Newly Registered “Lovely Lynden” Narcissus Named After Acclaimed Public Garden Designer Lynden B. Miller  

New Daffodil Unveiled at New Yorkers for Parks’ Annual Daffodil Breakfast  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 29, 2019  

April 29, 2019 (New York, NY) – Lynden B. Miller, acclaimed public garden designer, Daffodil Project co-founder, and New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) board member, was recently honored with a newly registered narcissus, the “Lovely Lynden”. The announcement came at the New Yorkers for Parks annual Daffodil Breakfast on Tuesday, April 23^rd, at the Battery Park Gardens restaurant in Downtown Manhattan. The Breakfast honors outstanding volunteers for the Daffodil Project, which was co-founded by Miller and the New York City Parks Department in the fall 2001 as a living memorial to the victims of 9/11. Now NY4P’s signature public program, the Project has planted over 7.5 million daffodils across all five boroughs.  

The honor came as a surprise for Miller when it was announced at the Daffodil Breakfast by Brent and Becky’s Bulbs of Gloucester, Virginia, and Capital Trees of Richmond, Virginia. They named the newly registered daffodil the “Lovely Lynden” in appreciation of Miller’s work to “beautify our world and the City of New York, for her glorious gardens, inspired beautification of public spaces, and dedicated teaching.”  

“I am very grateful to Brent and Becky’s Bulbs and to Capital Trees for this incredible honor,” said Miller. “When we first started the Daffodil Project in 2001 we had no idea that it would grow so large, but we did know that nature and plants have the power to heal. The Daffodil Breakfast is one of my favorite events - this year’s honorees were truly inspirational, and the ‘Lovely Lynden’ daffodil was such a wonderful surprise and a humbling tribute.” 

Like most New Yorkers, Miller was grieving in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, when she received a message from Hans van Waardenburg, a Dutch bulb supplier with whom she had worked for many years. "He had written, 'I feel so distressed and heartbroken for New York. New York and my country have had a long relationship going back to New Amsterdam. ... I just wish there was something I could do,'" Miller told the New York Daily News in 2011. "And I sent back, 'Hans, you don't have any extra bulbs, do you?'"

Around the same time, NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe had a similar idea: planting yellow daffodils – the color of remembrance – across the city.  

When the harbor finally reopened after the attacks, one of the very first ships came bearing a gift of one million daffodil bulbs from van Waardenburg and the City of Rotterdam.  

Every year, New Yorkers for Parks gives approximately 500,000 daffodil bulbs to New Yorkers to plant in public spaces like parks, schoolyards, community gardens, and street tree beds. The Project has planted over 7.5 million bulbs to date in all corners of the City, and has engaged over 100,000 thousand volunteers, making it one of the largest volunteer efforts in the NYC history.  

The 2018/2019 season Daffodil Project was one for the record books, with more people requesting bulbs than ever before. NY4P distributed ­­­over 500,000 free daffodil bulbs to over 1,300 groups and individuals, including 267 New York City schools, with over 33,000 children and teens participating.  

Miller’s work improving and beautifying New York City’s public spaces started long before The Daffodil Project. In 1982 she rescued and restored The Conservatory Garden in Central Park. Based on her belief that good public open spaces can change city life, she has designed many other gardens and parks in all five boroughs since that time. Her designs for gardens and parks includes Bryant Park, The New York Botanical Garden, Wagner Park in Battery Park City, Madison Square Park, the Entry Garden at Chelsea Cove in Hudson River Park and the 97th Street Park Avenue Mall.  

Miller is the author of Parks, Plants and People: Beautifying the Urban Landscape, published by Norton in 2009. The book was the winner of American Horticultural Society 2010 National Book Award. In addition to serving on the board of NY4P, she is also on the board of the Central Park Conservancy and the New York Botanical Garden. Miller teaches about public space and horticulture at New York University and Columbia University.  

“Lynden Miller has done so much to improve New York City’s public spaces, and her work has left a truly indelible mark,” said Lynn Kelly, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks. “The Daffodil Project is a gift to New York City, and its staggering reach across the five boroughs is a testament to Lynden’s vision and love for our city.”  

The Daffodil Breakfast celebrates the work of the outstanding Daffodil Project volunteers who embody the spirit of Miller’s commitment to improving the lives of New Yorkers through public space. The honorees each dedicate countless hours to improving their local green spaces, and plant bulbs from The Daffodil Project to care for these spaces and engage local residents in stewardship and community-building.  

This year, NY4P honored the following individuals and community groups at the annual Daffodil Breakfast:  

The Lynden B. Miller Citywide Award: New York Road Runners  

Bronx Daffodil Award: Roxanne Delgado, Friends of Pelham Parkway  

Brooklyn Daffodil Award: Gregory Ingram, East NY 4 Gardens Inc.  

Manhattan Daffodil Award: Luther Tari Stubblefield, A Magical Garden; NYCHA Baruch/Fulton Development  

Queens Daffodil Award: Betty and Jameel Khan, Baisley Pond Park Block Association  

Staten Island Daffodil Award: Frank Mascia, Chief of Staff, Office of Council Member Borelli  

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About New Yorkers for Parks  

For over 100 years New Yorkers for Parks has been the independent champion for quality parks and open space for all New Yorkers. Through our research, advocacy, and the Daffodil Project, we work with communities and elected officials to create and preserve quality open space across the city. To learn more visit us at www.ny4p.org.  

CONTACT: Megan Douglas 212-838-9410 ex.310 / mdouglas@ny4p.org