A fascinating, thrilling form of gardening is naturalizing daffodils in grassland or a thin woodland of deciduous trees. If you have a suitable location, try it, and see for yourself!
The selection of a suitable site is the first thing you must consider; after that, the selection of suitable varieties.
The site may be small or large. It may be a little plot with a single apple tree as an effective “backdrop,” a plot with a background of evergreens or of birch or other deciduous trees, a small stretch along the edge of a brook or pond, or a plot in front of a weather-beaten ledge.
Or the site may comprise acres of land, combining several or many small plantings in a gorgeous, panoramic whole.
Whether the plot to be naturalized with daffodils is large or small, the land should be rolling and well-drained. Soil that may be waterlogged for any length of time will cause the bulbs to develop basal rot and die out.
On the other hand, high and dry soil will not give the bulbs enough moisture to build up their strength for the following season.
Rolling Land For Naturalizing Daffodils
Over 25 years ago, I selected a four-acre tract of rolling land on Sandy Valley Road in Dedham, Mass.
It had a cluster of uncultivated underbrush and brambles, but it also had many line evergreens and deciduous trees, tremendous boulders and ledges that the glacier of 50,000 years ago had deposited, and two brooks running through the lower part of it.
To the inner vision, it was a site that practically demanded clearing up and naturalizing with daffodils. And that is just what happened!
Since that time, I’ve cleared away the underbrush and stones, transplanted some of the evergreens into more effective groupings, cut out the saplings when they began to choke out the older trees, planted fruit trees in a lower section near one of the brooks, and practically damned rap one brook to make a small pond with a small man-made island in the center.
Where the water enters the pond, I have constructed a small waterfall by raising the grade using clay and placing Hat rocks on top.
Above all, I have had hours—nay, years!—of fun and enjoyment planning the individual groupings of daffodils as part of the complete naturalized planting.
Initial Planting of Daffodil Varieties
Some of the varieties of daffodils that were part of the initial planting 25 years ago are still thriving and have multiplied enormously. I’ve counted 10 to 15 blooms that have developed in a season from what was originally one bulb.
So you can imagine the possibilities of beautifying even the smallest plot of land with such flowers that do the greater part of the “gardening” themselves.
And even if your soil is relatively poor, a top dressing of bone meal or shredded cattle manure toward the end of June will help them greatly.
Much of the fascination comes from planning for as long a blooming season as possible. In New England, or at least in the vicinity of Boston, the flowering season is normally the last week of April and the first two weeks of May.
However, it may be somewhat extended by planting early varieties, such as the large trumpets, in a southern exposure and the late varieties, such as poetaz and poeticus, in a northern exposure, especially where there is some shade during part of the day.
Daffodils should be planted, however, where the sun can reach the foliage for at least several hours each day; otherwise, photosynthesis, or the plant’s utilization of sunlight in its metabolism, would be impaired.
Needless to say, also, since healthy foliage is necessary for healthy, vigorous bulbs, the foliage of daffodils should not be mutilated.
Selection of Varieties
The second major consideration in planning a naturalized planting of daffodils is the selection of varieties. In my case, I have been able to add new ones each year, so now I have nearly 300 varieties naturalized.
To my way of thinking, many of the older varieties, the shorter stemmed, the smaller flowered, more gracefully formed daffodils, are more suited to naturalization than the modern hybrids, which are often top-heavy when they are wet.
For example, that wonderful foiling and garden variety, King Alfred, a favorite with florists the world over, is tall-stemmed and is often blown over by wind and rain so that the stems are bent and lie flat on the grass.
(Incidentally, King Alfred is not a Jonquil, as so many people in this country erroneously call it. Jonquils have small, sweet-scented flowers and round, rushlike foliage.)
Yellow Trumpets For Naturalizing
I have found Emperor the best of the yellow trumpets for naturalizing, as it has good substance and can endure severe storms.
On the other hand, Victoria and Empress have proved to be the best-colored trumpets and Mrs. E. H. Krelage the best white trumpet.
Of the incomparabilis varieties, I have found Sir Watkin, often called the “Giant Welshman” because it was found blooming in a garden in Wales some 150 years ago, to live up to its excellent reputation as an early and long-lasting bloomer.
Another excellent incomparability is Bernardino, and a fine, very early flowering one is Helios.
I find all of the barn types, which are graceful and beautiful, most suitable for naturalizing. Bath’s Flame is one of the best early bloomers, and Lady Diana Manners and Firetail are two of the best late bloomers.
In the leedsi division, Mrs. Nette O’Melveny and Hera are charming. Here is one of the last to flower.
Among the jonquils, Golden Sceptre and Campernelli have deep, golden yellow blooms that contrast wonderfully with the whites and softer yellows of the other narcissi and are both long-lasting,
Poetaz and Poeticus Varieties
The poetaz varieties are late bloomers and deliciously fragrant. Laurens Koster, a cluster of whiteness, and Cheerfulness, a lovely creamy-white double, are excellent in groups of three or four.
Particularly adapted to brook or pond banks are the poeticus varieties, which do well in average soil but thrive best near water. Horace and Actaea are outstanding varieties.
But as for the old favorite, shy blooming double poeticus, about 90% percent of the buds have blasted under any conditions I have given them, and I’ve tried them in moist, alkaline, and acid, all with the same results.
Most double varieties, such as Twink and Primrose Phoenix, are top-heavy and, therefore, unsuccessful. However, Argent and Daphne, which have small flowers and sturdy stems, have proven excellent exceptions.
After deciding on the varieties to plant—and it’s better to choose individual varieties rather than mixtures— the next step is to plan for the actual planting of the bulbs.
Scattering Bulbs
The bulbs can be scattered and planted almost where they fall. The one caution that should be exercised requires that the bulbs in the center of the drift should be spaced 4” to 8” inches apart to have room to multiply normally.
For best effects, space the bulbs at the edge of the drift 8” to 12” inches apart, and then dot the adjacent grass with a few single bulbs.
After scattering and spacing the bulbs, you can take a grub hoe or a crowbar to make a hole about 8” inches deep for each bulb. I use Barr’s bulb planter.
The bottom of the hole should be filled with good soil or compost to prevent the bulb from being “hung up.”
The compost may consist of two-thirds loam, one-third leaf mold or peat and sand, and a few cupfuls of bonemeal, all thoroughly mixed. The compost can easily be carried around in a pail.
The bulb should be placed on the compost in the hole and then covered with another 6” inches of compost. If the soil area to be planted is heavy or quite moist, the compost could be two-thirds soil, one-third sand, and some bonemeal.
The bulbs should be planted in the fall—September and October are the best months. However, early planting is always advisable.
After the daffodils have flowered, the foliage should be left to ripen; in the vicinity of Boston, this takes until sometime between July 1 and July 15. The grass should not be cut until the middle of August.
The flowers should be picked off by hand as they are about to wither, as the formation of seed pods takes strength from the bulbs. Picking the flowers off ensures a stronger flower the next season.
Naturalizing Daffodils
The naturalizing of daffodils is a hobby that anyone can indulge in, whether he has only a small piece of land or a hundred acres or more, whether he wishes to create beauty by planting a few bulbs or a few thousand, or by anyone who wishes just to have cut flowers (without foliage, though!) for the house and can enjoy them out-of-doors first. It’s really fun—try it!
44659 by John L. Russell