Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Thursday 29 August 2013

Who knew?

Before my gardening obsession reached its current levels a daffodil was a daffodil was a daffodil.  And now my eyes have been opened.

There are just so many different flowers, all bearing the daffodil (or jonquil) name.

His high and skinniness still can't often get outside, so yesterday I trotted out and picked one of most of the daffodils and jonquils which are flowering at the moment.  And yes, for a change, if you click on the photo is will magically enlarge.


Aren't there a lot of different colours and shapes?  And these are just the early flowering variety.  There are more (lots more) yet to come into bloom.  Woo Hoo.

And I love these crocus too.


97 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. lynners: Aren't they lovely? A reward for rather a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

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  2. Spring flowers are so beautiful...fragile and colourful...reminding us of the shortness of the season.

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    1. Delores: I expect (hope) that Spring will be with us for a little while yet. There are more daffodils, freesias, tulips, ranunculas and blossom still to come.

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  3. Ah, spring! It seems so far away to me now, but here it is right in front of me, on your post! Thank you for bringing them in to me as well, with the pictures. :-)

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  4. You do have many varieties, they are all beautiful.
    Merle..............

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    1. Merlesworld: They are in the kitchen and are making both of us smile each time we come into the room. And making me smile each time I wander outside...

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  5. Delightful photos! Your flowers are gorgeous!

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    1. DeniseinVA: Aren't they a treat? And they smell good too.

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  6. Ah yes, I just love me some spring flowers. Nice to see some daffodils. Our daffodils almost decided to pop up in our spring. They had a quick look around, checked the temperature and went back to sleep. As for a crocus, oh yes please.

    Sending you peaceful thoughts.

    Gary

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    1. Gary Phillip Pennick: Our spring is well underway. And there will be many, many more photos of the garden shared. Possibly boring people to sobs.
      Thank you for your peaceful thoughts - much needed, and much appreciated.

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  7. Those daffodils look like they are being daffodils with all their might!

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    1. Birdie: With all their might and main. Which deserves applause.

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  8. Ah, spring flowers......., takes me back to April and daffodil time.

    The sight of those must brighten you both up. There is a reason flowers are sent on good and sad occasions as they can help elevate one's mood, even if it is just for a few moments.

    Your bouquet is just beautiful, EC.

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    1. Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe: They are brightening us up. They are blazing in the garden (which he can see looking out the windows) and perfuming the house. And aren't even nearly over yet - probably not even at their peak. Woo Hoo (again).

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  9. Those flower are superb and the crocuses are divine. Some people say they like the smell of jonquils but me, I don't find them to my liking. Perhaps it is just me. You have done such a wonderful job in your garden despite all difficulties. You are truly deserving of a commendation for it. Wish there was a medal I could present you with. : )

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    1. Mimsie: Thank you. The garden is its own reward - and their are plenty of much more deserving gardens about. I am loving ours though. I do like the scent of jonquils (some of them) but too many can be oppressive. And yes, aren't the crocuses special?

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  10. Those are beautiful! I'm sure he appreciated you bringing him flowers, I hope he gets better soon! I never knew they came in anything other than yellow!

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    1. Betty: They come in so many colours. Yellows, creams, orange, pink, red and any number of different combinations. A true delight. And yes, he did like his bouquet.

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  11. Oh joy! You have such a wonderful array of narcissus, EC. I would be SO excited to see them in my garden.

    I looked and looked at your photo, and I simply can't pick a favourite. Just when I think I've fallen for the golden one with the orange "bell", I then admire the white petalled with the frilly lemon-yellow bell. Then, there's always the stunning classic, King Alfred.
    And on and on.
    I love them all!
    And, the crocus is just so very sweet, with it's striated purple/white and a dash of golden-tumeric in the centre :)

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    1. Vicki: I am excited. I walk around the garden beds - and gloat. They are beautiful and make my heart sing. And I don't know which I like best either. All of them.

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  12. HI EC You certainly have a lot ofdifferent varieties in yur garden making a wonderful display. after I read you post I wondered how many species there were and looked that up. Depending where you find it, the number differs and a lot have been hybridised so it is between 26 adn 60!.

    You may be interested to know how the Daffodil got its name.

    The name "daffodil" is derived from an earlier "affodell", a variant of Asphodel. The reason for the introduction of the initial "d" is not known, although a probable source is an etymological merging from the Dutch article "de", as in "De affodil". From at least the 16th century, "Daffadown Dilly", "daffadown dilly", and "daffydowndilly" have appeared as playful synonyms of the name.

    In common parlance and in historical documents, the term "daffodil" may refer specifically to populations or specimens of the wild daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus

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    1. Margaret Adamson: Thank you. I suspect that a lot (most?) of the ones we have are hybrids - but they are very, very beautiful.

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  13. Fantastic! (and haha, "for a change") (also love that you used the word "trotted") I can't usually bring myself to cut them, but maybe it's because I don't have enough :) This fall I'll just have to plant MORE!

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    1. Ms. CrankyPants: I am greedy (very) and obsessional (very). There are hundreds and hundreds of bulbs in the garden. You really can't see where I picked these from - and the smaller portion is enjoying them inside.

