to pick. I love the blooms that give us lots of clues!
Daffodils are best used alone and not mixed with other flowers, as the slimy sap that comes from the stem can shorten the vase life of other flowers they are grouped with. There is something magical about a vase loaded down with oodles of daffodil blooms, so why bother adding anything else?
They are an easy reminder that spring never fails to come and that more color is on its way! Our team has been elbow deep admiring and harvesting the daffodils on the farm this week for our Happy Box, which makes us happy to send out to all of you. Make sure you snag one today and get your happy little dose of spring delivered to your door.
XOXO, Jess
