The daffodils have been brilliant this year, from the earliest tiny jonquils to the sturdy yellow standard types that bloom in great profusion along Island roadsides. Lambert’s Cove Road, North Road and the entrance to the Polly Hill Arboretum are all a must for drive-bys these days. Preserved by cool, rainy weather, the daffys cheer us as we pass and are a reminder to slow down and soak up spring. Soon it will be lost in the summer rush.

But first there are the late-blooming narcissus to enjoy, especially the graceful narcissus poeticus recurvus with their pure white flowers and center cups edged in red. An heirloom variety that is perfect for naturalizing, what has been called the poet’s daffodil can be found in old fields from Chappaquiddick to Chilmark.

And since April is national poetry month — how perfect is that?