Daft on daffs

The first daffodil opened in our garden this week. Undeterred by the recent snow and frost, leaves and buds had purposefully pushed their way through the soil to give us a bright indication that the growing season is silently on its way.

This particular daffodil is a miniature type planted in a sheltered east facing trough fixed below the kitchen window. Growing around 20cm tall it is a reliable bloomer and has slowly increased down the years, unfortunately the label has been lost and I can no longer remember its name.

The daffodil family is vast and deservedly popular in gardens and parks throughout the country. Tall, large flowered types are seen everywhere in spring and there are hundreds available for sale, but the smaller ones are less popular even though most are just as easy to grow. The daffodil, or narcissus genus, is divided into groups according to flower type and most groups include a few that grow small enough to be described as dwarf bulbs.

One of the tiniest is Narcissus asturiensis, which grows between 5-8cm high with tiny yellow flowers. It comes from northern Spain and will flower early in an open position, although some shade will also be tolerated. The wild daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus grows between 15-23cm high and is found in the wild in England, Wales, Holland, Germany and south into France and Spain.

Subspecies of this daffodil include pallidiflorus with creamy white flowers about 20cm high and moschatus with off-white blooms. Both increase slowly and thrive in semi-shade in humus rich soil.

The triandrus narcissi have pendulous flowers with slightly reflexed petals and usually more than one flower per stem. This group does well in sun or light shade in humus-rich, well-drained soil. Most are too tall be considered dwarf bulbs but the two hybrids, lemon 'Hawera' from New Zealand and golden 'April Tears', are lower growing. Narcissus cyclamineus and the hybrids bred from it are all low growing, reaching between 15-30cm tall. The species will naturalise in moist semi-shade forming a spreading clump of flowers with long yellow trumpets and swept back petals.

Hybrids include 'Tete-a-Tete' up to 20cm high with long lasting deep yellow flowers, 'Jack Snipe' and 'February Silver' both with white petals and yellow trumpets and 'Beryl' with primrose petals and orange trumpet. Some of the later flowering hybrids are more unusual in their colour with pink trumpets and white petals. These include 'Foundling', 'Lavender Lass' and 'Lilac Charm'.

The hoop-petticoat daffodils have large funnel-shaped cups and tiny petals and have become popular and more easily available in recent years.

Deep yellow-flowered Narcissus bulbocodium grows well in an open site where it will seed itself freely once established as will the similar N. bulbocodium var. conspicuus and N. obesus. Citrinus is equally vigorous but with pale flowers and nivalis is very early flowering and tiny - growing only 8cm high and possibly best grown under glass.

Updated: 11:31 Saturday, February 15, 2003