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The meaning of Daffodils during Lockdown

Flower meanings· History

30 Apr

Like a fanfare, daffodils herald the spring, new joy and cheerfulness in our lives. They shout for joy! They remind us that we are stronger together.  If someone is fighting depression this is a good flower to show them to encourage them to share their feelings.  This was such an apt flower to have been flowering just before we began our lockdown.

Many of us can cite ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ by Wordsworth.  In the early 1800s he wrote about how he came across a ‘host of golden daffodils’ and how whenever he thought of them it relieved his sadness.  Shakespeare mentioned daffodils in The Winter’s Tale about 200 years earlier.  He would have seen daffodils in Britain at that time as they had been introduced from Southern Europe.  Being bulbs, they were simple to transport.  Just like the virus, they travelled easily.

What does the daffodil’s name mean?

The daffodil’s horticultural name is Narcissus and it gives us clues to its’ dangerous properties.  In Greek mythology Narcissus was a beautiful youth, who rejected the love of the nymph Echo. He was punished by being condemned to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, pine away and die there.  A daffodil grew in his place.

Deadly daffodils

Narcissus is based on the word narcotic, a mind-altering state.  Indeed, daffodils were said to be used to induce sleep in ancient medicine.  But beware!  The Greek word ‘narkissos’ not only means drowsiness or sleep it also means numbness.  Applied to an open wound it affected the nervous system and brought on death.  The bulbs, if digested, are certainly poisonous. 

This time of Coronavirus has forced each of us to dig deep, to face our fears, live in isolation and deal with our own mortality.  Just like Narcissus who was powerless and alone by the pool, we fear contagion and of being separated from our loved ones at their time of greatest need. 

The joy of the daffodil flower

So many of us are glad to see the daffodil heralding the spring.   It belongs to the ‘Amaryllidacaea’ family of plants.  Amarysso translated from the Greek means to sparkle and twinkle.  These are both words that Wordsworth used in his poem to describe the dancing flowers that gave him such pleasure!  Daffodils are most effective with their bright, sunny colour, dancing heads and trumpets.  Their strength is in numbers and impact. 

Daffodils remind us that we are stronger together

The daffodil flower, despite growing out of a poisonous bulb, is full of positivity. In the same way there have been silver linings which have come out of a lethal virus.  We have been reminded that we are stronger together.  We clap in the streets every Thursday to thank our NHS.  We shop for our neighbours.  We talk on the phone or video call family and friends far away.  We have taken time away from frenetic lives and work to reconnect with nature and go for family walks and bike rides.  We have come to realise the value of the natural world on our health and well being. 

Who knows what the situation will be like by next March when the daffodils nod their heads again?  Let’s hope that, if nothing else, we will have learned that, just like the daffodils, we are better when we work together and we can have absorbed some of the daffodils’ joy, colour and community spirit.

I made a video about daffodils the day before lockdown. Just about every thing that could break down did break down, so I am sorry about the quality of the sound. However in true “make do and mend” style I have decided to go ahead and post it on Youtube. I hope you like it anyway.

Please let me know your thoughts about the daffodils and how you are coping in these difficult times in the comments. Best wishes. Stay safe. Ruth x

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« Snowdrops on Candlemas Day
Dandelion – a Flower of Sustenance »

Comments

  1. Sarah moore says

    May 11, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    Lovely video, daffodils always make me smile and remind me of Easter and my Grandma. Thank you

    Reply
    • Ruth Goudy says

      May 13, 2020 at 3:04 pm

      Yes I agree, definitely an Easter flower as well as Mothers Day. I am glad your Grandma is with you when you see a daffodil. x

      Reply

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Hello

My name is Ruth Goudy.
I am a professional garden writer and speaker. I have run a nursery and garden centre for twenty years with my husband and this inspires me to share the joy I feel when I am around nature and flowers. I am on social media and Youtube and would love you to follow me. I believe flowers are good for our wellbeing and the more people that are involved in the conversation about it the better!
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Download my free ebook ‘How to connect with the Flowers’ here.

You will also receive newsletters so that you are the first to hear about talks and events, are notified when I publish flower blogs or YouTube videos and find out what is going on in the world of plants and horticulture.

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Snowdrops on candlemas day. You can read my blog a Snowdrops on candlemas day.
You can read my blog all about why snowdrops are significant on 2nd February in my blog in the link in my bio. 
The white symbolises the purity as Mary makes her way to the temple after the birth of Jesus on this day. There are many other meanings and stories behind this precious flower that entrance me. I am delighted to be including the snowdrop as one of the flowers in my Flower Oracle Cards out later this year. 
#Snowdrops #folklore #Candlemass #white #flowers #purity #February #flowerhunting #peace #flowersmakemehappy #floweroracle #oraclecards
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Disappointed that there were no flowers on my walk today but as a  trade-off there was plenty of blue. The brightness really hit the back of my eyes. What a feeling! 
And if anyone wonders why I am not good at walking down hillsides this is why. Proof that Suffolk is as flat as they say. 
#wonderfullife #bluesky #Suffolk #walking #vitaminD #nature #wellbeing #sunshine
This Escallonia was another rogue flower at the sh This Escallonia was another rogue flower at the show. Completely out of season but obviously attention seeking! 😉
It worked for me! 
One of my favourites for a medium evergreen hedge that flowers.
Living my best life with my husband. Visiting pla Living my best life with my husband. 
Visiting plant shows helps inspire us, consider what our customers @kilnfarmnursery are looking for and take a look at new plants and ways of displaying plants on the nursery. 
Although we grow 80% of our own stock it is always good to take a look and add new varieties. 
#plants #planthunting #flowers #flowerhunting #bestlife #teamwork #inspiration #January #horticulture
At a plant show today and Cheryl's Shine was a win At a plant show today and Cheryl's Shine was a winner for me.
#hellebore #plants #flowers #flowerhunting
We had polytunnel envy @ballcolegrave today lookin We had polytunnel envy @ballcolegrave today looking at their shrub liner nursery. Thank you for the invite @steve_m_austin 
@kilnfarmnursery will certainly be growing some of these shrubs this year. Lovely to see the peat free working well too.
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Download my free ebook ‘How to connect with the Flowers’

You will also receive newsletters so that you are the first to hear about talks and events, are notified when I publish flower blogs or YouTube videos and find out what is going on in the world of plants and horticulture.

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You will receive an email with a link to download my ebook in your welcome email.