Zoey Liu & Sena Nakajima / Staff reporter

On December 2, ten international students voluntarily became flower “babysitters” with a daffodil planting event. Roberto Ramogida, international coordinator, organized for international students.

International students were actively participating in the event, taken by Pablo Paez-Rodriguez

“It’s from the organization called ‘Agriculture BC’”, said Hunter Brian, the English as additional language (EAL) department head. “They actually sponsor this event. They have this program for anybody who is interested in planting the daffodils. The program is called ‘Plating A Promise’.” 

Three flower pots, taken by Sena Nakajima

Each student got their own bulbs to plant in the gardens which are near the east entrance of the school. Students will be able to watch their flowers grow and bloom in spring. The purpose of this event is to meet other international students and brighten up the school community.

According to Ramogida, the “daffodil planning event came from” Hunter, who “usually does with his EAL classes at this time of the year… as a fun activity to be able to see the first flowers blooming (which) come springtime around Easter.” Ramogida added that “It is a fun event to bring international students together at the end of the day. We did the pumpkin carving, and we haven’t done anything since that, so it is a way to bring international students together to get them to connect…”

“It was fun to talk with my friends while I was planting with my friends, and I hope it will bloom nicely. I usually don’t do gardening, so it was a nice change for me.” commented Sena Nakajima in grade 11.

Two flower pots, taken by Zoey Liu

According to Daffodils, written by Catherine Boeckmann, Daffodils are a fall-planted bulb that usually bloom in late winter or early spring. They are hardy and perennial that are able to grow in many regions in North America.

As explained by A brief history of daffodils, written by Sarah Raven, they were in introduced into gardens around 300 BC by Greek botanists. Daffodils were then brought to Britain by the Romans, who thought the sap had healing powers.

According to Narcissus: Ultimate Flower Guide, written by the website Interflora, they are one of the first flowers to bloom in spring. They are an indicator of the change in seasons from winter to spring. As a result, they are seen to represent rebirth and new beginnings.

The soil in one of the flower pots, taken by Zoey Liu

“I’m a gardener. I enjoy growing (and) planting flowers, so when this opportunity came up I just kind of get excited because I like to see flowers in the spring.” said Hunter.

Sources:

References

Daffodils

A brief history of daffodils

Narcissus: Ultimate Flower Guide