Sunday, March 8, 2009

The daffodils are back in business

The snow has come, the snow has gone. The temperature went down to 9 degrees early in the week overnight and yesterday it was in the low 70s.

The daffodils survived, except for a few blooms which doubtless froze. But the buds were just fine, insulated from the cold by the layer of snow, and in the last two days they have been popping out in full force. So we now have daffodils, jonquils, and crocuses (purple ones) in front of the house. I have brought in some jonquils and daffodils for my desk, since I am writing a lot over spring break.

In French we just say "jonquilles" and I think that covers both daffodils and jonquils, so I am never quite sure of the English difference. Whatever it is, the flowers are both bright yellow and white-and-yellow, and they are pretty.

Spring has sprung.

7 comments:

Fran said...

And we anxiously await it here. I was checking the yard, now that most (not all) of the snow is gone, but nothing popping up.

Yet!

johnieb said...

I have heard daffodil and jonquil used interchangeably all my life.

I like the Renaissance "Daffadowndillies" best. "Strowe mee the ground with daffadowndillies" Spenser. Sherherd's Calendar. 1579 (OED)

Jane R said...

Wow, I didn't know it came from the Renaissance. I saw it years ago in some children's novel as "daffydowndillies." Must have come from there.

PseudoPiskie said...

From your anal friend and here: Narcissus – Jonquil – Daffodil: You may have some confusion about just what to call these flowers because three terms are commonly used: narcissus, jonquil, and daffodil. Narcissus is the Latin or botanical name for all daffodils. Known as the "poet’s flower," Narcissus is named after the mythological Grecian youth who was so captivated by his own beauty that he turned into a narcissus flower. The Narcissus family is divided into 12 divisions of 70 species based on size, shape, and growing height with over 25,000 cultivars. Jonquils are one class of Narcissus characterized by long narrow leaves, two or three flowers on a stem, and a sweet fragrance. The term daffodil is the common English name and generally refers to the common yellow trumpet flower surrounded by six petals on stems 14 to 20 inches tall.

Fran said...

I love Pseudo P for her attention to detail.

I love JohnieB for introducing me to that great word.

I love you for giving us the place to do this.

Ann said...

Daffodils are my favorite flower -- my husband just gave me some for our anniversary - after running all over our little town trying to find some. So sweet -- guess I have to die in the Spring so I can have them at my funeral!!

Jane R said...

Pseudo (who is no longer pseudo :-)), thank you! I love learning details like this. I know what a narcissus is (at least the ones I have met, which are white with a strong sweet fragrance), but I didn't know that it was the bontanical name for all of these flowers. I think some of the flowers on my lawn must be jonquils because they have a sweet smell (though not as strong as narcissi, or narcissuses, or whatever the plural is) and daffodils don't. Either way, they're pretty.

Didn't have time to click your link but will later when I am in noodling-around mode. Am still in the midst of work. (Writing work, that is.)

Ann, that is a very nice husband you have, finding you your favorite flower. Happy anniversary!

The word verification thingie is "pacoutan," which looks and can be pronounced like something from Provence.