Christie’s Blog

Late February

Daffodils in the Cold, Snow and Sleet

This past week as cold temperatures hit and the snow fell, it was easy to see the outline of daffodil clumps in my garden. Mine all have foliage at least 4 inches tall. With some, I can even see the hint of yellow through the last protective casing of the leaf. I worry. Does this mean no daffodil flowers this Spring?

Daffodil Lore

Daffodils symbolize renewal, hope and new beginnings. Narcissus is the Latin/Generic/ Botanical name for daffodils.  You may know of the Greek myth that tells the story of a young, beautifully handsome man who adores himself.  His self adornment bothered the Gods and  led them to trick him into looking at his own reflection in a pool of water forever as a daffodil.

Other names for the daffodil  flower over centuries have been ‘daffodowndilly’, ‘yellow maiden’ and ‘Lent lily’, The last name references their flowering season which coincides with Easter.

An old wives’ tale with  poultry farmers is that daffodils on your farm prevent chickens from laying their eggs.  Perhaps that is contributing to our current egg crisis?

For those of us who look forward to the yellow pop of  bloom in the Spring, there is good news on the survivability of leaves and even flowers despite cold temperatures.  Certain varieties are better than others for surviving  a harsh freeze, but daffodils actually need  35-45 degrees of cold weather for 10-14 weeks to bloom. Daffodil foliage can stand negative 25 degrees!

Planting

To plant daffodils it is best to put in full sun if you can. They will bloom in the shade but perhaps not as prolifically, not as large blooms and not as many Springs.

Plant daffodil bulbs at least 3 times deeper than the height of the bulb. Plant small bulbs about 2-3 inches deep and large ones 4-6 inches.

There are a lot of tools out there to help you plant.  Many of these just wore my wrist out, or frustrated me when I hit roots. My crew used a plain old round pointed shovel with a long handle to dig a hole the size of a mature watermelon.  We placed 3-6 bulbs in each hole. This grouping of bulbs is how they grow in the wild.  It is a more  natural look than planting one per hole or in a designated pattern.

Don’t plant bulbs near shallow rooted trees like dogwoods, maples or beech.The bulb will intermingle with the shallow roots which is not good for either plant.

Add to your collection by planting a few dozen  or 100 a year. This gives you a big showing with time. There are varieties that are early to late bloomers so the blooming season can last 3 months!

How to pick daffodils.

It is best NOT to cut daffodil flowers  with pruners. There is  sap in each stem which is much thicker the closer you get towards the bloom. The better and easier “picking “ technique is to  reach down to the base of the stem and gently yank til the stem breaks.  With this  technique you will have a longer stem for your flower arrangement as a bonus.

After the flower blooms do not mow, braid, or tie up foliage. Bulbs  restore their energy by using their leaves. If you reduce the amount of light and air circulation by futzing around with the leaves, you reduce the vigor, size and amount of blooms you get the next year. . You can pull leaves off after the turn brown or even yellow about 4-6 weeks after the bloom dies. If you are a stickler for a tidy garden, this in not the flower you!

Toxicity

Daffodils are toxic to cats and dogs. I have never heard of a pet actually eating them, but it’s good to know.

The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has a lovely daffodil show the weekend of  March 22-23rd.   Hundreds of varieties are represented with surprisingly different  size, colors and shape.  It is a wonderful display. I’ll see you there!

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

when all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils,

Beside the lake,  beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze…

Christie lives in Manakin Sabot , Virginia where she manages a 3 acre garden. Her blogs are written from her 35 years as a personal and professional gardener.