|
Today, there are more than 25,000 daffodil cultivars registered
with Great Britain's Royal Horticultural Society. So, if the
only daffodil you know is the familiar big yellow trumpet,
you're missing out on a whole world of choices.
In addition to all shades of yellow, daffodils come in white,
cream, orange, pink and bicolors. There are singles, doubles
and varieties with several blooms to a stalk. Some are scented.
Some have big trumpets, others tiny cups. Yet others have
split or "butterfly" cups. There are tall types
and miniature varieties. Those who get excited by such things
will be interested to know that daffodils have been classified
into thirteen divisions based on these characteristics.
The upshot is that gardeners in temperate zones can enjoy
a vast choice of daffodils for about two months a year. (Those
in extremely warm zones will have more success with cultivars
from the Jonquilla and Tazetta divisions, while those in very
cold zones will have the best chances with the hardiest cultivars
that are well sited and mulched.)
 |
|
 |
| (Narcissus)
'Tête-à-Tête' shown in foreground. |
|
(Narcissus)
'Ice Follies'. |
In my garden, the season kicks off with a miniature—I suspect
'Tête-à-Tête'—that was a mid-winter grocery
store purchased pot I saved and planted the following fall.
It's quickly followed by 'Ice Follies', which has white petals
and soft yellow cups that fade to white as it matures. Other
early bloomers include 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation', which
is a large trumpeted type, and 'February Gold', which does
indeed bloom in February in some areas, but certainly not
mine.
Mid-season in my garden opens with the familiar yellow 'Dutch
Master', followed by what I think is 'Mount Hood'. After that
comes the orangey 'Ambergate' and the salmon-trumpeted 'Salome.'
|
