Thursday 28 March 2013

Daffodils

I love Daffodils. In my mind their vivid yellow colour is practically synonymous with Spring, and what a welcome sight it is after months of Winter drabness!

In my small garden, the shorter varieties look best, and they are also the most practical because they suffer less from wind damage than the bigger, taller varieties. One variety that I have grown several times is "Jetfire". It grows to a height of about 12" and has a lovely two-tone flower: yellow petals with a bright orange trumpet.


The yellow petals always have a swept-back stance, making them look almost as if they are constantly rushing forwards into a gale of wind. (Actually, they have been doing a lot of that just recently!)


Individual Daffodil flowers don't last very long - 10 to 14 days is about normal - and of course each bulb only produces one flower, once a year. However, if you choose wisely, you can have Daffodils flowering in your garden for at least three months. The first ones generally flower in late January, and there are plenty of types that flower in late April or early May.


This is Tete a Tete, which grows to about 8" tall - perfect for rockeries, small beds or the front of a border.


Daffodils, despite their frail appearance, are actually very hardy and resilient. Mine have been all but submerged in snow, battered by icy blasts of wind, and deluged with torrential rain, but they still look pretty good.




Yes, well... In the circumstances, those daffs do look nice, with their vivid yellow colours contrasting with the white snow background, but don't you just wish I was publishing photos of Geraniums, Rudbeckia or Sunflowers?

9 comments:

  1. I love Daffs as well. I miss their unique honey/vanilla scent. In the USA we can buy them, already flowering, in the grocery store around December. Or we can force the bulbs by putting them in the refrigerator. Of course it helps if one doesn't have two teenage boys in the house that need every square cm of fridge-space for juices, snacks and leftovers, but one day Mark......one day......

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  2. I love daffodils too. When we were putting bulbs around the yard, I made sure to have some clumps of them that are right out my office window so I can see them.

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  3. Judi`s favourite spring flower we both like the shorter varieties

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  4. Such a joy to see your daffodils I love them all mine are still under a deep blanket of snow.

    But I am now involved as a volunteer with Glamis Castle Restoration Walled Garden and its a joy to see all their Daffodils.

    If any of you are planning a visit to Glamis Castle this year Pop and see the Walled Garden this an on going working project.

    You can follow my blog .

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  5. Simply love daffs Mark of all kinds and varieties! Sadly they don't last long here as it's just too hot even in spring but our sunflowers last for ages so I guess there are goods and bads about everything! xxx

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  6. These blooms are indeed beautiful! I'd never have thought of snow (in the background) by looking at the first four pictures.

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  7. Daffodils seem to go hand in hand with spring, though that's probably why my daffodils aren't flowering yet, spring hasn't arrived here. My daffs are just getting some buds so hopefully spring will arrive soon and then they'll bloom.

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  8. daffodils are fine but minus the snow would be good. I love mini daffs in the garden as the spent foliage isn't as much a problem as that of their larger cousins.

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  9. About now I'd settle for ANY color!~

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