Plant Daffodils In Bayside To Honor Victims Of 9/11, COVID

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Baysiders are joining in on the effort to plant one million daffodil bulbs throughout the city, in honor of those who died in the 9/11 attacks and the coronavirus pandemic.

The Daffodil Project, which originated two decades ago when a Dutch flower merchant sent the city one million daffodil bulbs in the aftermath of 9/11, has become a citywide effort every spring, where tens-of-thousands of volunteers plant hundreds-of-thousands of yellow flowers throughout the city’s public green spaces.

In Bayside, Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park is organizing daffodil bulb planting and giveaway events throughout October to support this year’s Daffodil Project, which is the largest ever, with organizers aiming to plant one million bulbs in commemoration of both 9/11 and the pandemic.

“The Daffodil Project represents communal healing and recovery, which has been needed now more than ever as our city emerges from another devastating crisis,” said Adam Ganser, executive director of New Yorkers for Parks, the open space advocacy group that stewards the project.

Ganser described the living memorial as a reminder “of how we can grow and heal together.”

Baysiders have several chances to join in on the planting effort with Friends, starting on Monday, Oct. 11, when the group is meeting in Crocheron Park’s O'Rourke Playground from 10:00 a.m. to noon to hand out daffodil bulbs.

People are encouraged to bring bags to pick up the flowers, which should be planted in street tree beds and other public areas.

And, while there are already some of the flowers in the tennis court garden bed, Friends is preparing to bring “more pops of yellow to the community” the following two Saturday’s with a series of planting events.

On Oct. 16 and 23, the group will meet in the park and plant bulbs there. The first Saturday event will be from 10:00 a.m., to noon, with plantings by the O'Rourke Playground. The second event will take place from 9:00 a.m. to noon, with people meeting by the Tennis Court House and then moving on to plant bulbs in other parts of the park.

People are welcome to take some daffodils home from those events, too, organizers said, as long as they bring a bag to carry them in.

Also, while the events are free, Friends asks that volunteers for the Saturday events register ahead of time online, in order to ensure that there are enough planting supplies.