Blooming Daffodils Around the Farm
Brightly colored daffodils are blooming at my farm. And looking at all the white and yellow narcissi blowing in the spring breeze always makes me happy.
I started developing my long daffodil border more than a decade ago, during the first years of my farm ownership. Since then, I’ve expanded the collection along the length of one side of the property from the Summer House past the stable and down to the Japanese maple grove. I’ve also added daffodils to other garden beds and most of the tree pits around my home, including those underneath the majestic allee of pin oaks. There, I planted a variety of Narcissi named after me by Van Engelen Inc., a wholesale flower bulb company in Bantam, Connecticut. Narcissus ‘Martha Stewart’ is a Karel van der Veek hybrid with a three-inch white perianth surrounding a pale yellow cup. In full bloom, these flowers grow to about 16 to 18 inches tall and look stunning surrounded by the luscious green lawns.
Here are some cheerful photos of the daffodils around my farm - enjoy.
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- Van Engelen Inc. knew my passion for Narcissi, and named a daffodil variety after me a few years ago – Narcissus ‘Martha Stewart’. I was so honored.
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- When I first received the ‘Martha Stewart’ daffodil bulbs, they were planted under six willow trees at the end of the Pin Oak Allee behind my Equipment Barn.
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- After blooming so beautifully, we planted more bulbs under the pin oaks the following season.
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- Narcissus is a genus of spring perennial plants of the Amaryllidaceae family.
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- Daffodils are among the easiest flowers to grow and are ideal for novice gardeners in most regions of the United States. The flowers are generally white or yellow with either uniform or contrasting colored tepals and corona.
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- These blooms show the distinct perfectly formed three-inch white perianth surrounded by the pale, yellow cup.
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- Narcissi tend to be long-lived bulbs, which propagate by division but are also insect-pollinated.
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- Every year, these flowers naturalize and fill more and more of the pits around the trees.
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- We also planted some under the weeping larch at the end of the Pin Oak Allee. The weeping larch, Larix decidua “Pendula” is a European larch cultivar that grows to 10 to 12 feet, boasting long, weeping branches. This particular specimen, with its unusual growth habit, draws lots of attention whenever guests tour the gardens.
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- Here is a closer look at the daffodils under the weeping larch tree – they look so pretty beneath the drooping branches.
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- Daffodil bulbs should be planted where there is full sun or part shade. Most tolerate a range of soil types but will grow best in moderate, well-drained soil.
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- Depending on the type of cultivar and where it is planted, the daffodil’s flowering season can last up to several weeks.
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- Driving down the allee when these flowers are in bloom makes me so very happy.
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- These buttercup yellow daffodils encircle the tree pits along the carriage road down to my stable.
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- And across the same road, begins the great daffodil border broken up into various groupings – different varieties, different shapes and sizes and different blooming times. This provides a longer splash of color. There are about 35 to 40 varieties planted in the daffodil border.
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- I take stock of my daffodils every year to see what is growing well and what is not, so I can learn what to remove, where to add more, and what to plant next.
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- Here is a white variety down at the other end of the long daffodil border.
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- And here is a patch across from my chicken yard with the beautiful Japanese maple grove in the background.
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- These are ‘Tahiti’ daffodils – double flowers of soft yellow accented by tufts of coppery orange. Tahiti is a favorite among commercial growers in Holland because it grows and flowers so well.
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- These daffodils are flourishing in a bed near my main greenhouse – we just planted these beauties last fall.
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- Hundreds of gorgeous colored booms. Normal rainfall will typically take care of any watering requirements during the spring flowering season.
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- Be sure they are planted where there is room for them to spread, but not where the soil is water-logged.
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- Cultivars with bold colored cups generally retain better color when planted in a little shade to protect them from the hot afternoon sun.
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- Few pests bother daffodils. The bulbs are actually quite unappetizing to most insects and animals, including deer and voles.
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- After daffodils bloom in the spring, allow the plants to continue growing until they die off on their own. They need the time after blooming to store energy in their bulbs for next year’s show. What daffodils are you growing? Share your favorites with me below.
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