Is it too early to be thinking about daffodils?
CG thinks it's time to start planning a trip to a daffodil festival!
CG has determined that he cannot plant enough daffodils. Every fall, another small patch is planted, and the following spring, he wishes that he had planted more. 3 patches were planted this past fall, and CG will make a determined effort to designate more areas for planting next season. He will transplant the remaining daffodils from the farm bed into new areas in a few weeks. Even though they may not bloom this spring, they'll survive and multiply before next spring. CG is contemplating planting daffodils throughout the forsythia bed, and is struggling with the color choice. Solid yellow, solid white, or a mixture of both. Either way, he will buy them in bulk- 2 bags of 40 to start in early October, then finish with planting 4 more bags once they are marked-down. CG has read that daffodils planted as late as mid December in Zone 7A will still bloom the following spring.
Daffodils planted in the front bed are of a mixed variety with different blooming times. CG is looking for a solid month of blooming time from the daffodils. We'll wait and see. New varieties are fun to try-out, but CG will be locating and planting a few 'old world' daffodils such as:
"N. hispanicus MAXIMUS, TRUMPET MAJOR, 1576. Celebrated in gardens for over 400 years, ‘Maximus’ or ‘Trumpet Major’ is an especially fine form of N. hispanicus with a wild, primeval look. Its trumpet is boldly scalloped and flared, it’s petals make a dramatic star, and it lifts up its face as if worshipping the sun. It’s been treasured by Elizabethan, Victorian, and Arts and Crafts gardeners alike" -from the Old House Gardens webpage.
The cut flower bed and back bed have been planted with yellow 'King Alfred' and white 'Ice King' daffodils. These will need to be dug-out and divided this fall. Even with the additional daffodils gained from dividing, each bed could probably use another 80 bulbs.
The rock path island bed will feature solid white 'Mount Hood' daffodils. A couple dozen were planted last fall. After a few years and dividing, the small bed should be adequately full. This bed also has white day lilies, white re-blooming iris, and white crepe myrtles.
The newly cleared-out farm bed will be ready to take-in any excess or "can't pass up" specials. Usually, out of all the planting beds, the farm bed (with no rhyme or reason to its planting) is the most impressive with its blooms. CG could be discouraged by this, but he has come to accept it.
