Daffodils do not play well with others as a cut flower. (C) Gimmestock.com
A noted west coast grower of spring bulbs offers some tips for using daffodils as a cut flower in a recent podcast at www.afreshbouquet.com
The most important one — don’t mix daffodils with other cut flowers. Daffodils (Narcissus) leak a sap that clogs the stems of other plants in the vase. As a result, the daffodils look great but their companion plants have died, said Jan Roozen of Choice Bulbs Farms in Mount Vernon, Wash.
The ‘only me’ trait links the plant’s scientific name to Narcissus, the vain young man of Greek mythology who fell in love with his reflection in a pond, Roozen said.
Pausanias, who traveled ancient Greece, reported that Narcissus was so in love with his image (which he did not recognize as himself) that he stayed there gazing until he died.
The more romantic and best known version, though, is from Ovid and the Romans. Ovid says Narcissus rejected the love of the nymph, Echo, who, heartbroken, roamed the forest until all that remained was her voice. Narcissus was punished by Nemesis, who banished him to the pond. Narcissus eventually recognized the image, realized his transgressions in rejecting Echo and beat himself to death. A flower grew where he died and his soul lies deep in the River Styx.
The story of Narcissus is the root of narcissistic, an unflattering description of someone with an egotistic, vane, ‘all-about-me’ personality.
Orchard in Bloom
Next weekend will be the 21st annual Orchard in Bloom at Holliday Park, a blend of gardens, art, exhibitors and lectures mixed with a generous serving of family and children activities.
Organized by volunteers, the spring event has raised more than $100,000 to support education programs at the Orchard School and Holliday Park.
At 11 a.m. Friday, the Hoosier Gardener will offer a peek at some of the new plants you’ll find in garden centers this season. See www.orchardinbloom.com for details.