Top Ten Daffodils for the Longest Blooming Season

How can you choose among the thousands of daffodils? Start with this list, for the daffodils that are first to bloom, and last to close out the season, with lots of lovelies in between. 

I chose these top ten, must-grow daffodils because:

• They offer a flower show through the entire daffodil season -- early, mid-season, and late bloomers.
• They perennialize well (they'll keep on producing baby bulbs over the years).
• They're Wister Award winners, recognized by the American Daffodil Society as both beautiful and reliable. 

Well, 9 out of 10 are Wister Award winners. I tacked on 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation' because it's always been the first to bloom in my garden. And when we're waiting for the beginning of spring, first to bloom means a lot.

Early

• Trumpet 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation', 14" tall, yellow, zones 3-7
• Cyclamineus 'Tete-a-Tete', 6" tall, yellow, zones 4-8
• Small cupped 'Barrett Browning', 14" tall, white with orange cup, zones 3-10

Mid-season

• Poeticus 'Actaea', 16" tall, white with yellow cup, zones 3-7
• Large cupped 'Ice Follies', 18" tall, white with yellow cup, zones 3-7
• Large cupped 'Salome', 14" tall, ivory with peach cup, zones 3-8
• Cyclamineus 'Peeping Tom', 12" tall, yellow, zones 3-8
• Large cupped 'Accent', 18" tall, white with salmon cup, zones 3-7

Late

• Jonquilla 'Quail', 12" tall, yellow, zones 5-9
• Triandrus 'Thalia', 14" tall, ivory, zones 4-10

* Warmest zone listings are for the West Coast, where the summer temps are cooler than the Southwest or Deep South. 

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Best Daffodils for your Region

Wondering which daffodils will succeed in your garden? 

Will 'Barrett Browning' thrive in your county?

It's more than knowing a daffodil will bloom in "USDA zone 7", when zone 7 gardens can be found in the arid Sierra Nevada foothills, or humid Washington, D.C.

Luckily, a past president of the American Daffodil Society wrote an article on regional daffodil favorites. 

Click to read Mary Lou Gripshover's advice about "Daffodils: Regional Proven Performers" in the American  Horticultural Society's magazine, The American Gardener. 

You'll find her suggestions for the Pacific Northwest, Southern California/South, the Upper Midwest/Mountain States, and the Mid-Atlantic. 

As well, she recommends bulb companies and bulb books.

To read more in-depth articles like this, join the non-profit American Horticultural Society and receive the members-only magazine, The American Gardener.

Welcome, Farmer Fred listeners!

I was talking bulbs with Farmer Fred on his Get Growing with Farmer Fred radio show, Sunday, December 1 from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Listen to us on the podcast.

I'm a garden writer, a California Master Gardener, and a daffodil nut.

Here are links about topics we discussed on the December 1, 2013 show.

How to plant daffodils: Choose a well-drained site that has full sun all year, or full sun when the leaves are off the trees. Dig a trench or hole 6" deep, add phosphorus mixed with the soil at the bottom of the hole, add compost to the soil you have removed, plant the bulbs pointy end up, tuck tulips in next to them if you don't have deer, add 2 inches more amended soil then layer in small bulbs, add soil to bring the gently tamped-down soil even with the rest of the garden. Label the bed with the names of the bulbs. Do not water. 

Sources of phosphorus can be soft rock phosphate or bone meal if you have acid soil, and high P packaged guanos or worm castings if you have neutral or alkaline soil. Highly concentrated sources of phosphorus like Super Phosphate should be used with caution and applied only after reading the label carefully -- it is easy to over-apply these products and although phosphorus does not move vertically through the soil it does move laterally and excess phosphorus can lead to water pollution and algae bloom.

Not all daffodils need to be pre-chilled for USDA zone 9; there are many daffodils that do well in warm climates.

The Northern California Daffodil Society has excellent information about growing daffodils. NCDS organizes free daffodil shows each spring so you can see which bulbs you'd want to grow in your garden. Some of the members are busy hybridizing green daffodils.


Answers to listener questions:

White daffodils to plant in the shape of a moon in Garden Valley, CA at 2,500 feet: 'Mount Hood' we mentioned but also consider 'Misty Glen'. Plant just one variety so that the blooms will show a solid shape, either round or crescent.

