Home » Plants & Animals » Daffodils » Some holiday gifts for daffodil gardeners

Some holiday gifts for daffodil gardeners

© Mary Lou Gripshover

December is “down time” for daffodils, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. If you still have some bulbs to plant, you’ll want to do that as soon as possible, so they can make good root growth during the winter.

Mostly though, it’s holiday time--or preparations for the holidays. And holidays usually mean gifts for special friends and relatives. If there’s a gardener on your list, something for the garden is sure to please. A friend once told me she was getting rocks for her anniversary, and not the kind you wear on your finger! She was getting rocks for a retaining wall, and she was very pleased. So think about some of the gardening things your friend might enjoy.

Books are usually a good choice, and for the daffodil-lover on your list, Daffodils for North American Gardens ($28) by Brent and Becky Heath is the best book out there. It’s a visual feast of beautiful colored photos and it also includes cultural directions for various areas around the country. You can order this from Suite101, or you may find it in local bookstores. If your friend is interested in miniature daffodils, then the newest publication from The American Daffodil Society, Miniature Daffodil Cultivars – a Guide to Identification in Color would be of interest. This is a small softcover book with 130 of the 167 cultivars listed in the index shown in color. ($20) If your friend likes species daffodils or has an interest in rock gardening, then John Blanchard’s Narcissus, A Guide to Wild Daffodils would be of interest. Mr. Blanchard has traveled extensively in Spain, Portugal, France, and Morocco where daffodils are native. This book, published in the UK by the Alpine Garden Society, has wonderful color photos of daffodils in their native habitat. Mr. Blanchard also gives information about the type of soil in which the bulbs are growing along with some information about the elevation at which they are growing. ($40) Another UK publication, Daffodils with Snowdrops and Tulips ($24 with the yearly supplement to the RHS Register which lists newly registered daffodils) is published annually by The Royal Horticultural Society. Along with news from around the globe about the national daffodil shows, the latest edition includes articles on “Growing Healthier Daffodils,” “Daffodils in the Small Garden,” and “Galicia Revisited.” If you want to introduce a child to daffodils, When Daffodils Ran Free is a great beginning. And the A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants would make any gardener happy. (Where a price is listed, the book is available at that price from The American Daffodil Society, 4126 Winfield Rd., Columbus, OH 43220, and includes shipping costs in the U.S. Add 6.75% for sales tax if you live in Ohio.)

The copyright of the article Some holiday gifts for daffodil gardeners in Daffodils is owned by Mary Lou Gripshover. Permission to republish Some holiday gifts for daffodil gardeners in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.