Daffodils

Well Steve, the small old farm was only within 50 m from the dentist having her practice on the outskirts of town and squeezed in between a big villa and other city houses on the other side. For some unknown reason it has been spared demolition.

I'm not familiar with Lommel as I live in East Flanders, but I know it still has some nature left of which specially Flanders is so poor off.
How did you like it living there in your teenage years?

The Emperor and Cheerfulness are lovely!

That is very cool bonitin - obviously we lived at opposite ends of the country! Lommel is (or was) a small city with about 25,000 inhabitants which is about 30 km south of Eindhoven, NL...so right on the border. Northern end of the province Limburg. It was a very memorable experience.....stressful in some ways having to learn a new language and all but overall a very good experience and I was able to see and do a lot of things I otherwise wouldn't have been able to. I liked the "oldness" of everything and the character. Texas doesn't have much of that - not to insult Texas but it is rapidly growing and most things are "new" so there isn't that established feeling you have as in Europe or in the northern and eastern parts of the US. Are you a native Belgian yourself?

I can imagine how stressful it must have been to have to learn a new language Steve and one I consider to be a very difficult one to learn. I always feel sorry for people who have to learn it!
But its nice that this aspect was compensated by your enriching experiences over there.
Yes, I'm a native Belgian (Flemish) but I consider myself a world citizen. Any nationalism is foreign to me.

I was hoping I could post some pics today of my (other than tête à tête's) daffodils, but they take soooo... long to open. It will be a surprise for me as they were newly planted last fall.
It was again one of these dreadfull dull days over here.

Well Bonitin, I actually did very well with the pronounciation and didn't have much trouble understanding people on Dutch or Belgian TV (the Flemish stations), but the "common" language was sometimes difficult with the slang usage and just as in English sometimes people would slur their words. Was actually easier to learn in Belgium as especially in our small town few people spoke English, whereas in Holland (where we went to school) nearly everyone spoke it and they had a tendency to just switch over to English when you'd even attempt to converse with them in their language! Also, big difference just between the accents in N. Brabant, NL and where I lived in Limburg. I know the variation in Europe and as Wallaby would agree in the UK specifically is much greater than what we'd see here in N. America, but that just adds to the colorfulness of it all. Structurally Dutch/Flemish is of course much like German but English is somewhat nearer Dutch than English is to German, though Dutch and German obviusly are much closer to each other than either is to English! LOL. I agree about the nationalism - I love the diversity the world has to offer. BTW your English usage is perfect - one wouldn't even know you weren't a native speaker!

That's too much of compliments for my English, Steve! But I like it anyway, lol!
English has always been my favourite language and the one I have the most affinity with.
I make myself guilty too of switching automatically to English when meeting English speaking people, lol!
It is true that one learns fast in a place where people only know their own language, the fasted way though is through a relationship as I learned most of my English during my relationship with an Irishman who loved to read daily 'the Guardian', I tried to struggle myself through as I wanted to learn more than the basic English I was taught at school.
But I also learned a lot by listening to the BBC news and half of my library is compiled by English books.

I sometimes meet people from the 'Limburg', but I have great difficulty in understanding them too, lol!

Here are Cheerfulness and Yellow Cheerfulness :-)

ohhh, how pretty! that is kind of a unique shape in the middle, at least to my newbie eye! lol

tracie

I think the middle opens more on Cheerfulness. They must smell nice Steve, and you have peonies in bud!

My Thalia has burst into life. It was so lovely today! 13C (55F) with sun!

Thanks Tracie and Wallaby ....

Very lovely clump of Thalia you have there, Wallaby - I REALLY need to try those! I think Calgary is the double sport of Thalia? I want some of those as well.

I think these would do well for you Steve, that clump started as 3 bulbs 8 years ago. There is a double form of it I came across not long ago, probably that.

Thalia is so delicate . I love them. And your photos capture their
beauty Wallaby. Just lovely pic's.

N. Fragrant Rose

supposed to be fragrant, but I didn't detect much this morning. However, it has been open about a week so perhaps most of the fragrance has already gone.

Chris

So pretty! Is that one as pink-pink as it looks in your photo, or is it more peach-pink (as many of the "pink" daffs seem to be)?

You want a pretty pink one, buy N. Accent

Thanks Tammy, they are a delight each year, I have aquilegias and oriental poppy foliage around them, they mix well.

Fragrant Rose is classy Chris, Thalia is fragrant too but it has to be warm and you need to get down to them.

Narcissus poeticus which set itself.

Thanks wallaby - I have read they're a good southern choice but most of the mainstream ones do OK here as well - except some of the solid white ones like Stainless...never had good return with that one!

Here is Hillstar - VERY fragant Jonquilla daff....

And Sir Winston Churchill.....another favorite of mine.

hi all- I have been avoiding this particular thread somewhat just because it will be soo long before daffodils bloom here- but these pictures are so lovely- i've gotten sucked in!
Wallaby- what beeaaauuutiful pictures- the shading, the compositions... Everyone's are great- inspiring, even. But I imagine we could all take photo lessons from W.. I could, at least!Happy spring,everyone- be ready for my narcissus pictures in about 3-4 weeks... Sarah

Sarah - you are completely correct for me too. I got a new camera and I'm having
a hard time getting it to focus on what I'd like to focus on... I hate reading manuals too.

Steve - Sir Winston Churchill is a favorite of mine too. I also love that Hillstar. It reminds
me of another reverse colored one (white/yellow) that I can't think of... something Forward?

I think my daff's are going to start blooming inside a week or so. I hope I hope.
Tam

Thanks Tammy. I was thinking Avalon but it is along the same theme as Hillstar but lighter, but not the reverse. If you think of it please let me know as I love the dual-colored daffs with yellow and white!.

I like planting SWC with Dutch Irises - they're about the same height and normally bloom about the same time here. My Dutch Irises are just getting ready to open.

here is a little NOID that bloomed today. it is pretty short and delicate.

tracie

i hope you guys dont mind, i started a new thread due to the length of this one. here is a link:
www.davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/830948/

tracie