Posted 9:48 pm Thursday, February 14, 2013
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Treasured daffodil Lent Lily appears for 2013
Lent Lily
By Dee Bishop
Smith County Master Gardener
Smith County Master Gardener
It's February. Daffodil time starts and the precious little Lent Lily is one of the very first to bloom.
This little daffodil is one, if not, my very favorite . It pops up from its beautiful silvery green foliage (a treat in itself) and wows you with its big yellow trumpet. I say big, which is relative, but it is much larger than the little Campernelles, which are also blooming now. The little trumpet is about 2 inches long. Look at how the petals look as if the wind is blowing them forward. There was no wind the day I took this picture, this is the way they grow. Isn't it lovely?
This little daffodil is one, if not, my very favorite . It pops up from its beautiful silvery green foliage (a treat in itself) and wows you with its big yellow trumpet. I say big, which is relative, but it is much larger than the little Campernelles, which are also blooming now. The little trumpet is about 2 inches long. Look at how the petals look as if the wind is blowing them forward. There was no wind the day I took this picture, this is the way they grow. Isn't it lovely?
Lent Lilies were brought from the wilds of Europe with early settlers and have naturalized in many places in the South. Southern Living Garden Book says, “Lent Lilies have been in cultivation since at least the 1200s.” Pretty remarkable! I would love to see fields of them blooming in the wild in Europe — or in my yard.
Whether you can find these beauties on the market, I couldn't say. Watch for them while driving around the countryside. You see them quite often blooming vali-antly around old house places. We do not have them in our gardens that I know of. This picture was taken in my yard. I just wanted to share it with all lovers of early spring beauties of the daffodil kind.
Just a hint for those of you who love to bring daffodils, jonquils or any other narcissus into your home — take a lighter out with you and sear the stems for a second or two. The blooms will last much longer.
Whether you can find these beauties on the market, I couldn't say. Watch for them while driving around the countryside. You see them quite often blooming vali-antly around old house places. We do not have them in our gardens that I know of. This picture was taken in my yard. I just wanted to share it with all lovers of early spring beauties of the daffodil kind.
Just a hint for those of you who love to bring daffodils, jonquils or any other narcissus into your home — take a lighter out with you and sear the stems for a second or two. The blooms will last much longer.
