OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — In a release, Lauritzen Gardens said the growing season is being heralded in by the blooming of more than 350,000 daffodils.
"It's a really great time of year to visit the garden. I think being in nature just feels good and after being at home a lot in the last year. It's very comforting, soothing, peaceful to be outside and to just kind of enjoy all of the beauty that there is to offer from both the daffodil display but everything else in our plant collection as well," said marketing director Mia Jenkins.
Daffodils of yellow, white and orange make up the collection and plants along the garden’s daffodil walk are now approaching peak bloom, Lauritzen said.
The walk features at least 152,000 daffodils which were planted over the past three years by staff and volunteers and the plan is to keep that number growing to the point when Lauritzen has at least a million total daffodils on display.
“Nothing quite captures the feeling of the arrival of spring like a field blanketed with yellow and white daffodils,” said John Newman, executive director of Lauritzen Gardens. “As we increase the number of daffodils along the walk each year, we expect to also increase anticipation for this spectacular springtime scene that has been generously supported by our community.”
Laurizten said the walk covers “just over 800 linear feet (approximately the length of two and a half football fields) and is up to 75 feet deep.”
Nine different varieties of daffodils were planted and a mixture of “late-season bloomers have been selected to provide weeks of botanical beauty for garden guests.”
Those varieties include:
- Narcissus ‘Bantam’
- Narcissus ‘Carlton’
- Narcissus ‘Chromacolor’
- Narcissus ‘Cool Flame’
- Narcissus ‘Dutch Master’
- Narcissus ‘Fortune’
- Narcissus ‘Goblet'
- Narcissus ‘Ice Follies’
- Narcissus ‘Mary Bohannon’
Lauritzen is seeking donations to keep the effort going, as it has done in the past, which can be made at the garden’s lobby, by mail to the development department or online at lauritzengardens.org.
Planting will occur this fall. Lauritzen said it expects another 50,000 daffodils will be added to the collection.
The display is included with paid garden admission ($10 + tax for adults, $5 + tax for children 3-12) and is free for children 2 and under and garden members. Timed tickets are currently required for all guests and may be reserved at https://www.lauritzengardens.org/tickets.
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