daffodils across the ridge - daffodilsacrosstheridge

Daffodils Across the Ridge001
To Plant a Garden is to Believe in TomorrowA beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge002
To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow

Daffodils Across the Ridge003
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge004
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge005
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge006
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge007
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge008
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge009
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge010
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge011
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge012
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge013
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge014
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge015
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge016
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge017
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge018
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge019
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge020
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge021
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge022
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge023
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge024
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge025
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge026
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge027
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge028
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge029
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Daffodils Across the Ridge030
A beautification project sponsored by the Paradise Garden Club

Lookout Point
CCC's planting 500 daffodil bulbs at Lookout Point.

Lookout POint
CCC's at work

Rod and Gun Club on Skyway
CCC's at work

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foster triangle
foster triangle at Skyway

closer look at Foster Triangle
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Daffodils Across the Ridge

A beautification project sponsored by the Paradisde Garden Club

To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow

Beauty will emerge from a summer smoke, fire and ashes

Paradise, California
1,000 bulbs planted here by C.C.C.'s the day before Thanksgiving 2008 

planter box at sign








Town of Paradise sign Neal and Skyway

more than 3,500 daffodils planted at this location

town entrance

daffodils early in season

more at Neal and Skyway


daffodils at this location planted by Town of Paradise Employees


Bike path at Neal and Skyway





Terry Ashe Park

Paradise Park and Recreation District at Elliot and Skyway

refurbished sign from old project at the same location





Terry Ashe gazebo


more than 2,000 planted in this section of park


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Elliot Strip near Skyway

Over 1,000 daffodils planted in this location. All had to be planted by hand.

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Another 15,000 bulbs were added to locations across the ridge in the fall of 2011. The earliest blooms are not open in Aquatic Park on Bushman Road. The Post office also is in full blooms and the library is just beginning to show some color. Billy Park is just beginning to break out of the ground and should be in full bloom by the middle of March. Happy daffodil viewing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQnyV2YWsto

For most of January and half of February we had very mild spring like temperatures that encouraged the early blooming daffodils to push their heads up out of the soil and burst into bloom. At most of the lower elevations the big trumpeted daffodils are in full bloom. But do not fear that you will miss the bloom period as we still have the later blooming bulbs nestled down and awaiting their turn to flaunt their colors. Skyway and Neal Road is showing mostly the large yellow varieties. The same is true for Aquatic and Community Parks. Billie Park is just beginning to bloom. The areas already in bloom are those that were established during the previous two planting seasons. Bulbs planted this year are just pushing their greens out of the ground. Last weeks heavy snows and cold temperatures put all growing things back into the winter mode and the same is true for this week. The snow was not as damaging to the daffodils already in bloom as the rain has been in the past. When the sun came out and the snow melted they just popped their little heads up and began to dance in the sunshine.

For many years, before I became a permanent resident of the town of Paradise, I made several trips here each year to visit family and friends. I always felt that something was needed to bring the community together, a unifying concept that would bring hope and joy to all who passed this way. But what could be done that would enhance the beauty that the town already possessed? I was stumped! The solution eluded me.

After I became a full time resident of Paradise, I began writing a gardening column for the Paradise Post. It was during this time that the concept of a town wide gardening project began to take shape in my mind. It was a seed that was planted, but never germinated, never sprouted, and never grew. 

I left Paradise for a brief time in 2002, and it was during this time that I heard of the Daffodil Project in New York City. A city wide project to plant daffodils to serve as a memorial for the tragedy of 9-11. When I returned to Paradise, I began to envision my own daffodil project as a way to bring beauty to the entire town. Still it was just a dream, maybe an impossible dream. 

It was shortly after my return, that a friend, knowing what an avid gardener I was, presented me with a photo of a sign that read, “To Plant A Garden, Is To Believe in Tomorrow.” The sign was accompanied by some flowers to start a garden at my new home. 

Little did I know when I was given the gift of the photo, that it would become one of my mantras to carry me through a struggle with head and neck Cancer. The sign was always there beside my bed. Even though I was so sick I could hardly move, I made every effort to get out and do something in my garden each day. Loved ones gifted me with plants to make the mantra a reality. When I was too sick to get out, a group of friends came and planted flowers in my garden. Always in my mind, I knew I would have a tomorrow, because I was planting a garden. Slowly I recovered my health and began to regain my strength. It was during this time that I saw the many daffodils planted at a business on the corner of Skyway and Elliot in Paradise. My vision began to take shape, but just a vague shape. 

