Daffodils are one of my favorite spring blooming flowers. They fill your garden with a golden glow, and are very easy to grow. Also known as narcissus, daffodils have a bevy of landscaping benefits. There are many different varieties to choose from. They are inexpensive, multiply over time, and are cold tolerant. That's only a few of the wonderful qualities this hardy bulb boasts. Read on to learn more, and don't forget to scroll to the bottom to enter the $50 gift card giveaway!
year of the daffodil
The National Garden Bureau has chosen the daffodil as the bulb of the year! Each year, they pick one annual, one perennial, one bulb and one vegetable to be celebrated and featured. The NGB takes into consideration versatility, popularity, adaptability, diversity and ease of growth. You can read more details about the Year Of The Daffodil here. In honor of this daffodil celebration, I want to show you just how easy it is to fill your yard with these fabulous flowers. I'm also providing one lucky reader with a $50 gift certificate to help you load up your landscape with bulbs, thanks to Longfield Gardens!
spring recap
We had some strange weather patterns here in New England this year. We had some earlier than normal warm weather in late winter, followed by an extreme cold snap in early spring. I was a little concerned this would cause problems with the bulbs. Luckily, the flowers were still spectacular just unusually late. They were all worth the extra wait, so I can't complain! Here are some daffodil pictures I snapped this spring.
Longfield Gardens was kind enough to provide me with these fun varieties of daffodils. I planted them all last fall in early October. They are planted in a flower bed that receives 6+ hours of sun each day. My garden is located in USDA zone 6a Massachusetts.
about daffodils
Daffodils are spring perennial plants grown from bulb. They always alert me to the warmer days ahead and are synonymous with my excitement for the gardening season. Right around the time the daffodils bloom, the robins return to chirp their sweet songs and all the snow from winter has finally melted. They fill the air with a light and sweet romantic scent sure to put you in a cheerful mood.
If you are someone that deals with deer or rabbits destroying your garden, these bulbs are for you. They are poisonous, so they bloom without a nibble from those dastardly critters. They originate from the Mediterranean, and grow in forest and woodland areas. Narcissus flowers are self propagating and are perfect for naturalizing an area of your yard. They multiply very quickly and with the proper care, will return year after year.
There are hundreds of different species of narcissus to choose from in different shapes, sizes and colors. There are officially 13 different classifications of daffodils according to the American Daffodil Society. They are such an easy and dependable flower to grow. Even those self professed "black thumbs" can grow them with ease.
Click here to learn more about naturalizing with daffodils
how to grow
If you would like to enjoy a long bloom season, pick early, mid and late blooming varieties. It's the perfect time to order your daffodils for this upcoming fall right now! Longfield Gardens has many different varieties you can order, so check them out here.
Once you place your order, they will ship to you usually in fall. It will vary depending on your zone. Here in my zone, I plant them in early October once the ground and weather has cooled.
Daffodils grow best in a well-drained, sunny location. You can also grow them in part sun to shade if needed. They like slightly acidic soil, so you may want to add amendments if the soil is alkaline. Remember, it is very important to make sure your location has good drainage so your bulbs don't rot.
Each variety is different, but in general, you want to plant your bulbs around 6" deep. Make sure to check the instructions for your specific bulb. Plant your daffodil bulbs so that the pointy end is facing up. Water your bulbs in well.
Now, it's time for the wait! By the time next spring arrives, you will be so glad you planted some bulbs. It's so rewarding to see your hard work from last season pay off.
Important note: After your daffodils have finished blooming, it is important to NOT cut back the foliage until it begins to yellow. I've made this mistake in the past, and I totally regret it. They use these leaves to create energy that is used to create next year's flowers. If you cut back these leaves too early, they will not produce flowers next year.
You CAN however cut off unsightly spent blooms once they have dried up. You can also plan ahead and plant in front of daffodil foliage to conceal it.
favorite varieties
There are so many beautiful varieties of daffodils to choose from. There are twelve separate divisions of narcissus flowers according to The Royal Horticultural Society. They include Trumpet, Split-Cupped Collar, Double, Poeticus and Miniature just to name a few. You can see the full list of divisions here. Since there are so many fabulous flowers, I've narrowed it down and made a list consisting of my favorite varieties. Each selection is available for purchase at LongfieldGardens.com.
