Naturalizing daffodils is a delightful hobby for anyone with a plot where the grass can remain uncut until the foliage has thoroughly ripened, disintegrated, or disappeared and pulls away easily from the bulb.
If you are fortunate enough to have some thin woodland where the sun can penetrate, striking effects can be created in addition to open ground.
You will be disappointed if you plant in dense shade. Evergreens, white birch, or native shrubs form an ideal background for these lovely flowers.
Once planted, daffodils require little care other than mowing the grass and clearing weeds and brush in July or August.
Under these conditions, bulbs last longer and remain healthier than grown in cultivated soil, where they multiply so rapidly that lifting and dividing them every third or fourth year is necessary.
Otherwise, they become overcrowded and fail to bloom. Then all you can expect under these conditions is quantities of foliage.
Slow To Multiply
When planted in grass, daffodils multiply very slowly and cannot spread since they are held in check by the sod. Nevertheless, I have counted as many as 25 blooms from what was originally one bulb.
It is not advisable to lift and divide bulbs from a naturalized planting. Tree roots, stones, and heavy sod make it difficult. Furthermore, it takes several years for the sod to regain its natural effect.
My experience over the past 35 years with a collection of over 500 varieties indicates that new and old varieties adapt readily to naturalizing.
It has been the opinion of many gardeners that the older varieties are daintier, hardier, and more suitable for this than the new varieties, which, in most cases, have larger flowers and longer stems.
Yet all our daffodils are descended from species that were mountain plants that had to endure extreme cold winds, as well as severe gales.
Even the poetaz types are hardy. These are the result of crosses of the hardy poetics with the tender polyanthus.
Thus they have the hardiness and fragrance of the poetics and the flower cluster effect of the polyanthus types.
Original Daffodil Planting
My original planting of daffodils began over 30 years ago and included wide famous old-time varieties.
Among them are the following:
- Emperor, a yellow trumpet
- Empress, a bicolor trumpet
- Von Sion, a double trumpet
- Mrs. Langtry; Sir Watkin
- White Lady; Yellow Poppy
- Other large cup varieties and the small-cupped Narcissus poeticus recurvus
All these are still thriving, giving quantities of blooms each spring. But, except for the Emperor and Empress, they are all dainty flowers of exceptional charm.
Mrs. Langtry, although old, is still a beauty. Unfortunately, these have been superseded by better varieties, and many old-timers, as I call them, are not readily available today.
Twenty years ago, I added, among others, the following:
- Actaca, a late pure white poeticus, is still one of the best in the class
- Firetail, an excellent small cup variety, with a red cup and white perianth (there are many larger and superior varieties of this type today)
- John Evelyn, a famous large cup variety, is still popular.
Others are Mrs. E. H. Krclage, a good white trumpet, smaller than some of the newer kinds, such as Mount Hood and Thalia, with two to three exquisite white flowers on a stem called the “orchid daffodil.”
Thalia has been outstanding in my planting and is admired by everyone. These varieties are available today.
Outstanding New Daffodil Varieties
Ten years ago, wide outstanding new varieties had become moderate enough in price to be naturalized in quantity.
The following, among many others, were added to my collection:
- Duke of Windsor, Brookville, and Lemon Cup, seedlings of the famous John Evelyn that have proved to be extremely vigorous and able to stand up well under adverse weather conditions
- Aranjuez, a small cup that combines orange and yellow
- Beersheba, a white trumpet, is still one of the best in its class
Yet others are the following:
- Fortune, an outstanding early large cup variety with strong, tall stems and a large orange-yellow cup
- Geranium, a late poetaz, with five to six fragrant flowers on sturdy stems
- Mrs. R. 0. Back-house, the famous pink daffodil
In recent years, I have added several new pink varieties, all Mrs. R. 0. Backhouse seedlings, including Lady Bird, Rosy Sunrise, and Siam.
Double Varieties
There are a large number of double daffodils in my planting. Like the old Orange Phoenix and Twink, most of these are top-heavy and fall after heavy rain.
