It may not be the season for viewing daffodils just yet, but, the season for planting daffodils is nigh upon us and what mind boggling variety the catalogs have given us this year. Daffodils, or the scientific name Narcissus, are named after the Greek hunter Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, have for a long time been flowers whose heads nodded, like the hunter, toward the ground. Hybridizers have worked on this nodding trait over centuries and have since given us flowers that look out and sometimes even up, maybe just to spite Narcissus. Say “daffodil” and I’m certain bright, pure yellow flowers spring to mind. Forget those for now and set your sights on pinks, whites and bicolors. Hybridizers have developed diminutive daffodils for rock gardens and giants perfect for the cutting garden.
To get an idea of the choices available this fall, stop at any garden center or online bulb catalog. Regardless of the daffodils’ color, height or flower shape, the bulbs are all treated the same way. Dig a hole about twice as deep as the bulb is tall, set the bulb in the hole pointed side facing the sky and backfill. For a more natural look, consider planting bulbs in your lawn or at the edges of the more wild spaces of your domain. Toss the bulbs about and plant them where they land–this will give the impression the bulbs came up on their own. Be sure to plant them 6-8 inches apart and over the years they’ll multiply and provide you with years of beautiful flowers.
In fall of 2011 I planted 1,000 daffodil bulbs between the trees in my young orchard. They’re planted in rows straight as marching soldiers, divided by variety, and every spring since the flowers adorn every room of my house. The scented varieties were particularly welcome at a time of year when cold winds and sudden frosts send even the most intrepid gardeners indoors. This year, we’re adding daffodils to the perennial border and are anxiously looking forward to the dazzling array spring will bring. Some of the varieties we’ve invited in are: Narcissus ‘Sir Winston Churchill’, N. ‘Erlicheer’, N. ‘Wave’, N. ‘Art Design’, N. ‘Prototype, N. ‘Martinette’, N. ‘Pipit’, N. ‘Blushing Lady’, N. ‘Golden Echo’ and N. ‘Sweet Love’.
If catalogs and baskets of bulbs in a garden center aren’t enough to inspire you to plant some of these hardy bulbs, find a daffodil show, hosted by your local garden club in the spring. You’ll be able to view hundreds of varieties neatly cut and labelled. On your way out you might even be able to place an order for the bulbs you saw on display!
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