Click here to learn more about different types of daffodils to know and grow.
Click here to see Longfield Gardens top 10 list of daffodils!
Giveaway!
In honor of National Garden Bureau's Year of the Daffodil celebration, I will be giving away a $50 Longfield Gardens gift card to a lucky reader! You can spend it on the bulbs of your choice, or even add to your daffodil collection. Brighten up your landscape with some cheerful new blooms.
How To Enter - Subscribe to my newsletter using the form below and you will automatically be entered. It's that easy!
Extra Entries - Want some extra entries to increase your chances of winner? Just fill them out in the form below.
About: This giveaway will run from Saturday, June 3 to Monday, June 12 closing at midnight ET. A winner will be chosen at random using the widget below. That winner will be announced and notified by email on Tuesday, June 13. Make sure to check your inbox!
Must reside in the US to enter. Wishing you all good luck!
Do you grow daffodils in your gardens? Are you already planning on planting some this fall? I hope you consider adding some of these classic spring blooms to your landscape. They are so easy to grow and really add some cheer to your yard.
I'm already starting to order some now! It's never to early to start buying bulbs for the upcoming season. I'm planning on growing some White Lion daffodils for next spring. I'm excited for them to perfume the air with their heavenly scent.
Don't forget to check out the hashtags #YearOfTheDaffodil and #DaffodilWatch on social media for extra inspiration. Happy growing!
Disclaimer: Longfield Gardens was kind enough to provide one of my readers with a $50 gift card. They also provided me with some of the images used in this post. I was not paid or compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own. I only promote companies I enjoy and products I use in my own garden!
40 Comments
Abigayle de Guzman
June 6, 2017 at 5:42 amThis makes me wish I don’t live in an apartment complex so I can grow. Great pictures, by the way! They’re beautiful!
Angela Milnes
June 5, 2017 at 11:46 pmThese are beautiful and i love the daffodils. They are such beautiful flowers and i love to buy them! I would love to plant some in our garden!
Jenna Colgrove
June 5, 2017 at 10:57 pmyou have the perfect yard!!
Dominique | Perchance to Cook
June 5, 2017 at 10:29 pmOmg daffofils seriously make me so happy! They remind me of spring 🙂 The colors are amazing… I’d love for my yard to be full of them!
Whitney aka Mrs. Millennial
June 5, 2017 at 10:15 pmWow – you have had better luck than me! I get lots of daffodil stems, but almost no flowers…think it’s just too warm here perhaps (zone 8B). Oh well!
Amanda
June 5, 2017 at 9:59 pmDaffodils are such beautiful flowers – I love their unique shape and bright yellow color! I can’t help but think of spring when I look at them!
Katy SkipTheBag
June 5, 2017 at 9:53 pmI love those professor Einsteins! I’ve not seen daffodils that color before. Simply beautiful.
Delphine
June 5, 2017 at 8:54 pmDaffodils are such great plants and a lovely symbol of spring. I love your photos, well done.
Elisha Fernandez
June 5, 2017 at 7:02 pmThese daffodils are gorgeous! Stunning pictures, too.
Heather
June 5, 2017 at 2:04 pmThese are stunning! I’d love to have a backyard full of flowers. In Arizona it’s so warm in the summer and we really struggle keeping anything pretty in our yard. I wonder if these would do well here.
Melissa @ Think About Such Things
June 5, 2017 at 11:48 amI love these daffodils. I grew some about 5 years at a house I was living in. They are such cheerful flowers and easy growers. I’m a fan of just the normal yellow daffodil, but I am really loving the white lion!
Donna
June 5, 2017 at 10:04 amI had no ideal that they did bulb of the year! Daffodils are my mom’s favorite flowers. Always a welcomed sign of spring.
daniella
June 5, 2017 at 7:59 amYou got some amazing pictures of daffodils and different kinds! Absolutely gorgeous!
Vanessa
June 5, 2017 at 6:22 amThese are my favorite flowers. They smell lovely and looks amazing in the garden.
Shoshana Sue
June 5, 2017 at 5:59 amI love daffodils and really had no clue that you are not supposed to cut back the foliage until it begins to yellow. This explains a lot now and I appreciate that I have learned something new and worthy today.