I began rebuilding my life, doing almost nothing but gardening. Then in January 2008, the Paradise Garden Club was in need of a chairperson for the beautification committee. So, I agreed to take on the job. Shortly after I took over the position, the daffodils I admired on the Skyway in Paradise began to bloom. In my mind, I could see them blanketing the town in a mass of yellow blooms. Still, I was hesitant to share my vision with the club members. However, in early May, I approached the club president,  with my proposal to plant 3,000 daffodils in the town of Paradise as the beginning of an ongoing project that would bring warmth to the soul after a long and often dreary Paradise winter. The club president liked the idea and I presented my vision to the club. She has not only supported my idea since the beginning, she has also been my right hand during all the planning and organizing. It would have been  impossible for one person to plan and put this project into motion in such a short period of time.

While my vision was in it's infancy, the town was devastated by the Humboldt Fire. Many of the club members were evacuated, and saw their friends and families lose their homes and all that was near and dear to them. When we we gathered together to share our feelings about the destruction, I brought along my sign, “To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow.” From this sign we got the motto for our project. The vision was no longer just to bring warmth to the soul after the dreary winter, it was also to bring hope for the future. If we can plant a garden of daffodils, there will be a tomorrow.

Before we were able to take any action on our revised vision, we were blanketed in smoke and ashes and saw days with no sun. The Camp Fire had burst through its boundaries and was licking at the east side of town. Once again many club members were evacuated, never knowing if they would see their beloved homes and gardens again.Thus, the scope of the vision finally took shape...”To plant daffodils across the Ridge to warm the soul after a long and dreary winter....combined with the desire to bring life back to a community suffering from a summer of fire, smoke and ashes.”

 

To date, my vision for 3,000 bulbs to be planted the first year has grown to over 100,000 bulbs. The club beautification committee allotted $2,000 to provide the first 10,000 bulbs and has continued to do so. The additional funding has been provided through community support.

 

While the vision for “Daffodils Across the Ridge is mine, I cannot take complete credit for making the concept a reality. Without the diligent efforts and undying support of the daffodil committee, the faith of the garden club members who let me be the Beautification Chairperson, and enthusiastic response of the entire community, my vision would not have had the strength to 

Every Fall and winter as I take on the task of planting the many bulbs I often wonder why I am doing all this work, sometimes in the wind, rain and even snow. Sometime I even complain about the work. But with each spring comes the reward. The cheerful blooms blanket the community as a symbol of hope for all to share. The project was my dream but dreams are a thousand times better when others can share them.

 

 

Part of the Norton Buffalo garden at the Paradise Performing Arts Center.

Our warm temperatures  have brought some of the daffodils into bloom abut three weeks early. The earliest large yellow trumpets are starting to pop up all over town, I notices a few as early as the last week in January. I will be going out on a regular basis to capture photos of  the blooms as they appear.

Attachments:

Blubs planted in 2008 are in full  bloom and those planted 1n  2009 are not far behind. It is exciting to see how the bulbs have naturalized in just one year. Clumps that were just one bloom last year are now sporting three and even four blooms. Many residents have joined our vision and their yards and gardens are adorned with daffodils. Within the next day or so I will have a map to show locations. Until then you will find many blooms along Skyway particularly at Skyway and Elliot and in all of the community parks. Bulbs at the Performing Arts Center are about midway....some of last years are in bloom and this years additions will be blooming in about a week or so.

 

Last week I made a daffodil tour and have found that the early blooming larged cupped yellow daffodils are popping up all over town. The earliest bloomers appear to be from the bulbs planted the first season. The bulbs planted this last fall are up and out of  the ground but it is still a few weeks until bloom time.

The first blooms along the Skyway can be seen at the gate of the Paradise Rod and Gun Club...followed by the Paradise Sign...then the intersection of Neal and Skyway. Two triangles at the intersection of Elliott and Skyway and the intersection of Foster and Skyway are well into bloom. Terry Ashe Park, Billie Park and Aquatic park are showing a lot of color. Billie Park has some bulbs in the front area but most are planted in the the annex located off West Wagstaff. The area around the pavillion has close to 10,000 bulbs planted.

Enjoy.....

The Paradise Garden Club will be taking daonations for daffodils until October 31. If you want to be part od this years community beautification project please contact us at daffodils4paradise@att.net  or by phone at 530-877-2432.

We are nearing the $6,000 total and hoping that this last week of donations will get us over the $7,000 goal.

Thanks to all who have already contriblute.

The Paradise Garden Club has once again given $2,000.00 to start this year's project. We have a generous gift of $500.00 from Paradise Recreation and Parks District and private donations are arriving on a daily basis.

Our Club is once again setting aside beautification funds dedicated to the purchase of additional daffodils to grace our community. In addition we are starting our fund raising efforts and hope to match last years grand total of 60,000 daffodil bulbs.

9/14/2012 3:03:25 PM - 005099840697
You have such a big, loving heart. You united a community through daffodils; such a great achievement. Congratulations on your projects! 

5/25/2012 7:36:19 PM - 004098827734

5/3/2012 11:21:25 AM - 004098325454

2/9/2010 5:45:24 PM - 003018359723
This is a wonderful effort and showcases the beautiful spirit of this community. It makes me proud to live here!