Spring has arrived! The sun is still up after our workday, the birds are chirping and Daffodils are beginning to pop up in droves around the island. It’s a beautiful semi-monochromatic rainbow of colors splashing the edges of sidewalks, front porches and hillsides with yellows, whites and orange highlights. A wonderful way to celebrate, understand, learn and appreciate the numerous varieties of daffodils is to come to the Nantucket Daffodil Flower show. It is held at Bartlett Farms during the Daffodil Festival weekend and is an impressive display. “In the 47 years that this festival and show has gone on, no two shows have ever been the same,” exclaim Mary Malvase and re-iterated by Ann Maury.
PHOTO: Credit, Maria Waickowski
Mary Malavase, Daffodil Association’s National Youth Chair and Ann Maury, our very own agent at Congdon and Coleman Real Estate (who is also the Local Co-Chair of the Nantucket Daffodil Festival’s Youth Division) should know as they have attended every Nantucket Daffodil Flower Show and can attest to the glory and distinctiveness that makes each show worth attending and participating in. Please check out Mary’s Garden Club Press release for the specific details of the event here. In speaking with Mary and Ann, both who have been long-standing members of the Nantucket Garden Club and very enthusiastic about attending, participating and judging in the Nantucket Daffodil Flower Show since its inception, they were very happy to discuss any and all aspects of the celebrated program.
PHOTO: Pictured, Ann Maury’s grandaughter, Emerson, in front of her daffodil entries at the Tower Hills Daffodil Flower show that occurs the week after the Nantucket Daffodil Flower Show
This love for daffodils really radiates outwardly. When first reaching out to Mary, she was busy attending The American Daffodil Society 2023 National Daffodil Convention at the Crowne Plaza® Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia in Atlanta, Georgia. Mary’s passion and enthusiasm resides in the subject of daffodils. Mary’s experience has been enhanced with every show, and she brings her wealth of knowledge back to the island. Ann, Mary and a handful of other Nantucketers have become national judges at other shows across the country for the Daffodil Association. Nantucket is a huge draw for many judges and daffodil enthusiasts from all over the country.
PHOTO: Pictured, Elizabeth Maury and her son, Michael, Jr., who are admiring, preparing and cutting a daffodil to get ready for entry in the Nantucket Daffodil Flower Show
In asking Mary about any big takeaways from the Atlanta National Daffodil Convention as well as other shows, particularly the Nantucket show, she loves the rich history of the Daffodil flower show. The Atlanta show was amazing, “picture this, walking into a ballroom of 18,000 daffodils, it’s just absolutely delightful!” she exclaims. She enthusiastically loved discussing her favorite subject: flowers, particularly daffodils. She was a wealth of knowledge and provided a lot of interesting facts.
PHOTO: Pictured, Ann Maury, Elizabeth Maury and Michael Maury, Jr., who are holding up their entry for the Nantucket Daffodil Flower Show
Nantucket Daffodil Flower show’s theme of “Seas of Daffodils” is a play on a famous poem about Daffodils and the whole show connects the island literally and figuratively with the Daffodils and the sea. “Come see a Sea of Daffodils theme!” proclaims Ann. The themes of the arrangements range from “Sconset Sunrise” to “Daffodil Dinghy”. It is a wonderful activity to check out on Sunday, particularly when there are no other activities occurring on the bustling Saturday frenzy of events. Or, It’s also a way to escape the events downtown on Saturday and spend time out at the farm. Plus, there are free buses to the show provided by the Garden club on Saturday for easier access.
PHOTO: Emerson as she examines and prepares her flower to be ready for display.
Mary is also hosting a workshop at Bartlett’s Farm on Saturday, April 22nd at 1pm in the Hayloft to help walk you through how to enter a daffodil into the show. You will learn to navigate the show entry schedule, fill out an entry card and stage a flower. It’s free and fun for all ages.
PHOTO: Emerson planting and harvesting daffodils, removing them from the garden to bring into the show for an arrangement or to be showcased.
The Daffodil Flower Show is ALL about education, having fun and community participation. Ann Maury joins Annie Webber, a 7th grade science teacher at CPS and co-chair of the show, in her classroom of middle school students to help the kids with arrangements and encourage them to participate in the show. Every child in the elementary, intermediate and private schools gets a daffodil bulb to plant every year. Ann Maury is entirely in charge of the youth division.
PHOTO: Emerson proudly standing with her flower and preparing for the judges.
Both Ann and Mary’s daughters came home from kindergarten with their daffodils, given to them by the Garden Club, and sparked their involvement in the daffy love! Now the grandchildren are falling into their footsteps and starting their own daffodil gardens.
PHOTO: Maury two siblings, Reid and Emerson, working on various aspects of cutting and staging their flowers to show in the show.
Both Ann and Mary’s daughters came home from kindergarten with their daffodils, given to them by the Garden Club, and sparked their involvement in the daffy love! Now the grandchildren are falling into their footsteps and starting their own daffodil gardens.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Malvase, Nantucket Garden Club, a past display of how spectators might view the various varieties of daffodils ready for the judges to view.
In Nantucket daffodils bloom and are celebrated most in April. How did that come to be?
PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Malvase, Nantucket Garden Club, a past display of daffodil photography at one of the former Nantucket Daffodil Flower Shows.
It all began in 1975 by Jean MacAufland and it was held in the Nantucket Boys and Girls Club. Then three years later the antique car parade and a community tailgate picnic in Sconset was added. The first parade included 19 cars. This is now the 47th Daffodil Flower show, and Mary has not missed a single show. It’s been a family affair with her children planting when they were little. Ann resonated with similar sentiments.
Although Daffodils are poisonous they are maybe the forbidden fruit. They are particularly great for growing on island because the deer and rabbits, which are plentiful, do not eat or touch them. They are more fascinating than many of us may realize as Liz McClenaghan in her article in Floraly, goes on to state, “Interestingly, daffodils also contain an alkaloid chemical called galantamine, which is known to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. While the compound can be synthesized nowadays, daffodils are still grown and harvested for this chemical and used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s.” They are very hearty plants and easy to grow.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Malvase, Nantucket Garden Club, Some of the floral arrangements on view at Bartlett Farms.
Ann and Mary strongly encourage families to join in-whether planting, photography or putting together an arrangement. They both express that, “There’s something for everyone at this show. The beauty is that no two shows are ever the same! And it’s great for all ages 7 to 70+ and a great activity to partake in well into retirement.” Please come out to Bartlett Farms at some point throughout the weekend to partake and/or witness the beauty that is the “Seas of Daffodils!” 
PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Malvase, Nantucket Garden Club, Singular entries for Daffodil varieties.
PHOTO CREDIT: Ann Maury of her grandson, Michael, Jr., proud of his efforts showing the daffodil bulb ready to be planted in the ground.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Malvase, Nantucket Garden Club display of entries
RESOURCES:
For more information on the Nantucket Daffodil flower show: https://nantucketgardenclub.org/
Meaning behind daffodils: https://www.floraly.com.au/blogs/news/daffodil-flower-meanings#:~:text=Daffodil%20meaning%20%26%20symbolism,of%20the%20cold%2C%20dark%20days.