The Golden Host
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Narcissus, who daffodils are named for, was a vain and self centered individual. I don’t see daffodils this way. They are perky and cheery, not selfish at all.
I have several different varieties of daffodils in my xeric garden. They are reliable, beautiful, and above all, the deer won’t touch them.
Squirrels on the other hand, if they find the shed skins of newly planted bulbs, will dig up every one. I don’t think they eat them, but they sure like to carry them off.
Next year, they’ll be blooming out of old rotten logs and other hidden places.
I had great intentions of covering my entire garden with daffodils, which would be amazing to see when they bloom in the spring.
But sadly, even the several varieties that were touted as ‘great for naturalizing’ didn’t really spread as advertised.
That’s okay, they’re still beautiful in small clumps.
The first ones I bought were Jetfire and Tete a Tete, which are still my favorite.
Jetfire does look like it’s in flight, with the petals reflexed backwards. Tete a Tete are tiny, and look like one of the larger types, only they’re about six inches tall.
The ones called New Baby were planted before my first grandson was born, and then I planted another variety that is a creamy white, which is nameless. King Arthur is the biggest one I grow.
I did have some called golden hoops, but they have disappeared. Even giving them supposedly exactly the right conditions isn’t a guarantee that they’ll be happy.
Jonquils are similar, but they have several flowers on each stem, as opposed to one per stem.
Whichever kind of the thousands of different named cultivars appeal to you, get them planted in the fall so they have time to make some roots before the ground freezes.
This ensures that they’ll bloom the next spring, and every spring after that, getting better and better.
