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They are not the first, but they are the true first sign that spring has arrived. They have poked their green stems out of the warming ground and captured our attention with yellow, orange and white blossoms. Daffodils (photos right) are members of the amaryllis family growing from bulbs that over-winter in fields and gardens. They are long-lived and often mark the outer foundations of bygone flower beds where homes once stood. The exact origin of the name for daffodils is unknown, but it is often linked to a Greek word for intoxicated (narcotic) and the myth of the young man who fell in love with his own reflection. The English word daffodil appears to be derived from asphodel, with which it was commonly compared. The species are native to meadows and woods in southwest Europe and North Africa with a natural nursery in the Western Mediterranean, particularly the Iberian Peninsula. However both wild and cultivated plants have naturalized widely, and were introduced into the Far East prior to the tenth century. While historical accounts suggest narcissus plants have been cultivated from the earliest times, they became increasingly popular in Europe after the sixteenth century, and by the late nineteenth century were an important commercial crop centered primarily in the Netherlands. Today fields of daffodils can be spotted throughout the countryside. Daffodils do well here in Four Seasons and bulbs should be planted as soon as they become available in the late summer, before the ground freezes. Actually, here it rarely does. But, the earlier the bulbs are planted, the better the roots will grow before the cold ground fosters well-nourished bulbs in the spring. The bulbs should be planted in clumps. Adding organic fertilizer, such as bone meal, to the hole before planting is advised. There are two times to fertilize, according to 1,000 Gardening Questions & Answers — spring, when there is new growth, and fall, when the roots are storing food. In both situations, the plant is using a lot of energy and will benefit from either a well-balanced fertilizer or compost to maintain nutrition. In late spring the stems should be cut when one-third of the leaves are yellow, which means the bulb has stored enough food. Dig around the daffodils and take out a clump of bulbs. Replant sturdy bulbs immediately. ~ Leonard Tavernetti Beaumont Blooms CLUBS & GROUPS | FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2015 39 Everyone knows about Ernest Hemingway: the tormented legend, the larger than life adventures, the drinking, the womanizing… but what do we really know about each of the wives he left the previous wife for and the relationships they shared with him and with each other? Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood, our book for January, is a meticulously researched, yet fictionalized, account of these complex and interesting women. It moves in time from the Roaring Twenties through the early 1960s. Narrated by each of the four wives, it reads as a story as one watches Hemingway try to reconcile each abandoned wife to the new wife, and it explores the relationships that develop between these very different women who share only one thing in common: Ernest Hemingway. We will be discussing this fascinating book on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 9:30 am. We hope you will join us for the meeting that will led by Julie Stayner. Also, mark your calendar for Feb. 10 when we will explore What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. For more information about us, please call Doreen Sanders at (951) 769- 1913. ~ Julie Stayner Book Club

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