March - Daffadowndilly
In March we step fully into Spring (I’m doing a little happy dance!) It is a lighter brighter month often accompanied with blustery winds which make it feel like Spring is rushing in and clearing out the winter cobwebs. It’s the month when the green returns outdoors.
Her Oudoorz with some daffodil flowering.
You've probably heard the old March saying, ‘in like a lion out like a lamb’ and the March weather can often be changeable! Balmy mornings with the sun making itself felt, often turn into storms by teatime! But the variable weather cannot diminish the thrill of new growth, opening buds and blossom stirred by the increasing light.
Changes outdoors in the garden and countryside can seem slow at first but as March progresses the growth suddenly rockets and there’s a fizzing of energy! By the end of March, the lighter evenings return.
It’s prime time for sowing seeds.
Let's Talk Daffs
It's daffodil time again! Their bright yellow heads are popping up everywhere - happy harbingers of spring.
“Daffy-down-dilly is come up to town,
In her yellow petticoat
And her green gown.”
- Old English nursery Rhyme
Fact: The daffodil is the national flower of Wales and the Welsh name for the daffodil translates as ‘Peter’s Leek’, the leek being the other national symbol of Wales.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the bunches of bright, butter yellow daffodils you see tied together with elastic bands in the shops in late winter, are the only variety of this spring flower.
But, there are 27,000 different cultivars of daffodil, ranging in colour from that bright yellow to fiery orange, via mustard, lemon and cream. Then there are single and double petalled varieties too.
Daffodils get their botanical name, Narcissus from classical mythology. Narcissus was the son of a river god and renowned for his beauty. After he broke the heart of a young nymph called Echo, the Gods punished Narcissus causing him to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. He was so captivated that he stayed gazing into the water until there was nothing left of him but a daffodil, nodding its head by the stream.
If you hear someone mention Lent Lilies or Easter Lilies then the are probably talking about daffodils.
Tradition has it that daffodils open on Ash Wednesday (first day of Lent) and die at Easter (end of Lent).
Another affectionate name you might hear is Daffadowndilly.
Wild Daffodils
Our wild daffodil is smaller and more delicate than its cultivated cousins, with pale stars of lemon tinted petals, vivid yellow trumpets and long, glaucous, blade like leaves. Wild daffodils flower from late February until early April but are an increasingly rare sight – the reduction in numbers attributed to the loss of damp meadow and woodland habitats that they prefer.
The Golden Triangle in Gloucestershire is allegedly the place to spot wild daffs and I’m planning to walk the Daffodil Way through woods and meadows. Keep an eye on my social media for photos of this ‘belting yodel that spring is here.’
Don’t pick the wild daffodils, instead find a local British flower grower and see if they offer a pick-your-own daffodil option. It's a lovely seasonal activity to walk in a field of golden daffodils, selecting a few stems to take home and put in a vase.
Grow Your Own Daffodils
Daffodils are pretty tolerant bulbs but prefer a sunny site in well drained soil. After blooming don’t chop the leaves back or tie them up in bundles. Just let the leaves die back naturally and give the bulb some feed which will help it build up goodness ready for next years show.
If you would like a succession of daffodils flowering from the start of March until the end of April, Sarah Raven suggests planting:
Narcissus ‘Avalanche’
Narcissus ‘Geranium’
Narcissus ‘Actaea’
Narcissus ‘Silver Chimes’
Narcissus ‘Xit’
Narcissus poeticus var. recurves
Made by talented metalsmith Emily Smith.
You can join her in a workshop to learn how to make your own metal daffodils.
For more details contact Emily
March Moon
The March moon is called the Sap Moon, Worm Moon, Storm Moon, Lenten Moon, Wind Strong Moon, Plough Moon and Seed Moon.
It’s called the Worm Moon because as the soil warms up this month, worm casts appear on the soil.
The full Sap Moon appears on 6 March and brings a time of great potential and fertility.
This gorgeous earring is part of a pair designed and created by my lovely Colour Factory colleague Carol Wade. Contact Carol for further information
I wish you a wonderful start to Spring and will be back with more Nature Noticing and seasonal highlights in April.