(NOT SO) EARLY DAFFODILS

We've had the full run of weather this week, with a dry, sunny GET OUT IN THE GARDEN NOW Tuesday, followed by three days of it's raining, no its sunny, no its hailing, its blowing a gale, now its sunny again sort of weather.  Due to the weather, apart from cutting back some of the Long Border, not much as been done.  Thankfully the plants carry on growing and flowering regardless.

1. Narcissus February Gold

Last year these lived up to their name and were flowering on 22nd February and made a lovely composition among the snowdrops.  This year, they are amply demonstrating that Spring has arrived a few weeks later.  

They also have a bit of a lean to the right - the after effects of the windy weather.  I do like this daffodil though.  It is tall and slender and rather elegant.


2. The Woodland

The Narcissus February Gold are planted in the woodland, in a long drift as recommended by Gertrude Jekyll.   I love it when the sun shines through the branches of the still bare trees.



3. Narcissus Pseudonarcissus

Unlike February Gold, these daffodils are rather short, and look right at home in the rustic surroundings of the orchard.  The ones I planted a few years ago are beginning to make little clumps.


I find the overall effect rather sparse.  It takes a surprising number of them to make a good impact, particularly in a photograph.

4. Narcissus Telamonius Plenus


There are a few clumps of these double daffodils near the apple trees.  They come along reliably early each Spring.   


I believe that these are Telamonius Plenus, also known as Narcissus Van Sion, a variety which dates back to 1620.  It's an untidy looking flower, with some parts a deeper yellow than others.   Being an incurable romantic I like to think these have been growing there nearly that long.


5. Narcissus Tete a Tete

Now for a really teeny, tiny daffodil.  A Christmas gift from my daughter, these Narcissus Tete a Tete are being kept company by Muscari Cupido .  Both these have been overwintered in the greenhouse and are in flower before those that were left outside.




6. Bergenia

I feel I have over done it with the daffodils, so I have this Bergenia to show you for number 6.  I happened to see a snippet of an old interview with Beth Chatto this week.   In 'The Well-Tempered Garden' Christopher Lloyd wrote about how he disliked Bergenia.  She disagreed.  So she wrote to him and said she found them invaluable in the garden, for ending a border for example.  He wrote back and invited her to lunch and so a great friendship was born.




Well that was Beth Chatto's recollection of events.  I've since picked up my copy of the book and while Christopher may not enthusiastically recommend Bergenia I couldn't find anywhere that he says he actually hates them.  He does point out that, like many plants that are recommended for planting in the shade, they will flower much better given some sun, as these ones are.

That's all from my garden for this week.  Thanks as always to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.







Comments

  1. A Six all in yellow with a choice of different narcissii… Maybe a few different colours with muscari and bergenia flowers at the end. Here too the bergenia is in bloom in my driveway. The first bumblebees take advantage of them!

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    1. I do like a daffodil. Cheap to buy, come back every year and very cheerful at a dull time of year.

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  2. A lovely selection of daffodils. I have one that looks very similar to Narcissus Pseudonarcissus. I wonder if it is that one? It has just started to flower so I'll have to include it in a SoS post. February Gold looks very elegant indeed.

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  3. I love the effect of the sunlight through trees in your woodland area, what trees are they? Where I lived as a child in Kent, there was a bit of woodland with a large central alley planted up with thousands of daffodils, and as I was only little, there are photos of me in the midst of them, yellow flowers coming up to my waist. February Gold is a lovely one.

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    1. They are an odd mixture of trees and goodness knows who decided to plant them like that. There is an ancient Hawthorne at the front of the photo on the right, followed by a few ornamental cherries. Then there is a line of silver birch and a group of sycamores. There's also what I think is a Robinia in there too.

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    2. Your Kent childhood woodland sounds enchanting.

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    3. I'm sure it will look lovely with spring blossom from the cherries and hawthorne too. It is an unusual layout, but works well with the path going through it. The woodland was absolutely magical!

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  4. You've got some lovely daffodils there. I do like the pseudonarcissus in grass and each year I vow to plant some but am yet to. I now realise if I ever do I'll need to invest in allot of bulbs. As for Bergenia, I've always liked it and just as well as we have large areas of it. My husband hates and says we should get rid of it, but it's an attractive weed suppressant and I point out to him how many plants we'd need to buy to replace them. The bergenias have stayed...

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    1. I used to dislike Bergenia when I saw it in other gardens. All those tatty brown leaves and stems. I now realise that some sunshine and a good tidy up a couple of times a year make it into an attractive plant.

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  5. I would agree with your identification of the daffodils - Telemonius plenius/Van Sion/Butter and Eggs! A great plant!

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  6. Good description of the weather - yesterday being particularly mixed!

    I'm quite a fan of N. pseudonarcissus - I think it's a charming plant. It might be sparse at the moment, but when it fills out it will look great.

    Beth Chatto was quite right to correct Christopher Lloyd - Bergenias are really underrated plants.

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    1. I'll just have to be patient with the Narcissus!

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  7. I love your daffodils, planted as they should be in masses of one variety. I have inherited mass plantings of jumbles of varieties here so I have to live with it. Some bergenias are fabulous for winter leaf colour.

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    1. I've inherited the daffodil jumble too. It's in what became the rose garden. I know it would be improved if I dug out the really big yellow ones and left the nicer ones - and this year I might get round to it!

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  8. A very fine daffodil selection, a chara. Tete-a-tete is my favourite.
    I do have some Bergenia, but I fear I like it not.

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