'There's Hope in Daffodils'

Narcissus 'Geranium'

"There's hope in daffodils. That's a dangerously fragile commodity at the best of times, but now is the time to indulge it." -- Anna Pavord, in The Curious Gardener (2010).


I had to plant some bulbs after reading that. Also, even though I have a lot of daffodils already, mostly old varieties that I planted 20 years ago (Carlton, Ice Follies, Flower Record, Thalia, Mt. Hood, Cheerfulness), I like the idea of planting a handful of a new variety every year. Most of those daffs still bloom, too. How amazing is that, 20 years later? A good investment for sure.

I finally got my bulbs this week. I have been determined to get some in the ground this fall, and the way I see it, I have until next week (Thanksgiving) to get them in the ground. That is the deadline.  I bought some Narcissus 'Geranium' which has white petals with orange centers and 'Cheerfulness', which was Henry Mitchell's favorite. I have some 'Cheerfulness' already, but I figured I could always use some more Cheerfulness.

Narcissus 'Cheerfulness'

Bulbs at Merrifield

I have to work all day today and tomorrow, so I hope the weather is nice on Sunday so I can finally get these bulbs in the ground. The problem is finding an empty space to plant them, but I think I have somewhere in mind...