garden I
plantings
162
Daffodils
O ne o f
s p rin g ’s m o st p o p u la r icons, these
classic beauties co m p rise h u n d re d s
o f m em bers o f th e genus
N a rcissu s.
T h e y are sim p le
to g row , needing little m ore
th a n fu ll sun, m o is t so il (b u t
n o t w e t), and o ccasional fe e d in g
w ith a sta n d a rd garden fe rtiliz e r.
D a ffo d ils arc h a rd y to Zone 3 o r 4,
d e p e n d in g on v a rie ty , m a k in g th e m
su ita b le fo r n e a rly all o f th e U.S. and
m u ch o f Canada* In Zones 8 and hig h e r,
c e rta in ty p e s w o n 't flo w e r fo r lack o f
w in te r c h illin g , b u t S o u th e rn gardeners
n e e d n 't fre t— ju s t b u y th o se labeled as
su ita b le fo r S o u th e rn gardens.
D a ffo d ils th a t m u ltip ly each year, o r
“ n a tu ra liz e ,” are p o p u la r because th e y
e ve n tu a lly fo rm masses o f colon M a n y
va rie tie s do so, b u t n o t a ll, so c o n firm
before purchasing. P opular n a tu ra lize rs
include 'C a rlto n ', 'T ete-a-T ete', 'M o u n t
H oo d ', and 'D u tc h M a ste r', a new er version
o f th e fam ous ye llo w 'K in g A lfre d 5
.
I f large, o ld clu m p s cease b lo o m in g ,
th e y need to be d ivid e d . D ig th e m up a fte r
th e y die back in su m m e r, s p lit th e m in to
in d iv id u a l b u lb s, and re p la n t, O r, give
th e m aw ay— it's a g re a t w a y to share som e
s p rin g jo y w ith fe llo w gardeners.
NARCISSUS varieties |
Perennial bulbs
ZONES: 3™10 |
WATER; Keep moist
HEIGHT: 6-20" j SUN: Full
■
September and
October are ideal
months to plant;
November is OK if soil
is still workable. Plant
bulbs, roots down,
6-9 inches deep.
Add bulb food to the
hole according to
directions.
Deer and rabbits,
which love most bulbs,
find daffodils
distasteful and rarely
eat them. If you’re
plagued w ith these
pests, plant as many
daffodils as you like—
and sleep soundly.
Wait until daffodil
foliage begins to turn
yellow and w ither
before cutting it off*
This will help the plant
bloom more vigorously
next year.
B E T T E R H O M E S A N D G A R D E N S | O CTO BER 2 0 ]Q
B H G .C IH l
f
PHOTOS; (FLOWERS) PETE KRUMHARDT; (RABBIT) ADAM ALBRIGHT; (OTHERS) BLAINE MOATS
