DAFFODILS MARK THE COMING OF SPRING--HONEST!

Even though the weather here has been cold, rainy, and in the last couple of days, SNOWY, daffodils  have traditionally marked the coming of spring--even long before their bright, showy blooms decorate your garden beds.  The green little tips of their strap-like foliage start poking out of the soil, usually after a little warm spell during late winter.  After this happens, the blooms aren't far behind.  ICE FOLLIES, one of my favorite daffodils, have started to bloom in my beds.  Others, like my new pink and white daffodils (6 different varieties) don't have their blooms yet, just the fun green leaves, as seen in the recent photo.  Daffodils begin blooming in late winter, especially in protected sites, and can continue on through May, and they are usually rated as early-, mid season-, or late-blooming.  Daffodils consist of a central corona (called a trumpet if long, cup if short), surrounded by 6 petals collectively called the perianth.  They can be single, like ICE FOLLIES, or double, like the APRICOT WHIRL pictured here before the beds were covered in snow yesterday.  They make super cut flowers, have a long bloom life, and, at this time of year, provide some much-needed color in the beds.  An added bonus is that some are fragrant.  When planting in the fall, remember that their blooms will face the sun.  I learned this from experience--I used to have some planted along the fence line of our front yard.  However, when they bloomed, they all faced the opposite direction because of where the sun was.  Needless to say, I dug them up and planted them where their nodding trumpets can now be seen.  After planting, they need minimal care.  Be sure to let their foliage yellow before cutting it off--like most all bulbs, that is what will feed them for next year's bloom. They will survive just fine without watering, unless it turns  unusually dry in spring or fall--then you can water them, just make sure you have them marked for fall maintenance.  When the snow melts, these hardy little charmers will still look nice as long as heavy snows haven't broken the stems.  I love these perfect blooms!