There's a piece in the Guardian today, arguing against planting daffs: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2010/oct/20/why-i-hate-daffodils . I partly agree, partly disagree. It all depends on context.
I wouldn't plant them where all the rather drab foliage is going to show up after they've finished flowering. In many situations, I prefer the miniature version, as full-sized daffs can be overpowering. But in the right place, they're superb. I plant them in the lane outside my plot, where they brighten it up no end, and then the leaves are buried in vegetation for the rest of their short season.
I have trouble with crown imperials, the other bulb the article mentions. I agree they're superior to daffs, but I've only got one spot where they condescend to grow at all, and they suffer badly in wet summers. At bottom, I think they need drier conditions than I can offer.
It's been a while since I posted, due to illness. I've been able to do nothing on the plot for a while, and it's in a truly disgraceful state as a result.
A Kolophon hemiobol reattributed to Magnesia
2 months ago
I hope you feel better soon Robert. Illness is bad enough without feeling jobs piling up which you then feel guilty or obliged about.
ReplyDeleteI love a good show of daffs. We have planted lots in our village. There's nothing like them for lifting the heart after a drab winter. We plant them thickly in flower beds so the wilted foliage is hidden by later growers.