Early Spring ~
Isle of Scilly Narcissi & Daffodils
Since the 19th century, on the sheltered, sub-tropical climate of the Scilly Isles, generations of families have grown the sweet-scented, first-taste-of-spring buds of narcissi and daffodils.
Over the years, my mum and nana have sent me a bunch or two of these wonderful flowers from Scilly Flowers, which I always love so much. In turn I have done the same, and mum or nana will send each other some too. A special inter-generational pick-me-up when the winter can feel so long or sunshine only fleeting.
These archival images I found recently online showcase narcissi and daffodils in the days where 200 million odd stems would be packed and sent all across the UK per season on trains and wagons.
For decades the Isle of Scilly narcissi and daffs would be the first blooms of early spring to be enjoyed by flower lovers in the smog ridden cities and the British beyond, before the huge influx of refrigerated flowers imported to the UK from all over the world.
From the 1890s to 1950, these images show how Scilly’s local narcissi and daffodil industry offered the promise of brighter days to come with a bright zing of yellow.
There’s a story that tells how the first scented narcissi bulbs came to the islands as a gift from a Dutch merchant sea captain to the governor’s wife at Star Castle. She is said to have boiled them up, believing they were onions, but they tasted so awful that she threw them into the moat, where they thrived and multiplied.
In 1943, during the Second World War, British Army soldiers stationed on the Scillies helped local residents harvest the spring flower crops on St Mary's. In the early days, it was always men who picked the stems, while women worked in flower sheds or barns, bunching, tying and packing them.
A huge amount of hard work and care has traditionally gone into planting, harvesting, bunching and boxing the blooms, with all hands on deck to get the job done.
Yellow is the first colour we dye with, from our mimosa tree in mum’s garden to the daffodils that pop their heads through the damp soil as the sun’s warm strengthens. The smell of narcissi is so nostalgic and comforting, a signal of better days to come.
We have lots of yellow online to bring a bit more permanent sunshine into your lives as the season’s progress onwards, produced from the flowers we love <3 alongside many more colours and hues. Have a browse and I hope these images bring a bit of joy too!
