LONGMEADOW — Home gardeners Jeff and Nancy Hayes are hosting their third annual Pick Your Own Daffodil fundraiser at their garden Jardin de Julemilaire, named after their three granddaughters Julia, Emily and Claire, on 56 Williams St.

The garden will be open on March 31 and April 1 and 2, 7 to 9 and 14 to 16 from 12 to 5 p.m. This fundraiser is a community event to raise money for the Longmeadow Historical Society, a local organization that takes pride in preserving the town’s history. Folks can stop by, cut as many daffodils as they want and whatever they wish to contribute into a bucket. The Hayes advise people to bring their own clippers, shears or scissors. Although they are not recommending a price, the daffodils are one dollar per stem.

Jeff and Nancy Hayes have been gardening for over 50 years and are longtime members of the Longmeadow Historical Society. When COVID-19 struck, it shut down all of the society’s fundraising activities. The Hayes thought since they are gardeners and have a lot of daffodils in their yard, this could be a way for people to safely have an outdoor activity and they could raise some money for the Historical Society.

Jeff Hayes said, “We just enjoy gardening, but particularly our attraction with daffodils is that they come up in the spring during the cold weather. By the end of March, some of them will be up so it’s a nice breath of spring before the trees leaf out.”

The Hayeses have been doing this on a private level for many years. They’ve always loved daffodils and would tell their friends if they want a bouquet of daffodils at the end of March or in April to drive by their house, clip whatever they want and bring it home. This year, the couple has about 10 different varieties planted. Some are early daffodils, some are mid-season daffodils and some bloom a little bit later. The majority of their daffodils are yellow with some white. Jeff Hayes said the interesting colors are the inside of the flower or the corona. They also come in orange, pink and red. Over the three consecutive weekends there’ll be new blooms every week that will come up.

“This is a nice activity for people to enjoy the spring and cut some flowers to bring home,” Jeff Hayes said. “It just gives us a great deal of enjoyment to share some of our flowers with friends and neighbors in the community and it’s for a good cause.”