Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice"
to the March Slice of Life Story Challenge community.
Thanks to Stacey, Betsy, Beth, Kathleen, Deb, Melanie, and Lanny
for hosting this meeting place each day in March
and for nurturing our writing lives.
I've had anemic daffodils for the last few years! I've wondered, "What is wrong with them? Why can't they be brighter and showier?" But I'm not a gardener.
A few days ago, two bright yellow daffodils bloomed. But the rain beat one of them down and she was lying prone with her face almost dragging on the driveway. Each time I drove by I would think, "I should bring some scissors and cut that daffodil." That way I could enjoy her before she becomes muddied by the spring rains. But the next time I would drive out of the lane, I'd look and realize that I still hadn't rescued that brilliant yellow orb of sunshine. Shame on me for not being a gardener.
So this morning with more tasks on my brain than I can usually handle, I remembered my yellow daffodil that needed rescuing. I tucked some scissors into my lunch bag. I put a slim vase with water into the pocket of the passenger door. I stopped long enough to snip the stem and slide it into the vase. And when I arrived at Jack's house, I told him Grandma had a surprise for him. He wasn't impressed, but his mom was! And I've been enjoying it all day (and taking pictures of it in different spots). Even though I'm not a gardener!
While working on this post I googled, "Do daffodils lose their color over time?" And here's the answer: "Some bulbous plants, such as daffodil and gladiolus, tend to fade with age. This is one reason why gardeners will dig up old bulbs and replace them with new ones." Hmmm, maybe I'll figure out when I'm supposed to dig them up (thank goodness for google search) and plant some new bulbs in the fall. Even though I'm not a gardener, maybe I inherited a gene or two from my gardening dad that has lain dormant for lo, these many years.
Read more at Gardening Know How: Causes Of Faded Flower Color: How To Fix Color Fading In Flowers https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/fixing-color-faded-flowers.htm
Beautiful slice, Ramona! I love daffodils. I'm always so happy the first time I walk into my grocery store in mid-March & they are out for sale. I can't believe I haven't bought any yet... thank you for this reminder of their beauty (and resiliency!)
ReplyDeleteWhat would we do without Google? I used to never think of it, but one year my teaching “roommate” was a younger teacher and any time we were talking about something one of didn’t know offhand she would say “Let me Google it.” It rubbed off. And that one daffodil added a lot of sunshine!
ReplyDeleteI definitely think you've got the gene! Your daffodil is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI think you are a gardener. Your daffodil is perfect. And I never knew you had to dig them up and replace them; I thought they just came back year after year after year. I have yet to plant any bulbs at my house, and this is our ninth summer. Every year I say I am going to for sure do it in the fall, but then…
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that you needed to dig them up either, but after 20 years(that's how long we've lived in our current home) . . . If you want vibrant color, you have to do it again.
DeleteSo glad you rescued that daffodil! Perhaps next fall you and Jack can plant some new bulbs for the spring.
ReplyDeleteLove that you are enjoying this beautiful little flower. You do not need to dig this fellow up - get a small bag of bulb fertilizer and sprinkle it about the base of the plant. Let the leaves grow and fade on their own. They will last until June or so. In the fall if you want to add a few flower friends along side it just be careful not to cut up the bulb as you plant around it. I never dig up bulbs - unless I am moving them to a new location. Happy Gardening! Enjoy this little bloom.
ReplyDeleteJoanne, this is not the anemic daffodil I want to replace. This is one of my two bright yellow daffodils that bloomed. And I do want to replace the anemic ones. So when do I dig them up?
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