Tuesday, March 11, 2008

D is for Daffodils

D is for daffodils. By the wheelbarrowful, as seen at the Flower Show in this artfully casual display.

Wheelbarrow of daffodils

The dilemma of an early March flower show in this climate is it's a time of year when the audience is very eager for flowers and greenery, but so many plants are dormant. Not everything can forced, grown in the greenhouse, and/or grown under lights and look its healthy best. However, daffs do very well.

Brackenhurst Bravoure
Golden Echo Jetfire
Monal Ice Follies

D is also for diesel soot. The danger to public health from diesel emissions cannot be overstated – in New Jersey, diesel soot is linked to more deaths annually than homicide and auto accidents combined; it is the number one environmental risk for cancer and the number one cause of asthma. See the diesel soot health impact on your U.S. state.

Clean diesel technology – new engines, retrofits for old engines, and cleaner fuel – exists. Effective emissions reduction practices such as no idling are well known. Some states are mandating and implementing both, but only slowly because the political will is lacking. It's an issue worth raising in candidate forums and town hall meetings at the local, state, and national level this election year.

4 comments:

a friend to knit with said...

oh!! i can't wait until our daffodils bloom.
one of my favorites!

Nancy said...

The daffodils I planted awhile ago turned up dead. The soil around my home is too acidic and this will be remedied soon as I long for some floral happiness!

knitseashore said...

Thanks for posting your flower show photos! I've been to the New England one, but not Philadelphia. Such encouragement to get through the rest of winter! Do you have any particular garden plans yet?

Deborah said...

why it had never occurred to me to employ the use of my wheel barrel to outwit the squirrels (my mutant, diesel diseased brain squirrels seem to enjoy digging up my bulbs even though they are supposed to be poisonous)!

Thanks for the photo inspiration.