Daffydowndillies

I make no apologies for liking daffodils, they’re the flower that says spring is here. I love seeing clumps of them popping up all over the place, a bright, cheerful yellow in various shades. They’re happy and cheerful, flutes surrounded by petals. I prefer the ones with darker flutes and light yellow petals – they seem a bit more traditional and ‘right’ to me. A lot of these new varieties don’t shriek spring as loudly as they could.

I have two vases full of daffs on my table, brightening up the room no end. The only downside is that they don’t last for long. They’re buds one moment, open into full bloom for a couple of days and then start turning. I don’t care. My photos are a bit misleading since the petals aren't as pale as they look, they're a nice rich shade of yellow.

In part, they make me recall driving along Scotswood Road with my Mam and challenging each other to count the banks of daffs growing where houses and workshops used to be in the olden days.

I like flowers anyway. I was pleased that I finally made it to the Chelsea Flower Show last year to see blooms of all descriptions (and some there are few words for). Now that I’ve properly discovered it, I hope to go again this year.