For a piney area in Texas in USDA zone 8a, plant any daffodil but be sure the site is in full sun and well-drained.

Thanks for visiting. Please leave a comment and let me know which bulbs you are planting.

Join me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter for more daffodil chat

To leave a comment, click on the word COMMENTS below

Daffodil Blogorama 2012

Narcissus Nirvana is back with the 2012 Daffodil Blogorama (a round-up of blog posts about daffodils) and the annual meeting of the American Daffodil Society. If you're anywhere close to Towson, Maryland, rush over and revel in the flowers and fellowship at the Annual Meeting, April 20-22.

For those of us who can't make the Annual Meeting, two quick glimpses of New Hampshire daffodils from my friend, Lynn Felici-Gallant.

Lynn's combination of nodding Narcissus 'Thalia' and Veronica peduncularis 'Georgia Blue' in the New Hampshire garden Lynn left last year. That transition story was on a podcast with Andrew Keys at Horticulture magazine.

Lynn is Merchandising & Marketing Manager here at the independent retail garden center and wholesale grower, Pick of the Planet, in Greenland, New Hampshire.

The 2012 Daffodil Blogorama tour of the world begins now, starting in New Zealand and moving West around the globe. Click on the name of the blog to see a daffodil story:

* Enjoy the adventures of Mary "Moosey" planting daffodils with her horticulturally inclined kitten at Moosey's Country Garden in New Zealand.

* Kathy Purdy of Cold Climate Gardening in New York fesses up with a romantic tale of why Narcissus poeticus is her favorite flower.

* We love daffodils, but they don't love other flowers in vases. Joene Hendry delivers a horrible warning from Joene's Garden in Connecticut.

* An ode to Narcissus 'Mount Hood', by yellow-dissing John Markowski who's An Obsessive Neurotic Gardener in Pennsylvania.

* The Queen of Seaford, Janet, now reigns in South Carolina and is taking royal liberties by combining her daffs in arrangements with other spring flowers.

* Kate's Garden Journal from Ohio is on "D" for daffodil. Or should it be "F" for forcing?

* Susy Morris at Chiot's Run in the Ohio countryside kindly created a charming daffodil parade for me. You'll love it too.

* Tyla is a daffodil specialist at All About Daffodils in Alabama and she's breaking up with 'February Gold' in one of the funniest daffodil posts ever. Music video included!

* Have you tried daffodils in containers? Tips for success from Debbie Teashon at Rainy Side Gardeners in western Washington.

* Claire Splan wants to know just how pink a "pink" daffodil really gets in An Alameda Garden.

* Wrap up with me, on a quick Daffodil Planter tour of Daffodil Daydreams weekend at famed Filoli.

Thanks to all the bloggers for sharing their work!

Can't get enough?

First Daffodils is now a Facebook page where people from all over the world send photos of the first sightings of daffodils in their towns. Order a daffodil note cube from them.

If you can't attend the National Show this year, check out the American Daffodil Society website for answers to all your daffodil questions. Join the American Daffodil Society and a daffodil society near you.

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Daffodil Daydreams at Filoli 2012

Cue the Dynasty theme music! Filoli was introduced to the world as the set for that wacky TV show, but these days there's not a diamond necklace or giant shoulder pad in sight.

The Woodside, California garden is hailed as one of the most beautiful in the U.S. Filoli is an official Display Garden for the American Daffodil Society, and each spring it celebrates a long weekend of Daffodil Daydreams.

A gracious transition from the formal gardens, looking West to the Santa Cruz Mountains, with daffodil accents.

The daffodils in the borders and orchard were not at their peak, but daffodil containers, such as these lining the steps to a rear door of the house, made up for that.

The garden pavilion known as the summer house or tea house was in on the daffodil celebration too!

The Northern California Daffodil Society set up tables of information about daffodils; their nationally known experts gave lectures and garden tours.

The NCDS flower display provided a close look at the range of daffodils that do well in this part of the world.

Under the Chanticleer rooster weathervane, the former garage was charming with more pots of daffodils. Yes, even those double daffodils looked good to me. I must have been distracted by the contents of the building (as you can see from the sign below). More on that next time!

