So Many Daffodils are Blooming at the Farm
Brightly colored daffodils are blooming at my farm. It's quite a sight to see - all the swaths of white, yellow, and orange Narcissi gently blowing in the spring breeze.
I started developing my long daffodil border in 2003, in the early years of my farm ownership. After lots of planning and adding to the collection, the border now extends the length of one side of my farm from my Summer House, past the stable and down to the Japanese maple grove. Over time, some have faded away and are being replaced with other varieties, while others continue to flourish. I’ve also planted daffodils in the garden beds outside my Tenant House, across from my chicken coops, near my main greenhouse, in patches through the woodland, and in various tree pits around my home, including those underneath the majestic allée of pin oaks - there, I planted a variety of Narcissi named after me, Narcissus ‘Martha Stewart.'
Enjoy these photos.
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- My long daffodil border is broken up into various groupings – different varieties, different shapes and sizes, and different blooming times. This provides a longer splash of color through the season.
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- Narcissus is a genus of spring perennials in the Amaryllidaceae family. They’re known by the common name daffodil.
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- The species are native to meadows and woods in southwest Europe and North Africa. Narcissi tend to be long lived bulbs and are popular ornamental plants in public and private gardens.
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- The flowers are generally white or yellow with either uniform or contrasting colored tepals and coronas.
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- During this time, everyone here at the farm loves photographing all the many blooms. Here is a white daffodil with a bold orange center.
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- There are up to 40-species of daffodils, and more than 27-thousand registered daffodil hybrids.
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- When choosing where to plant daffodils, select an area that gets at least half a day of sun. Hillsides, and raised beds do nicely.
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- Narcissus naturalize very easily. Lift and divide overcrowded clumps in late June or July. 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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- In my daffodil border, I planted early, mid, and late season blooming varieties so that when one section is done blooming, another is just opening up.
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- Normal rainfall will typically take care of any watering requirements during the spring flowering season. The most important care tip is to provide daffodils with rich, well-drained soil.
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- Daffodil plants prefer a neutral to slightly acidic soil. 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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- This cheerful daffodil, with its color contrast, makes a bold statement in the border. 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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- And remember what I always say about all plants and flowers – if you eat, so should your plants. Fertilize daffodils with extra phosphorous to encourage good root development, especially when they’re young.
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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.
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- When cutting daffodils, they should be kept alone in the vase as their stems secrete a fluid that promotes wilting in other flowers. If you need to combine flowers, soak them alone first and then add them to the arrangements last.
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- In general, daffodils are easy to care for and are hardy plants. Diseases common to daffodils include basal rot, various viruses, and fungi.
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- Daffodils can also grow in containers as long as there is room to multiply and room for the roots to fill out. They can bloom well for two to three years – after that, it’s best to move them to a spot in the ground where they will come up once a year.
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- Bulbs should be planted in groups or drifts of like kinds and like colors to give the best presentation.
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- This view is from the one end of my allée of lindens looking south. We planted this section in 2019 and the flowers continue to blooms profusely every year.
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- And underneath the majestic pin oaks in the allée and in the pits of the weeping willows is a variety of Narcissi named after me by Van Engelen Inc., a wholesale flower bulb company in Bantam, Connecticut.
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- These flowers are all reliable bloomers and can continue to produce each spring for decades.
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- Here’s a closer look at Narcissus ‘Martha Stewart’ – a Karel van der Veek hybrid with a three-inch white perianth surrounding a pale yellow cup. In full bloom, these flowers grow up to about 16 to 18 inches tall and look stunning against my luscious green lawns. Daffodil season is a great time of year, but it’s only the beginning. There are so many more beautiful blooms to come…
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