BLOSSOMING FLOWERS AND SNOWFLAKES? It's not a common duo to spy, generally, at least around California. For so many peonies and roses truly spread their petals to the sun come springtime, or even summer, and those scrubbier buds that do make a strong showing in the wintertime tend to do so around our state's deserts, where snowfall is rarely or never seen. But there is a higher elevation flower that can say hello on the earlier side, at least earlier than spring's traditional blossoms, and finding a few photographs of its sunny yellow cup filled with snowflakes isn't that difficult. It's the daffodil we're not-so-coyly referring to here, and while it is very much an icon of March, April, and beyond, finding a few daffies around Gold Country come February is not all that rare. In fact, in Volcano, in historic and picturesque Amador County, there is talk from...
DAFFODIL HILL... that "many daffodils in bloom" have been spied at lower elevations as of the day before Valentine's. That doesn't mean that one of the region's best-known flower-admiring spots has its official 2018 open date quite yet — it does not, per its social media feeds — but it does mean that the season of blossom-awesome drives is probably around the corner. Of course, Presidents Day Weekend did deliver a cold snap to much of the Golden State, and whether the weather greatly impacts when big daffodil sweeps'll make their springtime showing remains to be seen. Best keep tabs on Daffodil Hill, or the flower-rich destination of your choice, for the whole petal scene could rev up sooner than in years gone by, thanks to those warmer days in December and January. Snow on a daffodil? It has happened before, thanks to the sunshiny flower's propensity for popping up before winter has left the building. But spring, and more daffodil beauty, is waiting in the wings.
