The American Daffodil Society (ADS) will Reach for the Stars in 2021 with an amazing group of Speakers and Events at our first 2021 Virtual National Convention scheduled for multiple days from February 25 to May 1, 2021!
The fun and excitement continues in this newsletter as we are focusing on our April Schedule of Activities and the Finale weekend at the 2021 Virtual National Convention. The ADS Virtual National Convention is of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about daffodils. Please sign-up and invite your gardening friends to participate in this special event.
Registration is OPEN!
The fee is $25 for members of the ADS and $35 for non-members until February 20. The registration fees will increase to $35 for ADS members and $45 for non members effective February 21. Please review the Registration policies and process explained in the Convention Registration section on the 2021 Virtual National Convention page. Proceed to the ADS WebStore to select your registration components and render payment by Credit Card, PayPal, or Check. Registration will remain open throughout the conference. Consider registering for this wonderful opportunity to attend the ADS Virtual National Convention.
April 2021 Activities!
The enthusiasm continues at the 2021 Virtual National Convention with our exceptional events scheduled throughout April. All times for activities are using USA Eastern Time Zone.
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
12:00 pm — “SOME OF MY NARCISSUS CROSSES AND HYBRIDIZING GOALS”, presented by Theo Sanders of Germany. Theo is an educator and an exceptional hybridizer who began breeding daffodils in 1973. Since 1996, he has traveled each year to Spain and/or Portugal to study narcissus species in the wild and began to cross standard daffodils with species. In his presentation Theo Sanders will focus on practical hints for hybridizing, preconditions of fertility, examination of pollen fertility, chromosome doubling, different crosses especially standard daffodils with species, and hybridizing goals.
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
6:00 pm — “DAFFODIL RAMBLE THROUGH YEARS OF JOY HYBRIDIZING AND TRAVELING”, presented by David Adams of New Zealand. David Adams was born in Oxford, was raised in Sheffield, and is a second-generation daffodil grower. David was growing daffodils, and had his own little collection by the time he was eight years old. While attending a Canterbury Horticultural Society daffodil show in the early 1970s David again felt the pull of the daffodil. David became involved in the National Daffodil Society and international daffodil groups. He exhibited daffodils throughout New Zealand and Australia, and judged daffodils globally. David is happiest at home sprinkling pollen and dreaming up new varieties. Join David Adams as he takes us through his years of rambling with daffodils, and the joys he experienced throughout his travels.
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
7:00 pm — “PHS AND THE DAFFODILS OF THE SHOW ME STATE”, presented by Jason Delaney of St Louis, Missouri, USA. Jason Delaney sole proprietor of PHS Daffodils, a sprawling collection of nearly 3,000 unique varieties grown on family land in Southeastern Illinois. PHS Daffodils specializes in classic, historic, and novel daffodils for garden and exhibition. In his colorful 2021 ADS Convention program, “PHS and the Daffodils of the Show Me State”, Jason will take you behind the scenes at PHS Daffodils to show you the operation, the acres of bulbs, and his breeding work for novelty daffodils; also featured will be cameos of established Missouri daffodil hybridizers Gary Knehans and Dave Niswonger, the late Barbara Knell, and Missouri’s newest hybridizer with a most promising future, Cindy Haeffner.
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
6:00 pm — “A DAFFODIL GROWING JOURNEY”, presented by Graeme and Faith Miller of New Zealand. Faith developed an early love of gardening by learning to grow vegetables with her father and a wide variety of flowers with her mother. Her interest in growing daffodils arose after she married Graeme. Graeme grew and exhibited his first daffodil at 13 years of age. He won a first prize for that daffodil and this triggered his interest in growing more daffodils. Graeme continued to exhibit until his mid twenties and then took a six year break but still grew about five or six bulbs of around 25 varieties. Graeme and Faith started exhibiting daffodils as a partnership in 1984, two years after being married. Join Graeme and Faith Miller as they take us on their daffodil growing journey.
2021 Finale Activities!
Saturday, May 1, 2021
5:30 pm — “THE DAFFODIL AND PERFUME”, presented by Dianne Bowditch of Shelter Island, New York, USA. Dianne C. Bowditch, of Shelter Island, New York, is the current ADS Membership Chair. Dianne is also a Natural Perfumer and founded her company Lady Bowditch Naturals after studying under Mandy Aftel in Berkley California. Dianne’s products contain only whole ingredients from the natural world, no synthetics here. She will fill us in on which floral scents cannot be extracted naturally. And she is very excited to share her knowledge of the special role of the Daffodil in the international Perfume Industry
6:15 pm — ADS ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW WINNERS ANNOUNCED, presented by ADS Photography Show Chair – Jeanne Lager of Nashville, IN, USA. Jeanne Lager has been interested in photography since she was a child and received a Brownie camera as a gift. As an adult she has been a member of camera clubs, participated in club competitions and has attended seminars on photography. Jeanne will present the “Top Awards” from the 2021 Daffodil Photography Show.
7:00 pm — ADS SECOND LIVE VERBAL AUCTION, with Auctioneer, Janet Hickman of Lynchburg, VA, assisted by Jack Hollister of Starkville, MS, USA. Grab your favorite libation and join us for a lively and fun auction of some very desirable daffodil bulbs! Janet has curated items for both the “silent” and verbal auctions. ADS trusts you will be very generous in all your bids as you support our work as a nonprofit, educational organization!
For further details about the extensive 2021 ADS Virtual National Convention, please visit our 2021 Virtual National Convention page on the ADS website, and take advantage of this splendid opportunity to “Reach for the Stars” in the virtual world of daffodils.
Questions? please contact Fredrica Lawlor, 2021 ADS National Convention Chair at: 