Looking forward to Spring - Daffodils and Snowdrops

When I first started gardening it was in pots outside a fifth floor flat just off Oxford Street in London. I visited what were then the monthly Royal Horticultural Shows in Greycoat Street. The Spring shows were an especial delight. Lots of catalogues were amassed which I pored over avidly. What to buy? I was like a kid in a sweetshop! I ordered all sorts of bulbs when I started out, a number of which were more 'specialist' alpine and they didn't really get the treatment they deserved.

There is something about our capital city when it is late winter/early spring, grey and miserable and the sorry bits of earth in the squares look worn and tatty, you just need cheering up! [I will say in defence of London that it has its moments, I had a lovely walk across Green Park once, the sun was slanting through the trees and the daffodils were just starting to show, a positively sparkling day!]

Another London bulb treat in the early part of the year is to visit the Alpine House at Kew Gardens, where on a miserable day you can admire small things in pots at nose height and marvel at plants such as Scoliopus bigelowii,Tropaeolum azureum, Corydalis popovii, Narcissi and Cyclamen. [If it is a really miserable day you can then warm up in the heated glasshouses!]

A later spring delight is the Alpine meadow at the RHS gardens at Wisley in Surrey when narcissus stud the grass alongside other flowery treats.

Daffodils
But back to daffodils. I will admit my preference is for smaller and more delicate types, they also tend to die away less disgracefully. I grew then [and still do now], Narcissus February Gold which was launched in 1923, it is lower growing than a 'normal' daffodil and has swept back outer petals which makes it look less stiff. It is not always in flower in February, but my London diary entry for 5th February 1989 records 2 or 3 already out. I have not tried February Silver'but intend to at some point. More recently I planted some N. 'Jetfire', not entirely sure I like this one, but it is quite delicate, the outer petals are yellow and flared back, the central 'trumpet' is shortened and a glowing orange.

I also grew two of the odder daffodils, Narcissus Rip Van Winkle which is small and looks like a dandelion, it may not be to everyone's taste . Rip Van Winkle used to be quite hard to source but seems to have made it back into the mainstream again. Another old fancy daffodil I have grown on and off over the years is Van Sion [said to date to the early 17th Century if not before], which looks a little more 'normal', the trumpet is split and doubled and doubled again. You need to be able to get close to the smaller one's to appreciate them which makes pot growing ideal.

I fell for Narcissus triandrus Angel's Tears, low growing with milky white flowers and swept up petals, very sweet. For a while I had Queen Anne's Double Daffodil, N. Eystettensis lowish growing with cream rounded petals and doubled, a bit of a rarity. Margery Fish writes about it in 'Cottage Garden Flowers' and says it is a rare in 1960/1 when she is writing, but it is still with us, Some references suggest that this daffodil is some sort of sport of 'Angel's Tears' which has been around since at least 1601. I also had N.bulbocodium all the way from the S.Europe, which should really be in pots so she can be admired close-to, small in stature, fine foliage with frilled and flared lemon yellow skirts, very dainty.

I would recommend N.Tete-a-Tete as a gentle daffodil for planting in amongst emerging perennials, I have used it to good effect in a shaded border planted with a combination of softly variegated and other perennials. I have also tried to naturalise two so-called Natives, Narcissus obvallaris [Tenby Daffodil] and Narcissus pseudonarcissus Lobularis [Lent Lily]. A correspondent tells me that the Tenby Daffodil is only 'native' to certain spots in S W Wales and S Spain, all other claimants in the UK are pretenders. They are planted in groups [of 5 bulbs per patch] in lawn with Snake's Head Fritillary [which flowers later]. The Lent Lily is the classier of the two as it has paler outer petals which lighten the overall effect.

'I fear that it is [Narcissus obvallaris] perhaps a little too yellow, and there is a feeling that it's position in the garden should not be too conspicuous but it should be tucked away somewhere with a nice green background and foregorund' [Margery Fish, The Cottage Gardener, 1961]

I grew for a time Narcissis poeticus Old Pheasant's Eye with its flat white face and small central crimped burnt-orange petal circle, partly inspired by Margery Fish, it is both late and heavily scented. Because it is a lanky grower it does need to be in amongst shrubs as she also notes. I left it behind me in Wiltshire, where I hope it still flowers on it's windy hilltop overlooking Dauntsey Vale.

I grow a few of the later flowering Jonquils such as Baby Moon in pots, they tend to have fine foliage and flattish bright yellow faces, which are grown primarily for the scent, by the time they flower one has already seen-off most Daffodils and are anticipating the next stars of the bulb show - tulips.

Snowdrops
Whatever did happen to snowdrop Brenda Troyle whose emergence I so proudly wrote about in my diary all those years ago?

" Brenda Troyle is fully open now in the sun with it's single heart shaped marking on the inner petals, it is a large flower and quite fat' [14/1/89]

My diary does not enlighten me further. I will admit I succumbed again last year but forgot to mark where I planted her, she flowered recently and that fat pod of a closed flower was like a big pearl, very pleasing to have her back.

At an RHS show I also gave-in to the charms of Sam Arnott for his large flowers and strong scent, Magnet for its wide open outer 'splayed' petals and Pusey Green Tips a doubled flower with green smudges on the outer petals as well as the inner [from Foxgrove Plants].

I do still have Lady Elphinstone which I bought years ago. She is a double with pale green-gold instead of green edging to the skirts. She appears and flowers later than the 'ordinary' snowdrop Galanthus nivalis, and is with me at least, slow to increase. I get worried each spring and start to excavate the soil to check she is still there in my woodland bed in Bath. I am sadly hard-put to beat the snails to the flowers which they seem to find a real delicacy.

In retrospect my early bulb excursions were somewhat over ambitious but that won't stop me trying some of the little species narcissus again sometime when I have the space and conditions. In the meantime there is a world of other easier narcissi to be tried and a host more snowdrops to acquaint myself with.

NB: In the town garden I grow nearly all the daffodils in pots along with Iris reticulata and Crocus. They are fed when flowering and just after with either Chicken pellets or liquid tomato food. When the flowers are finished the seed heads are tweaked off and then the pots are moved to a corner of the garden and the foliage allowed to die-down.

Tulips & Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society

References:
Bulbs [Pan] 1981, Rix & Phillips
Cottage Garden Flowers, 1961 [Reprint Faber & Faber 1989], Margery Fish

Avon Bulbs - wide selection of bulbs

Broadleigh Bulbs - wide selection of bulbs

Foxgrove Plants - Galanthus hybrids [as well as other perennials] Tel: 01635 40554 [Berks]

Paul Christian Rare Plants - lots of rare and exciting bulbs, more species oriented but not exclusively.

Potterton and Martin - Alpines, species narcissi and other bulbs

NB: Narcissi are available from bulb suppliers in Autumn catalogues for Autumn planting, Snowdrops are generally available in the Spring for planting.

@Kari's garden 2002 - 2009