
Golden Explosion
Clip: Season 5 Episode 17 | 7m 38sVideo has Closed Captions
Floral Euphoria grows in Newport as it vies to become the Daffodil Capital of New England
Newport is world famous for its seascapes—but its landscape is now grabbing all the attention. A golden explosion of daffodils is blooming as the City-by-the-Sea tries to claim the title “Daffodil Capital” of New England. We show you what’s behind the floral euphoria, from a massive community bulb planting project to events such as a 'Run for the Daffodils' and the 'Daffodil Doggie Paw-rade.'
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Rhode Island PBS Weekly is a local public television program presented by Ocean State Media

Golden Explosion
Clip: Season 5 Episode 17 | 7m 38sVideo has Closed Captions
Newport is world famous for its seascapes—but its landscape is now grabbing all the attention. A golden explosion of daffodils is blooming as the City-by-the-Sea tries to claim the title “Daffodil Capital” of New England. We show you what’s behind the floral euphoria, from a massive community bulb planting project to events such as a 'Run for the Daffodils' and the 'Daffodil Doggie Paw-rade.'
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipNewport is world famous for its seascapes, but now it's the landscape luring visitors to these shores.
There's flower power here, a pop of crayon yellow saturates the scenery, a virtual sea of daffodils.
- It's almost like seeing the sun come up.
I mean, it's that electric.
It brings joy, happiness throughout the city.
- John Hirschboeck, a retired advertising executive, is the director of Daffodil Days.
- In fact, downtown Newport, you'll see the Jane Pickens Theater.
She is a famous vaudeville actress.
- [Pamela] It is here on the former Bellevue Avenue estate of Golden Age star, Jane Pickens, where the idea for Daffodil Days first took root 15 years ago.
Hirschboeck, who is on the Newport Cliff Walk Commission, originally had a different plan in mind when he went to the city's director of Parks and Recreation.
- I said, "How about planting cherry trees up and down Cliff Walk?"
He said, "They're not gonna thrive because of the salt water, but you may wanna talk to Ron Fleming about daffodils."
- Ron Fleming, who lives in Florida this time of year, is chairman emeritus of the National Scenic America Program.
The Pickens' Estate is his summer home where he has amassed a daffodil garden of Eden.
As a beautification benefactor, he and Hirschboeck decided to team up to spruce up Newport.
Newport is naturally stunning.
So why would it need a beautification program?
- Every city, every town can look a little prettier.
It brings the city alive, which is really important.
After the doldrums of winter, there's this notorious mud season here in Newport, and this is a way to kind of fight that mud season.
- [Pamela] The daffodils enticed tourism, even for natives.
- The Chamber of Commerce and Discover Newport love the festival because it brings people, again, out of their homes to visit Newport.
Not in the crowded summer season, but in one of the shoulder seasons.
- [Pamela] Hirschboeck came up with a motto to help grow daffodil fever.
- Being the former ad guy that I am, I said, "Well, we need a catchphrase."
We said, "Let's call it Daffodillion."
We'll go for a million daffodils around town.
Little did I know that that might be fun to say, but it's more difficult to achieve.
- [Pamela] To reach the golden goal, Daffodil Days partnered with the garden group, Newport in Bloom, and the hybrid organization began giving away thousands of free bulbs in the fall to encourage blossoms in every front yard.
Two dozen per household, but it wasn't enough.
So, they fundraised to purchase a planting machine.
- Which plants 20,000 bulbs in an hour that would normally take two to three days of hand labor.
And that really accelerated our progress towards the million.
- [Pamela] They reached their goal in 2012.
Now it's a million and a half and counting, all this floral euphoria to capture a self-proclaimed title.
- We'd like to think we're the daffodil capital of New England.
Of course, everyone's familiar with Nantucket.
They've been planting and celebrating their Daffodil festival for well, going on 20 years now I think.
So, we're certainly catching up if not exceeding them.
- [Pamela] Paul Galluscio is one of the volunteers who helps with planting the public spaces.
He lives on Touro Street where his own daffodils from the bulb giveaway also blossom.
- Each year I plant them in the front and on the side.
And what I like about the daffodils is they're very easy.
They naturalize so they kind of spread on their own.
They don't require a lot of work.
- [Pamela] He says they are also deer and pest resistant because the bulbs are toxic.
Going by the botanical name, Narcissus, they're also known as jonquils.
Of the dozens of varieties, Newport uses the one known as Dutch Master.
Galluscio says, "The early spring buds provide a pleasurable pastime."
- A lot of times I'll enjoy a cigar and a martini while I'm puttering around the garden.
And for me, that's the best day, enjoying the garden.
- That'd be the best day for anybody.
- Yes, I think so, fFor me anyway.
- Daffodil Days, like the flowers, are spreading.
I see that you really get into the spirit of things.
- I've been called Daffy all my life, so I guess this is a completion of that stewardship, if you will.
No one can get upset with a flower as I keep telling people.
There's a lot of turmoil and frustration sometimes in the world and arguing back and forth.
But you go outside and take a look at the daffodil fields and everyone smiles.
- [Pamela] In fact, fun is the fertilizer for Daffodil Days.
It has grown into a month-long celebration of flower frivolity.
Many shops and restaurants decorate windows.
There's a 5K run for the daffodils, a Tour de Jonquil bike race, and... - One of my favorites is their doggy pawrade, P-A-W-R-A-D-E.
In fact, we'll have over 50 dogs and their doggy owners dress up in their best doggy outfits and parade from Banister's Wharf to Queen Anne Square.
- [Pamela] Then along Ocean Drive, visitors are treated to a Driving Miss Daffodil rally of classic cars, sponsored by the Audrain Automotive Museum.
And Hirschboeck says he plans to keep the annual Daffodil Days rolling.
- I love going out and seeing young children playing among the daffodils, parents with families shooting pictures to celebrate with their family.
It brings the city alive.
- And as poet William Wadsworth wrote.
"A host of golden daffodils beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering, dancing in the breeze."
- Well, it brings joy to my heart.
You look out over fields of hundreds of thousands of these, it's stunning, the magic involved in their creation.
And you realize that every small little thing that Mother Nature provides has its own story, history, and impact on our environment.
- In October, the Daffodil Days Committee
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