And on the fourth day after the snow had finally gone, leaving no trace upon our land, the first daffodil of the year bloomed in bright, cheerful yellow. Even more than the drab finches turning gold or the crocus dotting the lawn this is the sight our hearts take as the proper beginning of springtime.
It was joined on the fifth day by a handful of others, more yellows and a few with white perianth. Soon the rest would bloom to color the length of the driveway.
Then on the sixth day we, like others who had been briefly gladdened by warmth and bloom, awoke to two inches of snow that had fallen in the night and the daffodils were crushed beneath the white.
The snow did not linger and is gone by now but the early daffodils, although uncovered, are still bent over. From cold snaps of springtimes past we judge that these first daffodils will continue the season staring at the ground rather than the sun but they are essentially unharmed. They will photosynthesize as well as ever and fatten up their bulbs and try again next year for as proud a display as the laggards of this year will give us.
2014 April 23 at 17:14
What a shame 😦 But good to know that they will come again.
2014 April 23 at 17:47
Thank you for the sympathy. It was saddening but only the first to emerge got buried and the procrastinators are making a lovely display.
2014 April 23 at 17:46
I’m hoping you finally get some spring to enjoy and it makes up for all the snow. At least you won’t have to worry about a drought this year.
2014 April 23 at 17:54
Thank you. It seems we finally have a bit of spring although we have yet to trust it. Perhaps by summer.
2014 April 23 at 22:42
Sorry about the Daffodils. On the bright side, it wasn’t the chipmunks or squirrels dug them up so they weren’t gone forever. The winter has released its grip a little so we all have something to look forward to.
2014 April 24 at 11:54
Thank you. The slower-to-bloom are now making a nice display.
When we first planted them there was just this one daffodil bulb that kept getting dug up and left near the hole. The digger was wise enough not to sample it so we just kept replanting the intact bulb. Eventually we proved more persistent than the mystery digger and the bulb did well. We could never think of a reason why this bulb in that location was so objectionable to whatever it was.