This field of golden daffodils is one of many in the UK that is being left to ROT because they have flowered too late to go on sale.
The beautiful bright blooms have finally opened following weeks of freezing temperatures, frost and snow.
But sadly the yellow flowers will simply be left to wither and die because with Mother’s Day and Easter over there is no longer a demand for them.
“The cold weather means the daffodils are way behind this year and all the varieties have flowered late,” said Claire Taylor, who works at Taylor’s Bulbs in Spalding, Lincolnshire.
“A month ago we were struggling to meet demand as everyone wanted daffodils for Mother’s Day and Easter and there were none around. Now they have appeared but the market has collapsed, orders have completely dried up and prices have fallen through the floor. It means there are lots of daffodils in our fields that we’ll simply leave as there is no point in picking them.”
Claire, whose farm grows 400 acres of daffodils, said there are at least 10 varieties of daffodils on the farm that will not be picked this year as they have flowered too late. They stopped picking last weekend and the remaining flowers will now be left to die, so the nutrients go back in to the bulbs. The daffodil bulbs will then be dug up in the summer.
“We have picked about half the varieties we would normally pick,” added Claire. “We stopped picking at the weekend and that it is now. The weather has got warmer and there is less demand for cut daffodils as people are in their gardens instead.”
But despite the poor weather Claire said she had enjoyed a successful season because the daffodil shortage earlier in the year meant she was able to sell her stems for more money. The price of daffodils went up by 50 per cent in the run up to Mother’s Day because there were not enough to meet demand.
