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
Rosie (@greenrosielife)
June 28, 2017 at 9:48 amI love daffodils especially the little tête à têtes and big blously yellow ones! I am gradually adding more around our smallholding and love them when they appear in spring.
Thank you fora dding this post to the #GoingGreen LInky and I hope you can join in the next one that opens on July 3rd 💚
Lisa
June 10, 2017 at 7:25 pmThose are beautiful flowers! We have some in our yard and I love them!
Nicole Escat
June 9, 2017 at 8:00 pmWhat a beautiful yard you had! I’m pretty sure that my grandmother would love your tips and ideas.
Echoesofhervoice
June 8, 2017 at 2:48 pmBeautiful flowers. That’s the best part about spring and summer. Thanks for sharing!
Bailey
June 8, 2017 at 12:49 pmThese are so beautiful! Keeping flowers alive is a constant struggle for me but you’ve inspired me to try again!
Casey the College Celiac
June 7, 2017 at 7:05 pmMy parents just went out and bought some gorgeous flowers to plant in our backyard! No daffodils, but some pretty flowers nonetheless 🙂
Rebecca Brianne | Bexpeditions
June 6, 2017 at 11:51 pmWhat a great post you have here! I love daffodils and I remember as a child it was always great to see them pop up at our home in Connecticut! Now in nearby Massachusetts, it has become all about the hydrangeas LOL. This made me miss my daffodils!
Best,
Rebecca
Bailey
June 6, 2017 at 9:46 pmI love flowers! Thank you for the thorough overview of how to plant and for the gorgeous pictures.
Chelsea Damon
June 6, 2017 at 2:03 pmI love daffodils! (TUpils are my favorite, though). They grow everywhere around here in the spring and it’s beautiful!
Lacee
June 6, 2017 at 12:13 pmOh how I love daffodils! My favorites are the light yellow/white outside with the bright orange center. They look great with tulips!
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