October is a beautiful month in New England. The foliage is
magnificent now. Meowmie thinks that "Autumn is for Planting".
She likes the cooler weather and enjoys the scenery around her.
Every October she plants bulbs for Spring. Her favorites are
tulips and daffodils. We two gals have to be content with watching
her plant from our sunporch windows. We enjoy seeing the yellow
maple leaves falling in our backyard while Meowmie is planting.
The Daffodils
by William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd, a host of golden daffodils, beside the
Lake, beneath the trees fluttering and dancing in the breeze.Continuous
As the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in
Never-ending line along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance.
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them dances, but
They out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company! I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I
Lie in vacant or in pensive mood, they flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude; and then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Daffodils
Family: Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis)
Zone varies
How to Plant: bulb; plant 6 inches deep and 6 to 12
Habit: upright; 6 to 24 inches
Foliage: about 3/4 inch wide; up to 15 inches long; shiny green
Flower: one or several flowers to a stalk; 6 lower segments white
Culture: well-drained soil enriched with organic matter; divide every
Note: The name daffodil applies primarily to flowers with large trumpets
inches apart (smaller species bulbs require more shallow placement)
or yellow; trumpet long and tubular or short and cuplike, white, pink,
yellow, orange and orange-red; flowers single or double; extremely variable
- Narcissus are grouped into 12 named divisions; early spring to spring
fourth year after leaves have died; easy to grow; remove faded flowers so they
don’t set seeds.
and can be used for all members of the genus; the name jonquil originally applied
only to N. jonquilla, but now is usually applied to all jonquilla daffodils
of garden origin (Division 7); the name narcissus is derived from the genus name
Narcissus.
Your activity for October is to mew about what you like to plant in autumn.
You don't have to plant just bulbs. Send in your ideas and graphics. Mew to us
by clicking on the mail button below. Remember to send in your biographies for our
"Getting To Know You" page. The other gardens are open to plant in.
"Autumn is for Planting".
The midi is playing Autumn by Vivaldi.