Announcing the Daffodil Blogorama winners!

Photo: ori2uru

Daffodil season may be over, but five lucky readers will have daffodil note cubes to cheer them through the rest of the year. Perfect for jotting down bulb orders!

The blind, random selection yielded the names of Claire, plaisanter, Angela, Jan and Kathy.

I will send the names to First Daffodils 2011, our generous prize donor, and she will ship the prizes. If you didn't win, you can still order your own note cubes at her site.

Why so long for this announcement? I was hither and yon, at flower shows, and then entranced by my own daffodil season. The last bloom was poeticus Narcissus 'Actaea'. What was yours?

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Daffodil Blogorama 2011

Narcissus Nirvana returns, with the second annual Daffodil Blogorama (a round-up of blog posts about daffodils) and a daffodil notecube giveaway from First Daffodils 2011.

First, the giveaway

The daffodil notecube giveaway is courtesy of First Daffodils 2011 -- a photo blog that chronicles daffodils coming up all over the world each spring.

The blogger makes daffodil note cubes with William Wordsworth's poem on the sides, and she is kindly donating five note cubes as prizes, one each for five lucky readers.

Enter by going to the First Daffodils 2011 site and looking at the photos. Then return here and leave a comment at the bottom of this post. Tell me which photo you like best and why. If you have trouble leaving a comment here, you can also enter with a comment on my Facebook Wall

Five winners will be randomly chosen from the comments. Contest closes April 8 at midnight PDT. The giveaway is open to anyone in the world with postal delivery.

The daffodil note cubes are reasonably priced and make perfect gifts for daff-loving friends. And Mother's Day. Just saying. You can purchase the note cubes via a link at the First Daffodils site.

News from the annual meeting of the American Daffodil Society

Skilled photographer and award-winning daffodil grower Kirby Fong generously agreed to share photos from the annual show, held last week in Jackson, Missippi. Many thanks, Kirby!

Gold Ribbon for the best standard daffodil in the show. 'Angel Face' 3W-YYO

exhibited by Steve Hampson.

White Ribbon is for the best set of three standard daffodils. The winner was 'Loch Lundie' 2Y-O from a collection of twelve sets of three. Our photographer, Kirby Fong, was the exhibitor.

Bender Award for the best standard daffodil hybridized by the exhibitor. This "challenge class" is one of the few that accepts flowers grown in glass houses instead of outdoors. The winner was seedling 04-214 6W-W exhibited by Larry Force.

Daffodil Blogorama

The Daffodil Blogorama tour begins in California and moves East around the globe. Click on the name of the blog to see a daffodil story:

* Sue Langley profiles 'Ice Wings' in her Sierra Foothill Garden.

* I'm on the red carpet at Daffodil Planter with 'Misty Glen' as she wins the Wister Award.

* Claire Splan at An Alameda Garden explains how to propagate daffodil bulbs by scaling.

* Jayne Locas and the Paradise Garden Club planted 90,000 daffodils. See their photos at Daffodils Across the Ridge and scroll down that site to read Jayne's inspiring story "To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow."

* Mississippi blogger Gail at Yardflower celebrates her late narcissi.

* Frances from Fairegarden in Tennessee offers a controversial technique for dividing daffodils.

* The Canadian sister act: Helen and Sarah of Toronto Gardens report on the daffodil's role as a symbol for the Canadian Cancer Society.

* Tyla reveals the true story of 'King Alfred' at All About Daffodils in Alabama.

* Trailblazing garden blogger, Kathy Purdy of Cold Climate Gardening in upstate New York, has stories about her heirloom narcissus.

*Kathy Jentz, editor and publisher of Washington Gardener magazine, showcases early daffodils (including 'Katie Heath') at Washington Gardener.

* Maryland flower photographer Patty Hankins at Beautiful Flower Pictures shows a group of tazetta narcissus photos.

* Janet is The Queen of Seaford in South Carolina, where she's planting a new garden with daffodils.

* Mary "Moosey" is in a category all her own. A pioneer in garden blogging, she was sharing online stories from Moosey's Country Garden in New Zealand before the word blog was invented. She posts about recycling unwanted daffodils from other gardens. Will she be able to resist buying bulbs? Find out.

