A Breath of Spring in January

I must admit that my narcissus rarely receive any care, yet like clock-work, they emerge when few other plants are in flower, lifting their heads to wave hello. Whether they are jonquils, daffodils or narcissi, all belong to the genus Narcissus bearing flowering fragrant cups or trumpets. Once in the ground, they naturalize easily and after about five years can be divided and re-planted during summer when they are dormant. Narcissus comes from the Greek word, narkan, meaning "to stupefy" because the alkaloids contained in the bulbs are toxic and can affect the nervous system and stomach. Despite their poisonous property, their fragrance, colorful blooms and easy maintenance make them one of my favorite late winter-early spring bulb. Plus the alkaloids repel most insects, browsing deer, gophers and other rodents.

Now that they are beginning to bloom, I cut and display them in a vase. If you want to arrange them with other flowers, add a drop of bleach in water and allow the narcissi to stand in the mixture all by themselves for at least 24 hours (and rinse the stems off 2-3 times) before combining them with other kinds of blossoms. The reason is their cut stems exude a gooey latex that is harmful to other flowers if left untreated. One other tip: if you find the fragrance too pungent for indoors, try planting a variety that is known to have a lighter perfume such as 'Inbal' rather than the more commonly sold 'Ziva'.