April Daffodils
So many brightly colored daffodils are blooming at my farm - different forms of white, yellow, cream, and orange Narcissi. It's quite a sight to see.
When I moved to my farm, I knew I wanted to grow a continuous swath of daffodils. After lots of planning and planting over the years, I now have a border that extends the length of one side of my property 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 where 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. This view is from one end of my allée of lindens. We planted this section in 2019 and the flowers continue to blooms profusely every year.
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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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- These are some of the first daffodils to bloom at the farm. Daffodil species are native to meadows and woods in southwest Europe and North Africa. They tend to be long lived bulbs and are popular ornamental plants in public and private gardens.
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- There are up to 40-species of daffodils, and more than 27-thousand registered daffodil hybrids.
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- The flowers are generally white or yellow with either uniform or contrasting colored tepals and coronas. This white daffodil has a bold contrasting orange center.
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- Yellow is the most common color for daffodils, but they also bloom in white, cream, orange and even pink. They also come in a variety of flower forms, including trumpets, doubles, split-cups, large-cups, and jonquils.
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- Daffodil plants prefer a neutral to slightly acidic soil. When planting, be sure there is room for them to spread, but not where the soil is water-logged.
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- Planted in clusters instead of rows will provide a fuller, more natural look.
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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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- 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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- 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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- Cultivars with bold colored cups generally retain better color when planted in a little shade to protect them from the hot afternoon rays.
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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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- One of the more interesting daffodils blooming right now is this Narcissus ‘Rip van Winkle’, an heirloom double daffodil dating before 1884 with whorls of narrow, pale greenish yellow petals, some with a slight twist.
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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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- Narcissus ‘Martha Stewart’ is a Karel van der Veek hybrid with a three-inch white perianth surrounding a pale yellow cup. These flowers are reliable bloomers and can continue to produce each spring for decades.
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- In full bloom, these flowers grow up to about 16 to 18 inches tall. Daffodil season is a great time of year, and there are many more beautiful blooms to come…
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