The grassy areas in the vicinity of two Bucks County bridge locations are providing passing motorists with more appealing roadside views this spring: 99,000 daffodil bulbs in resplendent full blooms of whites and yellows. The daffodils were planted last November by the non-profit Bucks Beautiful program shepherded by the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce.

In the wake of this year’s unseasonably warm late-winter/early-spring temperatures, the bulbs have sprouted early and are providing grander Pennsylvania-gateway vistas in the area of the Scudder Falls (I-95) Bridge and the New Hope-Lambertville (Route 202) Toll Bridge.

“The 99,000 plantings on our grounds are just a portion of 300,000 daffodil bulbs planted in the general vicinity of Pennsylvania’s Delaware Canal between Bristol to the south and Riegelsville to the north,” said Frank G. McCartney, the Commission’s executive director.

“We certainly appreciate this year’s blooms, which have brightened the grounds at two of our Bucks County gateway facilities.”

McCartney noted that 54,000 bulbs were planted at the New Hope location (the bridge is physically in Solebury Township) and 45,000 bulbs were planted at the Scudder Falls location, which is in Lower Makefield Township. The bulbs were planted at no cost to Commission toll payers as part of the Bulbs for Bucks initiative being carried out by Bucks Beautiful.

So far, 340,000 daffodils have been planted in the county. In 2010, 40,000 bulbs were planted along the Route 611 Bypass around Doylestown. Last year, another 300,000 bulbs were planted under a “Color Along the Canal” phase. The goal is to eventually plant 1 million bulbs around the Bucks County.

The bulb-planting idea is the brainchild of Gwynedd nurseryman Chuck Gale, a Bucks Beautiful board member. Chuck also located a bulb-planting machine from Holland to make plantings less labor intensive. The machine is the only one of its kind in the United States. It attaches to a tractor and it works by slicing an opening in grass turf, planting a bulb, inserting some fertilizer, and then closing the opening. It can plant multiple bulbs at once.

Bucks Beautiful President Peter Fernandez stated, “Our hope is to make Bucks County a destination point to view the bulbs and possibly create a Bulb Festival Weekend. The bridges from New Jersey into Pennsylvania are perfect welcoming locations for motorists entering the county.”

“We are honored and privileged that Commission grounds could be utilized to help carry out this worthy beautification project,” said McCartney.

Fernandez said the long-term goal is to eventually hold a bulb festival in Bucks County.

For more information visit www.bucksbeautiful.com.