St. Charles’ Daffodil Project will return Oct. 21

Project Daffodil is returning Oct. 21 to Mt. St. Mary Park in St. Charles with the aim of planting 5,000 daffodil bulbs. Organizers are looking for volunteers to join the event.

The annual volunteer project is presented by the River Corridor Foundation in conjunction with the St. Charles Park District and presenting sponsor Heinz Brothers Greenhouse Garden Center.

Project Daffodil began in 2020 when, amid pandemic restrictions, 125 volunteers planted daffodil bulbs and Virginia Bluebells around the Mr. Eggward sculpture in Mt. St. Mary Park. The flowers sprout after the snow melts the following spring and the flowers multiply each year.

Volunteers have planted 5,000 daffodil bulbs each year and a total of 20,000 will have been planted after the event this year. Project Daffodil volunteers also plant 150 native Virginia Bluebells each year.

“Both the daffodils and the bluebells will multiply by themselves over the years, which will only add to the bountiful spring display,” River Corridor project coordinator John Rabchuk said in a news release. “We have been blessed with the active support of volunteers from such groups as St. Charles Kiwanis and the Pottawatomie Garden Club, as well as neighborhood groups from throughout the community.”

Planting will begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 21 along the western edge of Mt. St. Mary Park. Planting usually is done in less than two hours.

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

Detailed planting responsibilities and requirements are listed on the website. Volunteers are 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, although volunteers are encouraged to wear gloves and hard-toed shoes/boots as well as to bring additional tools (hand trowels, shovels, rakes, spades, etc.) that they are familiar with using for planting activities.

Project Daffodil 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 President Laurel Moad said in the release. “This planting area in Mt. 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, sponsorships or by volunteering for the planting day. Event details and online registration are available at the Project Daffodil website. Sponsorship inquiries can be made to projectdaffodilstc@gmail.com.

For more information on the River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles, visit their website.