Gardening with Paul Maher: a host of golden daffodils

‘Beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze.’ These famous lines written by William Wordsworth sum up, for me, how daffodils should be grown.

Naturalising daffodils through borders or in the lawn works well and once done can be left in place from year to year.

I have worked this way in recent times and it has provided a charming picture to usher spring in. There are different variants to enjoy.

Narcissus bulbocodium, The Petticoat Daffodil, as the name suggests is just like a petticoat. It is unusual insofar as it is not a typical daffodil shape, the trumpet part is much larger than the outer petals, growing to a height of 20cm. It is rich yellow in colour.

Real beauty

N. cyclamineus has a long trumpet and narrow petals, standing upright with a bright yellow colour making the flower look very elongated.

It grows to a height of 20cm, and is a real beauty.

Looking at the N. ‘Elka, it has a different colour combination with creamy white petals with a light-yellow trumpet. As they age the flowers change to white. It grows to 25cm in height. N. ‘Jack Snipe’ only grows to a height of 20cm and the trumpet is pale yellow with white petals.

N. ‘Minnow’ has a multi-flowered head with white petals and small yellow trumpets. It is scented too which is a nice bonus. It grows to a height of 20cm. All of these daffodils are well suited to naturalising in lawns because they are low growing.

Darker shade

If you have taller grass areas, there are several daffodils to consider, N. ‘February Gold’ is early into bloom and for me signifies the arrival of spring. It is a rich yellow colour with the trumpet a darker shade. It grows to a height of 30cm.

For something different, look towards N. ‘Sir Winston Churchill’ which is a beautiful double flowered daffodil in a cool white colour with a tiny yellow centre, growing to 40cm and is scented too. It is intriguing in so far as it begs the question, ‘is it really a daffodil’ but it is.

N. obvallaris, commonly known as The Tenby Daffodil, is native to Wales and associated with the town of Tenby. It thrives in grassland growing to a height of 30cm and sports a good yellow colour as what we expect from a daffodil. It is thought to be the one mentioned in the aforementioned poem by Wordsworth.

Managing daffodils

It is important to manage daffodils in grassland areas, be it a lawn or open ground. When you begin with the project, purchase good quality plump bulbs from a reputable source and as far as possible choose from the varieties mentioned here as they are happy in that environment.

Scatter bulbs by throwing them on the ground. Let them fall naturally – for best effect do not place them – but move very close ones apart. Daffodil bulbs should be planted at a depth that is two to three times the height of the bulb. If you have a 5cm bulb, you need to plant it with the bottom of the bulb touching the soil at a depth of 15cms. This is very important as it will ensure reliable flowering into the future. I use a light tree stake of 2cm diameter and mark each centimetre along it, that gives a guide to the planting depth.

Planting depth

When the bulbs are scattered, using a heavy hammer I create the perfect planting depth. Before pulling out the stake, give it a wiggle to loosen the soil. I pop in the bulb with the pointed end facing up. Backfill each hole afterwards with a good quality soil-based compost and firm it in.

Daffodil blindness is sometimes a problem. This arises for several reasons including planting at an incorrect depth, allowing seed to form after flowering, lack of nourishment or water.

As flowers fade, remove them at the top of the stalk – never allow the fat seed capsule to develop taking nourishment from the bulb. In large groups of naturalised daffodils, it is the practice to use a light bamboo cane and literally swish the fat seed capsules off.

Do not mow over daffodil foliage after flowering, rather mow around them. When the foliage is flat and straw colour, then you can mow over. After flowering while daffodils are still green, feed them with a high potash fertiliser at the recommended rate. It’s best to do this just in advance of rain. While enjoying the daffofils now, this is the time to think about next spring. Plan your orders as it is July and August that the best quality bulbs are available for purchasing.

I have got great enjoyment from my ornamental grasses through the winter. Should I cut them back now? James, Co Roscommon.

Ornamental grasses are a joy in the winter and summer, providing colour and movement in the garden. At this stage they should have been cut back, however, given your location there may be still time. What you should do is look at the base of your clump and see if there is new growth beginning. These will be green shoots emerging. You will have to cut above these and allow some of last year’s stems to remain. This will not cause a disadvantage to this year’s growth. You can also feed now with a balanced fertiliser to ensure a good display this year.

Planting: In shrub borders ensure no perennial weeds persist. Apply a thick mulch to permanent planted areas.

Lawns: Cutting will become more regular, aim for twice a week as time allows. Commence feeding with proprietary brands.

Vegetable garden: Cover rhubarb stools with old dustbins to force delicate new growth. Prepare soil for vegetable sowing. Continue with first early potato planting.

Patio gardening: Assess all pots for new season planting. Compost will need to be removed and replaced with new compost. Aim for soil-based composts. Deadhead spring displays.