FIRST "DAFFODIL DAY"

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22511, 20 September 1938, Page 8

FIRST "DAFFODIL DAY"

NEXT SUNDAY IN THE BOTANIC GARDENS

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS BY DOMAINS BOARD

A quarter of a million daffodils will-be in flower in the Botanic Gardens on Sunday, which has been fixed by the Christchurch Domains Board as the first annual "Daffodil to be held in the city. It has been decided to set apart this special day so that the public may know when the flowers will be at their best, when the "woodland" area between the' river and the.. hospital boundary will be filled with masses of daffodil colour. Special arrangements have been made by the board for the day. In the" few spaces between the banks of flowers paths. have"~fceen lightly mown so that visitors may walk through the.' section without the risk of wet feet. A band, will play m the rotunda among the trees: Letters have been received from the North Island by the curator (Mr J. A. McPherson) asking when the, daffodils will be in full bloom, from persons wishing to make-- holiday arrangements accordingly. '. Mr McPherson said yesterday that at this time last year about 6000 people visited the gardens; and the institution of Daffodil Day was mainly intended to save from.disappointment many who might otherwise miss the beauty of the display. Even yesterday, although-Mr McPherson said that'only Jthe. earlier blooms were showing, the daffodil area was a splendid sight. On Sunday it should have attained a beauty far greater than that of former years. There may actually be more than a quarter of a million, because the natural increase of the last three years must be added the 220,000 planted. ,' The curator emphasised that all the daffodils were the gifts of private citizens —gifts ranging from 10 and 20 at a time to 2000 and 3000. Fifty thousand more were needed to complete the present block. This was not the end of the work. It was intended eventually to have 1,000,000 daffodils in different blocks along the banks of the Avon; but the sues for these future developments had not yet: been chosen. On Sunday there will bie parking space for "cars near the band rotunda, which may be approached from. Riccarton road. This is within a few chains of the. daffodil section, so that elderly people will have no distance to walk to enjoy the full beauty of the flowers.