Friday, August 31, 2012

Smiling in Yellow


Passing through the mall at lunchtime today, it was crowded as it so often is. But today was different from other days. Today was Daffodil Day, and perhaps it was nothing more than the cheerful yellow fabric daffodils pinned to most people's shirts, but the crowd seemed happier. Afterall, it is difficult not to smile at the crowd of bright yellow flowers and smiling faces, even when one is not ordinarily a fan of crowds. 



Outside, in people's gardens and city parks, clusters of living daffodils replace the replica's provided in the malls and shopping centres. Their heads bobbing with the breeze; their golden faces basking in the warm sunlight and smiling beneath a deep blue sky. They share with us their glad message that Winter has been left behind for another year and celebrate with us the arrival of the warmer days of Spring. Isn't it amazing that they (and other plants too) can tell just from slight increases in temperature and photoperiod (day length), imperceptible to us without measuring devices, that Spring is on her way, to sprout and be ready to bloom at her arrival? 




Members of the Amaryllis family, daffodils belong to the genus Narcissus. The exact number of species is debatable, ranging from 26 to 60+ depending on the species definition used. Part of this confusion is a result of hybridisation and breeding by garden enthusiasts/horticulturists. Daffodils are native to Europe, North Africa and West Asia, but are now grown around the world.








Not surprisingly, daffodils have a long history of cultural significance. In the mythology of ancient Greece, it is said Narcissus saw his reflection in a pool of water and became so entranced with it, he fell in and drowned (apparently other versions of the story say he was so transfixed that he starved to death) and from his remains the god's formed the daffodil, which sprang up at the site where he died. Perhaps this is where the genus name comes from.

The daffodil also features in ancient Chinese legends as a symbol of wealth and is associated with the New Year in the Chinese and Kurdish cultures. It is the national flower of Wales and also has associations with Easter in some Northern Hemisphere countries. 






How can one's eyes not smile at the sight? How can one's heart not rejoice in their company?



Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Signs of Spring

It is still almost a month until spring is officially here, but there are signs that she is quietly taking over from winter.

My mother reported the birth of the first baby goat of the year on her farm a couple of weeks ago, and it won't be long before it is joined by a few other kids and a whole lot of lambs.

Photo courtesy of Anne Grassham of Fleecewood Farm

But even here in the city, there are signs spring is slowly setting to work too. I was woken this morning by birdsong. The days are slowly getting warmer and the first of the spring flowers are beginning to appear. These are some photos I've taken in the past week or so...






(Does anyone know what this red flower is? It is a woody shrub that flowers late winter/early spring before the leaves come out. I've seen it around all my life, but don't actually know what it is... O_o)




And this afternoon I found some real evidence of spring - real daffodils (as opposed to the little mini varieties above that always flower earlier).