The Garden At Rock Cottage by Lance Brilliantine

Looking Forward

Now that summer is over, we are at the threshold of another winter. Fall always evokes some melancholy. The way to break through this despondency is to look beyond the season's sadness and imagine the rebirth of spring.

The time between September and November is a good time to plant spring bulbs. Earlier fall planting is better, of course, because bulbs establish strong roots before the first freeze. No bulb is more resilient or well-suited to East End gardens than the daffodil - one of the easiest bulbs to grow. They are not eaten by deer or rodents, so they make an excellent choice for this location.

Few individuals can resist the fragrance of daffodils, making them popular. Some individuals are allergic to the calcium oxalate that cut stalks exude. This is also the reason deer and rodents do not eat the bulbs or flowers.

Daffodils fall under a classification of plants known as Lilliopsida, in the family known as Liliaceae that includes other types of lilies. All daffodils are in a genus of plants known as Narcissus. While all Narcissus may not be classified as daffodils, those known as "jonquils" - coming from the Spanish word for flower - are included.

Daffodils come in early, mid-season and late blooming varieties. They produce a blooming period covering nearly two months when some of each variety is planted together. Daffodils are best suited to random, mass plantings, in locations where the residual foliage can mature and die back so the bulbs can reinvigorate themselves for the following season.

Traditional daffodils come in a yellow color, but many now come in colors of white, orange, pink, lime-green, or combinations thereof. The newer hybrids may have cups in shades of pink, red, and brown.

Daffodils are classified into thirteen plant divisions that include: Trumpets - with long coronas; long and short cupped flowers; Triandrus/Jonquilla - with more than one flower per stem; Cyclamineus - with straight and narrow coronas; Tazetta - with three to twenty small, short-cupped flowers per stem; Poeticus - with petals stained with the color of the corona and small, flat-cupped coronas edged in red; Bulbocodium hybrids - where the flowers resemble a "hopped petticoat"; Split corona - where the corona is split; other cultivates - including flowers not falling into other categories, and Species daffodils - that include the wild forms. All of these provide interest, contrast, and are great considerations for the garden.

To grow daffodils, select a well-drained, sunny, or partly-sunny spot. Hillsides, slopes and raised beds work the best because good drainage is important to success. Prepare the soil to a depth of about 10-inches. If dealing with clay or sandy soil, improve it with well-rotted compost, soil additives, and peat. Daffodils grow best in slightly acidic soil so the addition of some garden sulfur helps if soil is alkaline. Soil preparation is important to the future and ongoing success of these bulbs. If you find the bulbs do not bloom after the first year, consider relocating them to a different spot.

Use only top-quality bulbs and plant them so the tops (pointed end) are about two times as deep as the height of the bulb. You do not have to be exact, as the bulbs will adjust themselves over time. If planting bulbs in sandy soil, plant them slightly deeper. In the spring, as bulbs emerge, top-dress them with a fertilizer rated as 5-10-10.

Daffodils require a significant amount of water. Water immediately after planting and keep them moist until the soil freezes. During blooming time keep the bulbs well watered until about three weeks after they bloom. Then, stop watering.

Deadhead developing seeds to conserve bulb energy and promote the next-year blooms. Daffodils make their next year's blooms after flowering, so it is important to leave the foliage to invigorate the bulb and spark flower generation. Never cut the foliage until it begins to yellow.

Daffodils general re-bloom for three-to-five years without disturbance. At that time, it is helpful to divide the bulbs and replant them at an appropriate level (they have a tendency to sink over time).

You can contact Lance Brilliantine with any questions or comments at GardenLance@yahoo.com.

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