Daffodil is the common name for Narcissus and both names are interchangeable. It is a very satisfying perennial to grow and is adaptable to many growing conditions, hardy, and increases from year to year. Another big plus is that deer do not like it!
To get an array of daffodils for a photograph, I asked my Four Counties Garden Club members to bring me some blossoms and the pictures below taken by Kate Fahey show some of the vase variety of daffodils. This is the middle of daffodil season and lots of varieties are in bloom.
For flower arranging the most popular varieties are:
- Trumpet Daffodils. These are the most classic of flowers
- Large-Cupped Daffodils
- Double Daffodils
- Jonquilla Daffodils
- Miniature Daffodils
- Poeticus Daffodils
- Small-Cupped Daffodils
- Split-Corona Daffodils
Beautiful blossoms — BUT BEWARE!! When picking daffodils from a garden or buying them from the market they exude a toxic sap that will wilt other flowers unless they are given time to expel their sap in their own bucket. After 6 hours or more, replace the water and they will be ready to mix with other flowers. This must be why the deer avoid daffodils in the garden and march to the tulips for a spring feast.
Arranging with daffodils can be as simple as a line of small glass vases filled with an array of different varieties.
Sand is a good medium for working with daffodils. Here tete’a tete’ are placed in naturally colored eggs with muscari and fritillaria to make a spring display. Eggs are filled with sand and held into place with bamboo skewers.
Narcissus ‘Tahiti’ is double daffodil and here are held into place with willow and seeded eucalyptus. A narrow necked vase helps to support the stems without staking.
In winter paper white narcissus are available and can be used with the entire stem, including the bulb, to create a botanical display. The bulb is pierced with several bamboo skewers and roots are spread over sand. Frequent misting will keep these flowers fresh for several weeks.
Paper white narcissus in a mercury glass vase combine with pieris japonica from the garden show off the sound board painting on my harpsichord. Flowers and music make a very good combination.
The daffodil bloom season can last a few months with careful planning. It is important that foliage be allowed to die back on its own so planting with hosta and other leafy plants that come up later in the season helps to cover the unappealing foliage.
Most of all these wonderful flowers are a way to celebrate spring and the exciting flowers yet to come. Enjoy!
