Before my latest visit, I would have associated Julian with apple pie, however, now I’m going to associate the adorable town with daffodils. Sally and I planned a camping trip to Oak Grove, CA and the campground is only about 30 miles from Julian. After hiking to Eagle Rock in Warner Springs we drove into Julian to look around. As we got closer to town we saw more and more giant patches of daffodils growing on the side of Highway 79 of course, we had to pull over and take a few pictures. We were in awe of the variety of daffodils in just a small little patch.
A Blooming Bulb
Daffodils grow from a bulb and the best time to plant them is in the fall. They like their soil and their roots to be cold. Bulbs planted in the fall will grow in late winter to early spring. Daffodils are distinguished by their trumpet cup and six petals and they come in mostly yellow and white and furthermore, they are often considered a symbol of hope. If there was ever a time that we need a symbol of Hope it’s now. Looking at all the daffodils did make me feel happy and hopeful.
Where Did They All Come From?
Sally and I stopped at Nickel Beer Company in Julian. I asked the friendly bartender if there is something significant about all the daffodils. She told us that there is a lady in a town known as “The Daffodil Lady” and she passes out bulbs to local businesses and residents to plant around town. After I got home I looked on Google and found a link to The Daffodil Festival. According to their website “The Daffodil Lady” is Sally Snipes. She started passing out bulbs in 1990 as a memorial to her father. Sally’s project is the Daffodil Project and more than 4 million bulbs have been planted in Julian.
Julian is More Than Just Apples
Julian is famous for apple picking, apple pie, and more recently apple cider. In addition there are also breweries, restaurants, and lots of beautiful trails to hike making Julian a fun weekend destination. After all the amazing daffodils on the side of the highway and in front of businesses I think everyone needs to plan a springtime getaway to Julian.