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  14. That vase of daffodils is so gorgeous! Daffs are another flower that stuff up my sinuses and bring headaches, so I'm glad I get to see them here on my screen. The crocus are very pretty, are they scented? I remember that hyacinths are, so I've had to cross them off my to buy list.

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    1. River: Crocus aren't scented. I have these lovely stripy ones, other mauve ones and I thought I had some yellow ones - but they seem to have disappeared. Ann O'D has me lusting after the white ones now...

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  15. Indeed, beautiful flowers! thanks for sharing a new variety of the flowers..dear. or yes in my new update everyone can explore the natural beauty and houseboat in Kerala, India. who's are interested please visit..

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  16. Your daffodils are beautiful. I can remember picking wild ones, putting them in water and adding food colouring to make the edges of the flower different colours and on taking a bunch to my mother-in-law I was scolded for 'tampering with nature'. She wasn't amused and I felt like I had committed the crime of the century!!

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    1. Helena: Welcome and thank you. I can remember doing that with roses and hydrangea, but never thought to do it with daffodils. Wasn't it fascinating to watch?

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  17. You've opened my eyes to the complex variations of daffodils. These are so lovely! As are those magnificent striped crocus. Quite a reward, yes. I keep looking at that big bouquet, and imagine what must be in the garden!

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    1. Paper Chipmunk (aka Ellen): The garden is bursting at the seams. An explosion of colour and scent. Which would make people like poor River suffer. I have difficulties with a lot of scents (there are some shops I cannot go in to), but fortunately NOT in the garden.

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  18. River (above) I am so sorry that pollen gives you grief. Crocus have no scent. The white ones are spectacular in a clump and amaze me since the bulbs are so small.
    The joy of living where El Chi does is that bulbs love the cold. When you buy cut tulips do not put them in warm rooms if you want them to last overnight.
    King Alfred daffs have a scent that always reminds me of Education Week when schools had Open Day and they were in every room as an effort to kid parents into thinking our environment was sweet. Spring!

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    1. Ann ODyne: Thank you - and you have me yearning for white crocus. Next year. These, and my other mauve ones are in clumps of five or six and are delightful - and you are so right about the size of the bulb. Amazing that so much beauty comes from something so tiny.

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    2. Ann O'Dyne; Most daffodils smell like cat pee to me, as do oriental lilies before my nose gets stuffy. I've learned to trust my nose, when I smell cat pee and I know there are no cats I take the anti-histamine as quick as I can.

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  19. I love your daffodil picture. I know I have a lot of different ones...I googled Daffodils and came up with this page...http://www.examiner.com/article/what-is-the-difference-between-narcissus-jonquils-and-daffodils. Though I have gardened for years, I have never asked myself that question.
    Happy Gardening!

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    1. Sienna Smythe: Thank you - I will have a look at that link in a minute. And my gardening is happy - along with the blood, the sweat and the tears.

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  20. I love your observations about life and Daffodils! Xxxx

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  21. Daffodils have far too short of a life! They should bloom forever.

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    1. Susan Kane: I have planted early daffodils, mid season daffodils and late ones, so I will have a display for a while yet. And then other things will burst into bloom.

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  22. I love crocuses. I have a thing for them. I saw lots of them in Shropshire from where I have just come back. :-)

    Greetings from London.

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    1. A Cuban in London: I am (very) partial to them myself - and would love to see lots of them.

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  23. How very beautiful. Bringing the sunshine inside for the Skinny One to enjoy; I'm sure it brought light and brightness into his life and helped make him feel so much better. :)

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    1. Lee: Bringing the sunshine inside was exactly what I was doing - and he liked it too. Which is good.

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  24. Hugs to you all (Jaz and Jewel included, of course!) and what gorgeous flowers! They put a smile on my face and I'm sure they do the same for you.

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    1. River Fairchild: How nice to see you here. Oh yes, they put a smile on the dial and at the moment I am taking every smile I can get.

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  25. I love daffodils because they have such a sunny nature - exactly what one needs after the winter. And the deer don't like them, so this is what is in my front yard in early spring! I'm planning to plant more bulbs.

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    1. Carola Bartz: I am addicted to bulbs. We have hundreds and hundreds of them, and they light up the greyest of days.

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  26. And they're all out of your garden?! Amazing. You lucky lady, I'm quite a fan of daffs myself, I like the small delicate ones best, though you have some there I don't recognise at all. Fabulous. lovely pics *smiles.

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    1. All Consuming: Yup. All out of the garden. I like the tiny ones myself, and they are also in the garden but would have been drowned in that flamboyant vase. So I left them outside...

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  27. Those daffodils are so varied and beautiful! The crocus are like fragile paper lampshades.

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    1. ladyfi: I am doing excited dances every day. And you are right about the crocus - that is a wonderful description.

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  28. Beautiful! What happened to embiggen? ;) I like that word.

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    1. Riot Kitty: A change is as good as a holiday? But I like embiggen too - it will be back.