Thanks to all the bloggers for sharing their work!

Ready to experience your first daffodil show?

There are shows going on all over the country this spring.

Plan to visit Baltimore for the 2012 national show. Daffodil questions? Check the American Daffodil Society website for answers. For the ultimate in daffodil fun and information, join the American Daffodil Society and a daffodil society near you.

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Narcissus 'Misty Glen' takes home the Wister Award

Narcissus 'Misty Glen'

Photo courtesy of DaffSeek and Colorblends Flowerbulbs.

The what award?

We all watched the Academy Awards two weeks ago. The Wister Award is the daffodil version of the Oscar for Lifetime Achievement. Misty Glen is pictured above--she's wearing white, which was not as big as silver on the red carpet this year, but elegant nevertheless. Misty Glen is still clutching her Wister, presented to her last weekend by the American Daffodil Society at their National Convention.

To earn this honor Misty Glen was required to be a "good grower" with a "floriferous habit", "showy at a distance" and "resistant to basal rot".

In her acceptance speech she thanked her parents, Easter Moon and Pigeon; her hybridizer, Frederick Board; the bulb sellers who promoted her in the horticultural community; and the many home gardeners who gave her the opportunity to perform in their front yards.

I'm going to offer her a starring role in my garden next year. If you live in USDA Zones 4-8 you could do the same. Industry sources say she's not a prima donna.

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Daffodil Blogorama 2010

Narcissus Nirvana is here with a Daffodil Blogorama (a round-up of blog posts about daffodils) and the annual meeting of the American Daffodil Society.

Drive to the Northern California Gold Country this weekend for the FREE show at the National Convention of the American Daffodil Society. The National Show will be at Ironstone Vineyards where the gardens boast 300,000 daffodils. Click on a photo to enlarge it.

Naturalized daffodils edge the vineyards.

Photos: Northern California Daffodil Society and Ben Blake.

Tubs of daffodils greet you at the entrance to the show.

Hundreds of flowers will be on display indoors, including the world's largest assemblage of miniature daffodils and a collection of green-hued daffodils. The National Show is open to the public March 12-14: Friday 1-5, Saturday 9-5, and Sunday 9-3. Click here for directions to Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys.

The Daffodil Blogorama tour of the world begins now, starting in California and moving East around the globe. Click on the name of the blog to see a daffodil story:

* Saxon Holt, the eminent landscape photographer, gives tips on taking pictures of daffodils at Gardening Gone Wild.

* The California farmers at Curbstone Valley blog about 'Dutch Master'.

* Pomona Belvedere posts at Tulips in the Woods on 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation'.

* I post at Daffodil Planter on 'Passionale' and the garden writer Henry Mitchell.

* Mississippi blogger Gail at Yardflower has a daffodil bouquet for fans of the garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence.

* Winner of Blotanical's Garden Blog of the Year for two years running, Frances from Tennessee posts at Fairegarden about mid-season daffodils.

* The Canadian sister act: Helen and Sarah blog at Toronto Gardens about 'Ice Follies'.

* Jan of Northern Virginia at Thanks For 2 Day brings Wordsworth to the daffodil party.

* Maryland flower photographer Patty Hankins at Beautiful Flower Pictures posts a group of daffodil photos.

* Janet is The Queen of Seaford in Seaford, Virginia. She posts about a miniature daffodil.

* Naomi Sachs in New York writes about the American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days program on her Therapeutic Landscapes Network Blog.

* Moosey is in a category all her own. A pioneer in garden blogging, she was sharing online stories from Moosey's Country Garden in New Zealand before the word blog was invented. She posts about the ultimate challenge with daffodils--deciding which varieties to buy.

Thanks to all the bloggers for sharing their work!

Can't get enough?

First Daffodils 2010 is a blog where people from all over the world send photos of the first sightings of daffodils in their towns. Order a daffodil note cube there too.

If you can't attend the National Show this year, check out the American Daffodil Society website for answers to all your daffodil questions. Join the American Daffodil Society and a daffodil society near you.

To leave a comment, click on the word COMMENTS below

For a free email subscription to this blog go to the upper-right corner of the page