By Kerri Williams

Editor’s note: This is an occasional series of columns by Journal reporter Kerri Williams, exploring her journey with backyard gardening, offering tips for success, and highlighting some of the horticultural beauty found right here in Westport.

Brilliant beds of daffodils blooming to form the “Daffodil Mile” at Willowbrook Cemetery. / File photo

April is a magical time of year when the earth wakes up following the long winter, and colorful blooms brighten our lives.  Perhaps the most impactful of all the blooms is the daffodil – the cheery, yellow flower that reminds me of a little face looking up at me.

In Westport, the most magnificent display of those flowers is at Willowbrook Cemetery, where a floral planting known as the “Daffodil Mile” winds its way around the property.

Each year at this time, drivers passing by on upper Main Street slow down to take in the bright lines of flowers, according to Carol Reichhelm, a cemetery board member. Other folks walk around the cemetery to take in the scene. For those of you planning your own expedition, just remember to leave the pets at home.

It was Reichhelm who came up with the idea for “Daffodil Mile” back in 2008 when the cemetery was looking for a way to set itself apart. She saw a similar planting at an arboretum where she grew up in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“I knew right away that this is what we were looking for,” she said.

The problem was that the cemetery had very limited funds, Reichhelm said. She remembers Debbie Truhowsky, the cemetery’s manager then, presenting the idea to the board.

“She said the daffodils would be like thousands of lights — just like the thousands of souls at the cemetery,” Reichhelm said.

Their first purchase was for 3,000 bulbs from Colorblends in Bridgeport, and the town’s Boy Scouts helped to plant them that fall. In the years since, those boys saw the impactful display and were “so proud of what they had done.”

Each year, more daffodils were added. And each year, the bulbs also multiply on their own until now it is impossible to know how many flowers there are. “We just know that there are thousands and thousands,” Reichhelm said.

She gives a big shout out to Danny Amoruccio, the cemetery manager, for taking such good care of them. The planting of new daffodils has now stopped, but they are fertilized each year.

A bloom with many faces

Kerri planting daffodil bulbs in front of her Connecticut home one October. She is joined by her daughter Rachel and two labrador retrievers.

You might be surprised to learn that there are many types of daffodils. At Willowbrook, they chose the marieke variety, which is known for being upright and strong.

Another gardening friend of mine chose a wide variety of daffodils for her display that also stops traffic in Newtown.  Joyce began planting the bulbs more than 15 years ago on a north-facing slope among oak trees. The shadier location makes for a later bloom toward the end of April. The clusters of many types of daffodils put on a show each season that brings admirers from around town.

Joyce gets her bulbs from White Flower Farm, near Litchfield. She orders “The Works Daffodil Mix,” which includes more than 30 varieties, including trumpets, large-cups, tazettas and ruffled split-cups. Joyce doesn’t have a favorite — she enjoys the variety because they bloom over a longer period of time.

I have also planted daffodil bulbs through the years, enjoying their sunny spring arrival for years to come. It’s a great activity to involve the kids, just like the Boy Scouts planted the first ones at Willowbrook.

The spring flower that welcomes us every year

I will never forget the fall that my daughter Rachel and I headed to the front yard to plant some daffodil bulbs we had purchased from the garden club. Rachel has special needs and loves getting outdoors for “nature walks” around the gardens. Even our labrador retrievers got in on the fun.

The following spring, Rachel was happy to spot the bulbs sprouting and blooming into glorious, yellow flowers. And the fact that deer don’t usually eat them was a bonus for me.

A “secret garden” of daffodils in the woods near Kerri’s home.

In rural New York, I discovered a line of old-fashioned daffodils planted at least 75 years ago on our property. These daffodils are in the woods by a stream — almost like a secret garden just for me. I love to sit on a rock by the stream and take in their bright faces, such a contrast to the rest of the woods in early spring.

Wherever you spot them, on your own property or on a drive about town, I hope you take a moment this spring to dance with the daffodils.

Have a gardening photo or idea to share? Send me a message at: cultivatingwithkerri@gmail.com.

Kerri Williams is a freelance writer who has worked in journalism for years, including as a reporter for the Norwalk Hour and managing editor of the Norwalk Citizen-News. If you have pictures or ideas to share, please send her an email at cultivatingwithkerri@gmail.com.