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  29. You really opened my eyes!



    ALOHA,
    from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral
    =^..^=

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    1. Cloudia: Your eyes (and your heart) are always open.

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  30. I never know the names of flowers - but now I know what to call a crocus when I see one. Thank you!
    Beautiful photos - as usual.

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    1. Jackie K: The names escape me from time to time too, but I do know that I love them. Which is what matters.

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  31. I always love to see crocus peeking up out of the ground. So lovely that it is spring for you!

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    1. Lynn: They are beautiful things aren't they? Such an exciting time of year...

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  32. Beautiful! I can almost smell that wonderful green spring scent.

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    1. jabblog: Welcome, and thank you. The garden (and the house) are smelling wonderful at the moment.

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  33. Lovely... and so nice for those of living on the other side of the world where all our flowers are beginning to fade.

    I do so love daffodils. We have about 30 different varieties, my passion (my lesser half's passion is daylilies, of which he has >300 varieties, including some of his own. But I digress...).

    I love the pale yellow ones that smell, and the classical narcissus that scent the air, and the ones that look like nun's headpieces with their petals thrown back. And those with multiple blooms on each stem. But my favorite are the minnows, the tiny bright yellows scattered under our birch tree.

    Enjoy spring! Peace...

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    1. Linda: Oooh. I don't think I know minnows. I am going to have to do some investigation...
      And daylilies are a joy too - and I am in awe that your lesser half (a term which is very close to my own 'smaller portion') has created his own. Wow.

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  34. flowers are so wonderful and cheerful indoors, hope his skinnyness is on the mend and you are doing well.

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    1. Linda Starr: It is getting better. A bit. And the garden helps.

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  35. Dear Lord! I write and write and wear my fingers to the bone and all I ever get is a few measly comments from four or five faithful readers, but all you have to do is show a photo of some daffodils and a couple of crocuses (croci?) and you get dozens -- DOZENS! -- of people tumbling head over heels to leave a comment about them on your blog.

    Tell me your secret.

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    1. rhymeswithplague: I wish I knew. Wonderful people? Or perhaps it is my obsession with the little things (which aren't little at all). Non-threatening? Snowbrush said much the same as you have after he posted a deep and meaningful post about religion and I put up a photo of Jazz using the kitty-litter.

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    2. I too have only a handful of faithful treasured commenters and I sometimes wonder if I'm not interesting enough.

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    3. River: Wash your mouth out with soap. You are most definitely not boring. Not at all.

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  36. THANK YOU FOR ASKING! Here is the paperback link:

    http://www.amazon.com/Treadwell-Sheltered-Foothills-Southern-Reclusive/dp/1483603644/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1377901540&sr=8-1&keywords=treadwell+by+dana+joy+wyzard

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  37. I'm amazed that THIRTY-ONE people have commented at my blog. Where were they before? Odd. I'm still trying to figure out what to do.

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    1. lotta joy: A quick glance says that 31 people value your blog, and want it to continue. The important person is you though. What do you want to do? Do you know? And you don't have to make any decisions in a hurry.

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  38. I love that about daffodils, how many personalities
    and peculiars you find among their gorgeousness:)
    Pretty much my favorite flower ever.
    Never met a one I didn't like.
    Thanks for sharing the sunshine on stalks,
    Jennifer

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    1. Jennifer Richardson: 'Sunshine on stalks' is the perfect description. Thank you so much.

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  39. I never knew there was more than one (!) kind of daffodil ... crocuses are one of my favourites of the spring bulbs. That reminds me, I should plant some more. You would raise an eyebrow at my "garden" - a few shrubs and a few hardy plants that need no care ... I am a terrible gardener but I love to see the beauty that others produce and share, including you.

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    1. jenny_o: The only gardens I raise a disapproving eye at are the ones where someone has concreted everything. Gardening is hard work. Gardening is expensive. Gardening is like housework and it is never done. It is one of my obsessions, but I don't expect it to be other people's. And a garden purist would find a lot to criticise in my patch of dirt.

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  40. I love "sunshine on stalks", just right, isn't it? I have masses of bulbs waving their leaves but very few flowers this year, which may be because we almost missed out on winter. I've loved the warm weather but a bit sad about the lack of blooms. How lovely to be able to bring your delightful daffodils and jonquils inside for the SP to enjoy - just wonderful to have all that hard (and loving) work repay you with such gifts. I will look up minnows, too.

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    1. Carol: We have had a much warmer winter than usual too, but fortunately it has been cool enough for the bulbs. The tulips are just leaf at the moment, and I do hope they burst into glory too. And at the moment every time I turn around more things are coming out. Joy and bliss - and for a change there is not an iota of sarcasm attached to the phrase.

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  41. Thank you! My daffodils are at least 7 months away from me!

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    1. daisyfae: Somewhere in the blogosphere a daffodil is blooming... All the time.

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  42. I'm with you a daffodil is a daffodil is a daffodil - and they're all yellow too... I thought.

    These are lovely :)

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    1. wordsfallfrommyeyes: Yellow, and pink, and crimson and orange and white ...

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