Daffodils are bobbing in the cold winds and ducking in the rain all over Brooklin; yet, they appear to be tooting “Spring is coming! Spring is coming!” Here, you see them protecting an old New England double rock wall yesterday:
Here’s one after a rainstorm:
Leighton Archive Image
The botanical name for these flowers is Narcissus pseudonarcissus, part of the Narcissus genus of spring perennials. They were named after the handsome Greek youth who, according to legend, fell in love with his own reflection and was punished for his vanity by being turned into a flower.
Pretty they may be, but they contain protective alkaloids that are toxic and have been known to cause major problems for dogs who tried a mouthful. When cut and put into a vase, they also can adversely affect some other cut flowers there, unless the Daffodil stems are thoroughly washed beforehand.
Nonetheless, these beautiful greeters have almost convinced me that we’ll see spring soon. (Brooklin, Maine)