Thousands of daffodils will be planted all over NYC to honor 9/11 and COVID-19 victims

By Anna Rahmanan

August 30, 2022

New Yorkers are by now familiar with The Daffodil Project, through which thousands upon thousands of flowers are planted in parks across New York with the help of over 400,000 volunteers. The project kicked off right after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, when Dutch daffodil supplier Hans van Waardenburg gifted the city one million daffodils.

In addition to honoring those we lost on 9/11, in the past few years, the effort has also functioned as a tribute to the victims of COVID-19.

Now in its 11th year, the organization is responsible for having planted well over one million bulbs since its inception.

"The Daffodil Project is an opportunity for New Yorkers to come together and create a beautiful, living memorial for those we’ve lost, sparking healing, togetherness and joy," said Adam Ganser, the executive director of New Yorkers for Parks, in an official statement. "Flowers, parks and natural spaces have a significant impact on our quality of life and New York's city government must follow through on the Mayor's verbal commitment to increase spending for the Parks Department to 1% of NYC's annual spending."

You can order free daffodil bulbs as part of the project right here. Distribution will then take place according to the following schedule between the hours of 10am and 1pm this fall:

Sunday, September 25: Manhattan - Union Square North Plaza

Saturday, October 1: Queens - Far Rockaway at the RISE Center at 58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd

Saturday, October 1: Staten Island - Brookfield Park

Sunday, October 2: Bronx - Mill Pond Park

Sunday, October 16: Queens - Overlook at Forest Park

Sunday, October 23: Brooklyn - Prospect Park Plaza West

New Yorkers can also volunteer at distribution centers across the five boroughs right here.

Although the planting of the bulbs will be happening this fall, you can expect the beautiful daffodils to bloom in the spring. We already can't wait to see them all.

Read the article online at Time Out New York