The technically minded say narcissus, the more poetically inclined say daffodil, and some prefer jonquil to either. But whatever name they use they all have in mind the loveliest of all the harbingers of spring. As to the correctness of names, narcissus is the correct botanical or Latin name for the entire group. Daffodil is … Read more
The mountains of Spain and Portugal provide numerous species of miniature daffodils, which are charming little Spring subjects for the rockery of easy culture. The dainty flowers have a variety of interesting and pleasing forms and show the best advantage when height is no hindrance. The blooms stand stately on 3” to 6” inch stems. … Read more
For more than 40 years, I have been growing daffodils in small gardens in eastern Canada and California, usually just planting them wherever I could find room. But it is only recently that I have realized that daffodils are primarily garden flowers. Now I am acutely aware of the casual way they are generally treated … Read more
Lilting grace, cheerful coloring, and delightful personality characterize daffodils, the favorite early spring-flowering bulbs. Familiar for generations in yellows, whites, and bicolors, the color range is now much broader, including even in the yellows, shades from deepest gold, through bright clear yellows, and on to cool greenish lemons, variously described as sulfur or limey tones. … Read more
April is daffodil time. When the bright flowers appear, appraise the varieties you have and look over the plantings of friends and neighbors for ideas on the new kinds to plant next fall. Many brilliant ones have been put on the market in recent years. Be on the lookout for the short-cupped type, which comes … Read more
Years ago, our family acquired a weekend house in the Tidewater area of Virginia. It was a small, early eighteenth-century brick cottage surrounded by a wilderness of weeds, honeysuckle, tawny daylilies, and an almost-as-big-as-the-house American pillar rose which sheltered groundhog holes under its thorny tangle. Several lilac bushes and patches of iris foliage among the … Read more
Have you ever grown daffodils in the sod? It is a simple type of gardening that eliminates weeding, watering, fertilizing, spraying, and transplanting. Planted in this manner, they are called naturalized daffodils. Daffodils will grow anywhere in the United States except the extreme South. And you can naturalize daffodils even if you don’t have a … Read more
Daffodils will bring joy to the senses and an uplift to the spirit every spring no matter how they are planted. However, they can give increased pleasure if in the fall you take time to consider color combinations, patterns of arrangement and periods of bloom, in addition to following the fundamentals of good planting. I’ve … Read more