by Laurie To, Communications Director, Bucks Beautiful
With summer’s heat behind us, fall is an ideal time for planting bulbs. In Pennsylvania, the best time to dig is between September and early November, before the first frost of the season. This allows time for the bulbs to develop a solid root system before the ground freezes.
Each fall, nonprofit Bucks Beautiful sponsors daffodil plantings to beautify Bucks County’s public spaces with the first splendor of Spring. This “Bulbs for Bucks” program was the inspiration of board member Chuck Gale. “I like the idea of planting daffodils because the bulbs multiply each year, and the project is long-lasting for future generations to enjoy. To my knowledge, this is the largest bulb planting project in the state of Pennsylvania.” Since the initiative debuted in 2010, over 1.6 million daffodil bulbs have been established throughout the county, with thousands more planted each fall. Among the 125 planting locations include:
- Daffodils accompany fifty native trees which Bucks Beautiful donated to Buckingham Township’s George M. Bush Park.
- Jamison Elementary School, where Bucks Beautiful helped students plant daffodils, as well as endowed a Sensory Garden and Wildflower Meadow.
- With the success of the first daffodil planting with student participation in 2017, we returned to Willow Dale Elementary School in Warminster where a new generation of students hand planted bulbs.
- Doylestown’s Pine Run Retirement Community, where several installations created 32,500 blooms, providing a cheerful display for residents and visitors alike.
- Snipes Farm and Education Center in Morrisville, where Bucks Beautiful also sponsored a complete renovation using natives to provide a calming and beautiful ecological multi-species hedgerow to screen the Center from Rt. 1 noise and traffic.
- Morrisville’s Patriot Park and Historic Summerseat, once home to signers of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, plus a Revolutionary War headquarters for George Washington.
- Afton Elementary School in Yardley, the bulb planting served as the kickoff project for the students’ Environmental Protectors Club.
- Garden of Reflection 9-11 Memorial created to remember and honor those killed in the 2001 tragedy, with special recognition of the 18 Bucks County Victims. Situated in Memorial Park amid the natural beauty of Historical Bucks County farmland in Lower Makefield Township.
- Washington Crossing National Cemetery, Washington Crossing Historic Park, and Washington Crossing Canal all boast impressive daffodil displays to enrich this significant region of American history and natural beauty.
- Bristol Borough Waterfront, where the recent revitalization is further brightened each year by a wave of 5,000 beautiful daffodils by a planting co-sponsored by the borough.
- Over 108,000 daffodil bulbs were installed across Newtown’s green spaces, such as Helen Randle Park, Robert’s Ridge Park, Silver Lake Park Veterans Park, and .Clark Nature Center
- The plantings at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Langhorne and Doylestown Hospital embody special significance to those affected by cancer. Daffodils represent hope, resilience and the beauty that can come from adversity.
Homeowners can add their own curb appeal while supporting Bucks Beautiful’s efforts by purchasing their signature daffodil bulbs. Perfect for either intimate groupings or for large naturalized plantings, daffodils are low maintenance perennials, resistant to deer, rodents and rabbits. The recommendation is to plant 12 bulbs per square foot between October and late November. Your work will be rewarded annually with blooms each spring!
Please visit www.bucksbeautiful.org or call 215-340-3639 to place an order. Proceeds allow us to install indigenous trees, support school garden projects, and create beautiful plantings at our nursing homes, parks, museums, war memorials and more. Thank you for helping us grow!