Project Daffodil will return to St. Charles Oct. 19

The annual St. Charles community planting event Project Daffodil will return to Mount St. Mary Park on Oct. 19.

For the past four years, more than 5,000 daffodil and over 150 Virginia bluebell bulbs have been planted throughout the park, and as the snow melts each spring, the bulbs bloom. Both the daffodils and bluebells multiply by themselves over the years, expanding the spring display of blossoms.

Planting will begin at 9 a.m. along the western edge of Mount St. Mary Park, and typically takes less than two hours.

The River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles started the event in 2020, when 125 volunteers planted over 5,000 daffodil bulbs around the Mr. Eggward sculpture along the western edge of Mount St. Mary Park.

“We are proud to announce the continuation of the Project Daffodil initiative with the support of our presenting sponsor, Heinz Brothers Greenhouse Garden Center and the St. Charles Park District,” River Corridor Foundation project coordinator John Rabchuk said in a news release. “On Saturday, October 19, 2024, we intend to plant another 5,000 daffodil bulbs adjacent to the 5,000 daffodils that were planted annually in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 which will bring the total to a display of over 25,000 daffodil bulbs.”

The River Corridor Foundation is looking for volunteers and sponsors to help ensure the project’s success. Volunteers of all ages are needed for planting, tool coordination, bulb distribution and more.

Volunteers will be grouped into five- to seven-member teams and assigned in advance to specific mapped 10-foot-by-10-foot planting plots. Once the bulbs are planted, each area will be covered with mulch materials provided by Midwest Compost.

Planting tools will be provided, and volunteers are encouraged to wear gloves and hard-toed shoes/boots and bring additional tools (hand trowels, shovels, rakes, spades, etc.) for planting.

Online registration and detailed planting responsibilities and requirements can be found at projectdaffodilstc.com.

The River Corridor Foundation also is looking for additional sponsors to provide financial support for the planting and marketing efforts.

“Project Daffodil volunteers had a great time and I’m sure that every single one of them visited the site multiple times this spring to see and capture the display they created,” River Corridor Foundation President Laurel Moad said in the release. “This planting area in Mount St. Mary Park has become a tremendous springtime destination for all of St. Charles and visitors to enjoy. This project is truly a collaborative effort with the assistance of the St. Charles Park District and the City of St. Charles, as well as a number of community sponsors.”

Interested individuals, organizations and businesses can help support the project via donations and sponsorships at projectdaffodilstc.com.

Sponsorship inquiries can be made to projectdaffodilstc@gmail.com. For more information on the River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles, visit stcrivercorridor.org.