The official first day of spring for us here in the Northern Hemisphere isn’t until the 20th March, but if like me you are well and truly ‘spring ready’, it’s time to bring out the Daffodils.
If you’re Welsh you will know that the 1st March is indeed St. David’s Day. and that the national flower of Wales is of course, well timed with the Daffodil. Bright and cheerful, these flowers bloom in the early spring when the weather is perhaps still a little harsh and unpredictable, but with the promise of sunshine not too far away.
The large and vibrant modern varieties might be a far cry from the delicate and dainty native narcissus pseudonarcissus, but they give us so much colour and joy. Also called the Lent Lily, which is very apt for this time of year, the smaller native narcissus is probably the one in the famous poem ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ by William Wordsworth.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze…
I’m not overly fond of the all yellow varieties, instead I chose a more subtle bi-colour variety of Daffodil from my garden. This one has delicate, papery, almost white outer petals, and a soft yellow trumpet. Painting it larger than life, I was able to really focus on the colour and detail.
These cheerful, delicate flowers still continue to give colour in our garden, and I love to have them just by our kitchen door, growing happily in pots. I can’t remember the exact variety, but I hope they will continue to bring our garden cheer
Watch the Painting a Daffodil video YouTube Channel