Daffodils in July??

Narcissus 'Tahiti'
(photo from DaffSeek.org)

I know that I am home in St. Louis because the humidity is 79 percent and temps are threatening to go up to 100 degrees again on Sunday (I should be grateful that the high today will only be 89 and that it rained a little yesterday). And I'm thinking about -- what? a swim in a pool? a run through a sprinkler? a nap in the air-conditioning? (yes, the latter is a clear possibility this afternoon); another vacation in cool, clear Montana? (heck, yeah!). 

But I'm so yearning for cooler temps here, the kind of cool ones that define fall in this part of the country. And for me, thinking about autumn is one of several reasons to think about the bulbs that I'll plant when there's a nip of frost in the air. As I have been volunteering with Brightside St. Louis this year (formerly known as Operation Brightside), I've become aware of their wonderful program of taking orders for Dutch bulbs in mid-summer (now!) through fall as a major fund-raising effort. They do it every year. The bulbs you order may arrive in the mail or get picked up at the Forest Park Greenhouses -- whatever you arrange -- in October. 


And this year, there's a new twist to the affordable, beautiful Brightside bulbs. A brand new Midwest Mix is available, of the hardiest narcissus bulbs for this region! Brightside has partnered with the Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society to pick a mix of 30 best bulbs. They will bloom just in time for Brightside's 30th anniversary next spring -- 2012. And each bag of 30 in the Midwest Mix costs only $16. What a deal!!!! Go to http://operationbrightside.org/ to learn, and see, more (such as below).

Narcissus 'Pink Charm'
(photo from DaffSeek.org)

I was lucky enough to sit in on the meeting with the daffodil society's past-president Jason Delaney and current president Lynn Slackman, and with Mary Lou Green of Brightside, of course, when they chose little orange-and-yellow 'Tahiti' plus ivory-and-pinky-orange 'Pink Charm,' along with sturdy, tall, all-yellow 'Carlton' with its sweet fragrance and fierce habit of naturalizing (if that's what you want in your garden); 'Slim Whitman,' 'Barrett Browning,' and 'Suada' are the other three varieties in the mix.


And later, it was so much fun to go with the amazing Jason to KMOV-Channel 4 for a live interview about the daffodil choices.  Jason has traveled around the world (see http://www.mobot.org/hort/edu/jasondel.shtml) collecting bulbs and lecturing and is one of the youngest senior outdoor horticulturists at the Missouri Botanical Garden. 

Jason Delaney

We arrive at the station -- just a stoplight away from the Gateway Arch -- and head to the compact, cheerful little studio of my favorite local show, Great Day St. Louis (http://www.kmov.com/great-day-st-louis).

Jason, left, huddles with co-host Matt Chambers in darkness behind the set.

And then we get the word that the network is preempting some, maybe all, of the local show for President Obama's press conference on the debt-ceiling crisis.

Pres. Obama and KMOV technician

We all stop and listen as Pres. Obama delivers a cool, calm, reasoned assessment of the situation (I am biased here, as you may know; my car already bears an Obama 2012 sticker). 


As it turns out, a savvy KMOV producer decides to tape Jason's segment instead of asking us to come again another day.  Jason and Matt carry on...

And daffodils have their July day...

'Pink Charm' on the monitor, right; Jason and Matt on-camera, left.

...which will be Wed., July 20, as it's currently scheduled. Watch live, set the TiVo for 10 a.m. that day, or go afterwards to the station's Web site (http://www.kmov.com/great-day-st-louis) for a look. Can autumn be very far off, St. Louis??