Not so with Mary Copeland, probably the best double variety, and the beloved Daphne.
Daphne deserves special mention. A sweet-scented pure white, remindful of gardenia, blooms freely and stands up under all conditions. It should be planted in place of the old-time double white, a shy bloomer under all conditions.
I have also used some of the wild jonquils, varieties N. jonquilla simplex and Campernelle, and a number of the new hybrid jonquils.
The wild jonquils are known for their rounder reed-shaped foliage and scented yellow flowers. The hybrid jonquils have the same yellow color and scent but the fiat foliage of the other parent.
During the past two seasons, I have added over 100 present-day novelties in small quantities of about ten bulbs of each kind. They are planted intermittently throughout the planting, among large drifts, to maintain a spotty appearance.
New Irish Varieties
Among these are some of the new Irish varieties, including:
- Broghshane, a glorious giant white trumpet, a full 5″ inches in diameter
- Bravura, a late Anall cup variety, pure white with a vivid red crown
- Bahram is a large floral variety with a yellow perianth and a vivid orange-red crown.
I also have the following:
- Cantatrice is considered the best pure white trumpet variety in existence
- Galway, a glorious tall golden trumpet
- Krakatoa, a large flowering variety with golden yellow perianth and bright flaming, orange-red cup
- Royal Ramson, with a very large orange-red cup and buff perianth, a new color break in daffodils
Planting Daffodils
Daffodils should be planted as early as possible in the fall, if necessary, until the ground freezes hard.
I usually plant some bulbs in a shady place very late, planting them in deeply. These will flower long after others of the same variety have passed.
It is best to use different varieties for naturalizing rather than mixtures. Results are much more effective. Also, the white and yellow groups should be alternated with patches of grass between the drifts.
The old method of scattering the bulbs and planting them where they fall is how to make them look like they are growing wild.
When planting grass, it is a mistake to do any grading or dig up spaces to make the drifts. This spoils the natural effect.
Planting Daffodils Bulbs
There are several methods used in planting the bulbs. For example, a V-shaped cut can be made with a spade, the sod lifted, and the bulbs tucked beneath. Or a hole can be made with a grub hoe. On the other hand, one of the best methods is to use a crowbar.
Thrust the bar into the ground several inches deep and push. Back and forth, making a hole on top at least 8″ to 10″ inches deep and 4″ inches wide.
Have a pail of soil with a good proportion of bonemeal, a full cup or so to each pail. Place good soil in the bottom of the hole to fill the narrow point. Then place the bulbs on it and cover it with at least 4″ inches of soil.
Bulbs should be planted about 6″ to 8″ inches apart in the drifts. Those in the center of the drift should be 6″ inches apart, and those at the edges should be about 8″ inches apart.
Place occasional bulbs a foot or so apart at the extreme outer edges. In some cases, the presence of tree roots and stones helps to create irregular effects.
In arranging drifts, it is well to remember that most varieties of daffodils face south. During the past season, bulbs were planted in front of evergreens facing north faced north when they flowered.
I would avoid bargaining lots of bulbs, especially any that have, been grown for cut flowers. It usually means that most of the foliage has been cut, so it will take years to regain the bulbs’ full strength.
The variety used most often by florists is King Alfred, a yellow trumpet with a tall stem that makes a good cut flower. But, like some of the doubles, it is easily blown over by storms in a naturalized planting.
Cutting Daffodil Blooms
Cutting blooms does not hurt the bulbs, provided the foliage is not removed. The leaves should also not be mutilated or injured during the ripening period.
Removing seed pods after flowers fade helps a little since the ripening of the seed takes some strength from the bulbs.
Daffodils have been favorite flowers in Great Britain, Ireland, and other European countries for many years. However, only recently have they become popular here.
A national daffodil society has been formed, and daffodil shows are held nationwide, greatly stimulating the culture of spring’s first important flower.
44659 by John L. Russell